My goal is not to forecast, not to outline either stunning or depressing scenarios of what is to come. There is no need to extend this popular—but consistently failing—genre: in the long run, there are too many unexpected developments and too many complex interactions that no individual or collective effort can anticipate. Nor will I advocate any specific (biased) interpretations of reality, either as a source of despair or of boundless expectations. I am neither a pessimist nor an optimist; I am a scientist trying to explain how the world really works, and I will use that understanding in
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