the grand challenges for engineering

«the century ahead poses challenges as formidable as any from millennia past. (...) in pursuing the century's great challenges, engineers must frame their work with the ultimate goal of universal accessibility in mind. (...) Through the engineering accomplishments of the past, the world has become smaller, more inclusive, and more connected. The challenges facing engineering today are not those of isolated locales, but of the planet as a whole and all the planet’s people. Meeting all those challenges must make the world not only a more technologically advanced and connected place, but also a more sustainable, safe, healthy, and joyous — in other words, better — place.»

¤

. make solar energy economical (espreitem o que foi escrito aqui e aqui por palmira silva acerca da energia solar. ainda se ouve pouco acerca de alternativas plásticas, mas espero que esse silêncio se vá dissolvendo);

. provide energy from fusion;

. develop carbon sequestration methods;

. manage the nitrogen cycle;

. provide access to clean water;

. restore and improve urban infrastructure;

. advance health informatics;

. engineer better medicines;

. reverse-engineer the brain;

. prevent nuclear terror;

. secure cyberspace;

. enhance virtual reality;

. advance personalized learning;

. engineer the tools of scientific discovery.