25 Things That Will Change Everything In The Next Century

By Stevie Shephard / December 6, 2016

2086 (70 years)

9. Ion Engines Power Space Travel

Wikipedia

Ion drives in 2016 are perfectly possible, but currently deliver miniscule amounts of thrust compared to chemical engines, however, the have a fuel efficiency of at least 12 times that of a conventional engine, making the technology worth advancing.

They work best in the vacuum of space, making them ideal for those long trips to the stars where fuel efficiency is key.

Once the technology is sufficiently advanced to provided a useful amount of thrust (and if the problematic EM drive hasn't taken the fore) then we could be powered everything from probes to generation ships with them.

8. Sending People To Jupiter

It's thought by many scientists that the moons of jupiter could well provide good candidates for off-world colonies and even someday an Earth 2.0.