Dr. Mohsen Zahran, Professor of Planning, Alexandria University

Everyone marveled at the pace of new discoveries, innovations and technological developments during the last decades of the Twentieth Century that have completely revolutionized the world and utterly changed Man's way of life, behaviour, work, living conditions, accessibility, communications and interactions, to a level unprecedented and to an extent never imagined or contemplated before.

During the last few years, many breakthroughs in scientific innovations and technological developments in the fields of biotechnology, human cloning, designer babies, animal hybrids, energy, nanotechnology, information technology, medical technology, space technology and others have had their profound impact on the global regional and national scales, atitudes and goals. The scope, meanings and dimensions and borders of space, time, place, global references and world order have been dramatically changed, and are constantly in flux in the rotating dial of the continuum of progress and change. Certainly, the science fiction ideas of George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, among many others, seem to have become comparatively narrow, limited, lame, pale and unimaginative!!

We have learnt recently about reservations for space travel with civilian millionaires traveling and sightseeing in scheduled space voyages. Hydrogen has been used as a fuel for cars. Wind, wave or geothermal energy have been used effectively o illuminate urban areas. In addition, sea floors are being harvested and sea water has been used to irrigate certain hybrids of traditional crops in the continuing war on hunger. The Pandora's Box of discoveries and developments has been jettisoned and unplugged revealing the marvels of ingenuity and intelligence, recognizing no limits, identifying no borders and stopping at no ceilings!!
The intelligent structures, systems, equipment, services and other countless intelligent achievements have already been in production, use and operation for years. Examples:
- Intelligent buildings;
- Intelligent highways;
- Intelligent public transport systems;
- Intelligent cities;
- Intelligent medicine;
- Intelligent investigations and identification of diseases;
- Intelligent medical diagnosis and treatment;
- Intelligent cars with self diagnosis and repair;
- Intelligent media to serve the specific needs of the user;
- Intelligent friendly products;
- Intelligent appliances at home, office, or factory;
- Intelligent robotics;
- Intelligent security systems;
- Intelligent space vehicles and intelligent airplanes;
- Intelligent weapons;
- Intelligent defense and offense systems;
- Intelligent wars (Iraq?);
- Intelligent education;
- Intelligent plants and agriculture;
- Intelligent industries;
- Intelligent entertainment facilities;
- Intelligent recreation facilities;
- Intelligent living systems and networks;
- Intelligent communications and data collection systems (G.I.S., G.I.P.S…);
- Intelligent trade and markets;
- Intelligent monetary systems and intelligent cards eliminating the use of currencies.
These are examples of the many innovations that have changed drastically people's lives and the individual reactions, conduct or behaviour. This is not to mention the already well-known impact of information technology developments in the popularization of the personal computers (have now become miniatures!). The universal use of the internet, mobile (cellular) phones, or video phones is now commonplace. These have had their incredible repercussions on political, social, economic, cultural and human behaviour, comprehension, conduct, morals and attitudes. Old rules, order, customs, practice, habits and conventions are no more valid.
The recent scenarios and theater of intelligent war on Iraq is open for all to witness and to become engaged in. There are no secrets, or camouflage with all intentions, plans and operations revealed beforehand. The entire world we know, whether governments, media, institutions, communities or human beings, is incapable of comprehending, evaluating or predicting the consequences or the outcome. The new innovations and intelligence require people and systems of the same tempo, same rhythm, the same scale, the same complexity, intricacy and intelligence in order to be at the level of challenge and intelligent response in scale, timing and effectiveness.
The established thresholds, barriers, limits, forums, standards, methods and modus operendi have simply become unworkable and irrelevant in this brave, "Shocking" New World.
Alas Aldous Huxley!! There are now multitudes of intelligences and intelligentsia that are unfathomable and certainly incredible. The new innovations that have been thrust to the arena on international and national interaction, operations and performance are too many to account for, and too difficult to assess their impact on the national communal or daily lives.
The recent announcements of MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, at Cambridge, Massachusetts) which prides itself in having nearly 25 noble prize laureates on its staff, reveal a few of the already tested and implemented technological innovations which could soon transform, and even further revolutionize, computing, medicine, manufacturing, transportation, energy, infrastructure and superstructure. These emerging technologies will have a tremendous influence on the world future and indeed human life and sustainable developments anywhere. Examples
" The Wireless Sensor Networks: This innovation has been used to identify movements, locations and conditions of birds and animals. It is equipped with a processor, a tiny computer memory and sensors that monitor light, humidity, pressure and heat. It is also equipped with transceiver to broadcast data and information to the network.
The impact of this innovation on intelligence gathering and communication is astronomical. The future will be pervaded by network of wireless, battery powered sensors, that monitor the environment, industry, equipment, vehicles (in sea, air, outer space, on land) or even human beings. The horizons and scope of implications are boundless!
" Injectable Tissue Engineering: This innovation has been successfully tested. It will eliminate the need for many transplants and surgeries, by mastering the technique of injecting joints with specially designed mixtures of polymers, cells, and growth stimulators that solidify and form healthy tissues. The object is lab-grown alternatives to transplanted organs and tissues. The tissue engineering applications could be delivered by syringe rather than by implants! While this technology has focused on cartilage and bone, it could be well extended and applied to tissues such as those of the liver and the heart! The method could be used to replace diseased portions of an organ, or to enhance its proper functioning. Instead of heart, kidney or liver surgeries, simply the injection of tissue engineering would do the trick.
The health and medical implications are obviously tremendous, far reaching and fantastic, saving life, expenses, pain, suffering, effort and time and thus radically revolutionizing the health and medical fields, industry, medicine and pharmacology.
" Nano solar Cells: The innovation of nano solar cells overcomes the relatively expensive photovoltaic cells to convert solar energy into electricity. The use of nanotechnology to produce a photovoltaic material that can be spread like paint or cladding, or can be integrated with building materials and external finishes will become the source of electric power needed for home use, or to operate cars, buses or fly planes. The revolution in producing cheap, clean renewable energy will affect not only urban development, transport or production, but also reflect on geopolitics and global economy as well as industrial and agricultural development.
" Femtosecond Spectroscopy: The technique was developed by the Egyptian born American Scientist Ahmed Zowail of Caltech, for which he received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1999. He has proven by pioneering lab experiment that it is possible with rapid laser technique to see how atoms in a molecule move during a chemical reaction. The pioneering work which has continued in the investigation of their transitional states of chemical reactions, using femtosecond spectroscopy, has led to many innovations and discoveries which will have a profound impact on medical diagnostic and therapeutic optical devices, treatment of cancer and other diseases. In addition ultra fast processes in chemistry and photobiology will affect pioneering research in biology, genealogy, biotechnology, agriculture, industry, medicine and pharmacology.
This innovation may be combined with the proven spectacular results of Modular Imagining, as demonstrated in Massachusetts General Hospital, in order to assist in fighting dangerous viruses and the cure of diseases and achieving needed medical treatment.
" Innovations in Mechatronics: This integration of mechanical and electronic components using sensors and intelligent software has become possible to improve engine performance, fuel economy and the control of pollution. In a few years electromechanical activators, and sensors will replace hydraulic cylinders and cables. Wires will replace brake fluid lines, and vehicles will be safer to maintain and operate. Automated highways, with the synchronization between intelligent cars and intelligent highways, will reduce accidents and fatalities, freeing drivers to read, watch television or sleep! This will reflect on urban and regional planning, urbanization, recreation, thus culminating in a cleaner environment and a safer world. In industry, pollution shall be controlled. production shall be improved. Quality control and quality assurance of products and services shall be better managed and guaranteed!!
" Grid Computing: Since the 1980's, "Internet working Protocols", to the 1990's, "hypertext transfer protocols," the World Wide Web (www) exploded across the internet. Now the fast emerging "grid protocols" will allow everyone to link almost anything else: database; simulation and visualization tools. We shall soon find ourselves in the midst of the biggest explosion yet. Grid computing in analogy to the well-known electric grid is not concerned where resources are because all world information resources will be available at your finger-tips. The technotronic revolution has just started.
On the other hand, the recently operational Japan's Earth Simulator puts other fast supercomputers in the U.S. to shame! American computer wizards are frantic about catching up with building these powerful electronic beasts which will complement and become integral with the galaxies of grid, computing super and hyper global networks using powerful satellite telecommunication capabilities. The sky of innovations in information technology has no limits and the vistas of future electronic revolution are quickly unfolding.
" Software Assurance: Without the proper software operations, computer hardware is useless. The failure of software, in airplane flights, in ground control, in defense systems, in banking, can cause catastrophes. To help alleviate and avoid bugs (viruses) or failure, it was possible to create tools and programs which will yield error-free software. Needless to say, the implications of this innovation are far reaching and multitudinal in all fields and disciplines. Coupled with this innovation is the development of Quantum Cryptography which aims at fortifying the security of electronic communications. The ultimate objective of this new achievement is to enable the transmission of information in such a way that any effort to eavesdrop will be detectible. This ingenious development will be greatly welcome by businesses, governments, corporations, the intelligence community, industries and research establishments.

CONCLUSION:
There is no doubt that the enormous financial resources allocated by governments and industry for research and developments have provided these ingenious innovations which will affect human development and the future of mankind anywhere. The rising tide of progress and advancement is just beginning, thus revealing a bright new world full of promises as well as challenges. The horizons of this "intriguing" future are slowly unfolding with great hope and magnificent expectations as well as problems and difficulties. While the rich countries reap the fruits of their huge investments and initiations in R& D, the developing countries, which are receivers and importers, lag behind with an ever widening the gap of apartheid between the North and the South. The new technological innovations are quickly flooding the markets of the developing countries, which must frustratingly keep up the pace and match the acceleration of needs and progress. However, they must also work harder for their share of progress and shoulder their due responsibility at prohibitive cost!!
In this global village of ours (or is it the global circus with theatre, stage, players and passive audience?) in which we, the children of the universe, face together the challenges of a common future in a hopefully safer and saner environment, we are required to properly accommodate and faithfully implement the resolutions of Agenda 21. This agenda was adopted in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 in the First Earth Summit, and further reinforced in the second Earth Summit in Johannesburg in 2002. It insists upon comprehensive measures and acts for achieving sustainable development and upholding the dignity of life for all. The price is high, but the stakes are both lofty and rewarding for all human beings to uphold, enjoy and treasure. February 14th, 2003 was Valentine's Day. Thanks to innovations in information and communication technology, it will go in history as also a day of global people's power. It was an unprecedented manifestation of the global power of millions of people who demonstrated in 600 cities declaring their universal commitment for peace, love, solidarity and unity of human race in demanding a secure, fair and equitable world, despite the might of the only world power!
It is both ironical and paradoxical that while we are making and shaping the world to become in both form and content more intelligent, human beings are changing gradually to become dependent and less intelligent!!. While we are rediscovering ourselves, in a continuing process of self-appraisal, a revealing reality have surfaced that human governance, living and conduct are less human, less humanistic, and less humanitarian. With declining morals, sliding values, disgusting inequality, rampant injustice and oppressive authoritarianism, where is humanity going? And to what end?? Is it the beginning of the end?!
In reflection on Francis Fukuyama's thesis, this is not the beginning of the end! We certainly could, and shall, make it the end of the beginning!!

Dr. Mohsen M. Zahran*

* Dr. Mohsen Zahran, the Former Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, is Professor emeritus of
Urban and Environment Planning at Alexandria University. He was Expert to UNESCO,
UNECEF, UNCHEF, UNEP, ENESCWA, and other international and regional organizations.