New materials for uniforms will give soldiers superhuman capabilities. MIT's new Institute for Nanotechnologies is developing fabrics that could change properties as needed, such as becoming rigid to serve as a cast if the wearer breaks a leg. Shoes could store energy, allowing soldiers to catapult themselves over 20-foot-high walls. (World Trends & Forecasts, Technology)

 

More-violent weather ahead: deadlier storms, hotter summers, dryer deserts, and wetter coastal areas. Among the impacts of global warming will be increased size and intensity of hurricanes, fiercer winter storms, and a human toll that is catastrophic, predicts Bob Reiss, author of The Coming Storm. (World Trends & Forecasts, Environment)

The end of walking? Segway Human Transporter and similar products offer an alternative to walking. But one result might be that people get less exercise--a bad idea for any society fighting an obesity epidemic. (Innovation and Impact)

 

Despite attempts to ban them, the technologies for "designing" children will be developed. According to medical-technology analyst Gregory Stock, regulatory efforts are not only futile, but also potentially harmful as they inhibit research that could cure or prevent diseases and disabilities. ("Choosing Our Genes" by Gregory Stock)