Computation enables full physical simulation

With sufficient computation power and emotional drive, through artificial intelligence, we will be able to calculate full physical simulations of precise environments. In less than 30 years, humankind will be able to fully simulate an environment, from its most fundamental physical forces to the most complex biochemical processes. Such a simulation will form the basis of most economic, academic and social activities. It will simulate engineering platforms and use genetic algorithms to form the most efficient designs.

This project is most often considered a research subject. However, it has reached maturity except for political commitment. It would take barely a few million dollars in investments and international cooperation to create a vast computational network capable of such processing powers. The hundreds of millions of computers that are connected to the Internet can provide an exponentially increasing pool of computing power. This approach has already been used several times, notably by the SETI@Home and the World Community Grid. The economic benefit of fully realistic simulations are valued several trillions in a decade's time as they would greatly improve all manufacturing, transportation and telecommunications processes.

All mathematical and algorithmical functions, which comprise the vast majority of the mechanisms in an economy, can be automated with enough computing power. The tools capable of achieving nuclear fusion and other advanced sources of energy are worth more than all the wealth created by humankind in its history. Significantly higher levels of energy would provide access for humanity to the basic forces of life. Bending the nuclear forces is possible with sufficient energy and is an upcoming step of evolution in regards to picotechnology. Such a level of technology means interstellar travel that would provide access to planetary resources. Computation and genetic algorithms are indispensable to create such technology and will help achieve them much faster.