# Which field of science will have the next life altering breakthrough?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-field-of-science-will-have-the-next-life-altering-breakthrough/313569>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [July 22, 2005, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-field-of-science-will-have-the-next-life-altering-breakthrough/313569 "2005-07-22T01:30:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2005, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-field-of-science-will-have-the-next-life-altering-breakthrough/313569/21 "2005-07-24T15:44:31Z")

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The problem with that is, if they do find a way to stop the aging process, those at the backend will be terminally 70 or 80. That would kind of suck.

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**Author:** ![Madd\_Maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Madd\_Maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madd_Maxx)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2005, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-field-of-science-will-have-the-next-life-altering-breakthrough/313569/22 "2005-07-24T22:42:06Z")

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I’m going to say nanotech will make the next big impact. I’m worried that with stemcell research issue being such a political hotbutton, not enough money is/will be spent funding genetic research in general. Nanotech doesn’t have that drawback, and I think the applications are more widely varied than genetics. If genetics loses that politcal monkey on it’s back, then I give them pretty equal chances, maybe with a slight edge to genetics.

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**Author:** ![Bomzaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Bomzaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bomzaway)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-field-of-science-will-have-the-next-life-altering-breakthrough/313569/23 "2005-07-25T21:03:03Z")

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> [@Sam Stone](#):
>
> In computing science, I’m not sure. It will have to be a breakthrough that comes out of left field, because there’s no logical progression of knowledge I can see today that will lead to some radical change in the human condition.

How about Quantum Computing? If we can stabilize the particles in a quantum CPU, the computing power would be gi-normous (which of course is the technical term). QC could likely be the first step to AI.

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