Technological Innovations
Scenarios exploring how different technological developments or their timing might have changed history
What If The Shale Revolution Never Happened?
Exploring the alternate timeline where hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling technologies failed to unlock vast reserves of shale oil and gas, dramatically altering global energy markets, geopolitics, and climate policy in the 21st century.
What If The Silicon Valley-Stanford University Relationship Developed Differently?
Exploring the alternate timeline where the symbiotic relationship between Stanford University and Silicon Valley took a fundamentally different path, potentially reshaping the global technology landscape and innovation ecosystem.
What If The Sims Was Never Created?
Exploring the alternate timeline where the groundbreaking life simulation game The Sims never came to exist, and how the absence of this cultural phenomenon would have altered the landscape of gaming, interactive entertainment, and digital social expression.
What If The Skylab Space Station Never Fell?
Exploring the alternate timeline where America's first space station Skylab was saved from orbital decay, potentially transforming space exploration and establishing a continuous American presence in orbit decades before the ISS.
What If The SL-1 Accident Never Happened?
Exploring the alternate timeline where the 1961 SL-1 nuclear accident was avoided, potentially altering the course of America's nuclear power development and public perception of nuclear energy.
What If The Smartphone Revolution Never Happened?
Exploring the alternate timeline where modern touchscreen smartphones never achieved widespread adoption, dramatically altering the course of technological development, digital culture, and global connectivity in the 21st century.