Scientific Discoveries
Scenarios exploring how different scientific breakthroughs or their timing might have changed history
What If The Human Genome Project Never Happened?
Exploring the alternate timeline where the ambitious international effort to map all human genes never materialized, dramatically altering the trajectory of modern medicine, biotechnology, and our understanding of human biology.
What If The Ice Age Never Ended?
Exploring the alternate timeline where the Pleistocene glaciation persisted into the present, dramatically altering human civilization, biodiversity, and the entire course of world history.
What If The Integrated Circuit Was Never Developed?
Exploring the alternate timeline where the integrated circuit was never invented, fundamentally altering the trajectory of computing, telecommunications, and virtually every aspect of modern technological society.
What If The International Space Station Was Never Built?
Exploring the alternate timeline where international cooperation in space collapsed after the Cold War, preventing the construction of humanity's most ambitious orbital laboratory and permanently altering the trajectory of human spaceflight.
What If The Itai-Itai Disease Outbreak Never Occurred?
Exploring the alternate timeline where Japan avoided its most severe case of cadmium poisoning, potentially altering the trajectory of environmental regulation, industrial practices, and public health policy in post-war Japan and globally.
What If The James Webb Space Telescope Deployment Failed?
Exploring the alternate timeline where NASA's most ambitious space observatory experienced a catastrophic deployment failure, altering the trajectory of 21st century astronomy and space exploration.