Science is as small as an atom and large as the universe.
Our advancing world of technology is rapidly taking the "fiction" out of science fiction. We're building machines the size of atoms to remove contamination so people have clean water to drink. We're developing the capability of growing organs for transplant and tackling genetic diseases on the molecular level. Outer space is opening up to the average person, and our current energy usage is driving the development of renewable sources. All these areas present exciting future jobs in science.
Body Parts
Organs may become a new "crop."
Genetics, cloning and stem cell science are all in their infancy and promise great possibilities for future jobs. Imagine using the decoded human genome to unravel illnesses passed down for generations. A new kind of farmer will develop, growing healthy organs for harvest from a lab rather than salvaging them from donors or trying to reinvent them. Controversial stem cell research demonstrates great potential for repairing the human body. Bioethics could also find future jobs in this area.
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology creates machines on a scale with DNA.
The Center for Responsible Nanotechnology defines this branch of science as "the engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale." Microscopic machines are becoming increasingly complex, with the goal of making them function on a level with biological cells. Scientists in this field will need to understand create and develop these machines further. Other nanotechnology jobs will involve developing the application of the machines in fields like medicine and pollution reduction.
Outer Space
Space is opening up to the commercial and private sectors.
The wealthy are already investigating and investing in travel into outer space, so it's only a matter of time until there is a market for scientists to develop commercial space crafts capable of taking people into planetary orbit and suborbit on a regular basis. And it isn't hard to imagine scientists working on architecture suitable for living in space, where many people may be spending a great deal of time if we start mining asteroids and planets.
Energy
Renewable energy and oil dependency are hardly new debates, but recent events are requiring us to examine them more closely. Scientists in the near future will need to determine make better use of our finite natural resources like oil and coal, as well as develop more efficient ways to tap into renewable resources like wind and solar energy. Still others will be required to create and maintain standards for how any of these developments affect the environment.
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