Table of Contents
This page is dedicated to summarizing and noting the current world situation and major developments within the American Administration Universe.
International Developments
Technology / Medical Science
2009 Developments
September : Technology takes another step forward as the first Superconductive Computer is built in a laboratory. As it requires temperatures around 100K to operate, the machine is extremely expensive, but seems a superb test of concept.
October : A laboratory in Maryland has made the first self-replicating Nanomachine. While it poses no threat to human health, doomsayers make their opinions known on the topic.
October : The United States becomes the unexpected world leader in solar technology after a breakthrough in design allows a tripling in energy efficiency. Engineers suggest that Solar Designs based on such designs are beaten only by Coal and Hydropower for cost.
November : Scientists have made a breakthrough in designing light emitting diodes (LEDs). This should slowly but surely reduce energy costs in many applications.
December : Entomologists have developed means to genetically modify mosquitoes to be less of a nuisance of a humans.
2010 Developments
January : A breakthrough is made in treating cancer–apparently, it is possible to use the bodies own immune system to fight cancers. This breakthrough should lead to major gains in productivity and human longevity.
February : Co-generative Technology makes major breakthroughs in miniaturization, cost and reliability. The idea of using waste heat in things like engines to power generators has been long known, but it's too costly, too inefficient and too expensive. Or at least it was. The implications of major increases in energy efficiency at only a small increase in price suggests major technological and economic development to come.
March : Lithium Car Batteries begin appearing on the Market. They have, supposedly, a life thee times as long as the lead/sulfuric acid ones do.
May : Stopping HIV has been a holy grail for medical science. Unfortunately, this has proven to be a spectacularly difficult thing to do. A recently developed Vaccine offers around a 75% success rate–not enough to stop the disease, but perhaps enough to contain its spread.
May : The Sunrise makes a successful launch into Earth's Orbit and re-entry. Aided by state of the art computers and remote controls, the Sunrise is the cheapest launch vehicle made thus far. Given time, this could reduce the cost of sending a kilogram of mass into orbit from around $22,000 presently to about $15,000. It will take years for this design to reach maturity, but the prototype seems to have worked perfectly.
December : A Breakthrough in manufacturing. Hot off an assembly line–carbon nanotube cable. This material seems to have nearly magical qualities, and industries worldwide began placing large orders for it.
2011 Developments
January : Immunotherapy for Cancer makes another step forward when testing trials indicate a terminal patient has sent his lung cancer into regression against all odds due to a new breakthrough procedure.
February : Algal Solarpower has proved its worth; the possibility of 50% efficient solar designs exploiting Algae has entered the realm of engineering, departing the fantasy of speculative theory.
March : Advances in Carbon Nanotube Manufacture have become too prominent to ignore. A comic image of a blanket of Carbon Nanotubes, tethered to four steel beams, holding a car is not a camera trick. They apparently can be made, and in kilogram quantities.
June : After a blazing quick move from the laboratory to factory, the first applications of carbon nanotube body armor and armor plate layering has emerged. It may cost around 20~30 Billion dollars to modernize infantry and vehicles to use Carbonlink armor, but the material is as strong as diamond and may well make even a RPG strike survivable.
September : Detroit Auto Works newest automobile designs are shown to survive a 35 MPH impact without damage. While expensive and difficult to implement, it is hoped that traffic accidents may become less lethal with the widespread use of internal springs and cushioning to soften impacts.
October : US Pharmaceutical Giant Medtonix has apparently developed a “meta-vaccine” that immunizes against all possible forms of the Flu Virus.