RAND Corporation

The RAND Corporation National Security Research Division published a report in 2006 titled “The Global Technology Revolution 2020, In-Depth Analyses: Bio/Nano/Materials/Information Trends, Drivers, Barriers, and Social Implications”.¹⁾ It was sponsored by and prepared for the National Intelligence Council as consulting contribution to their own 2004 publication titled “Mapping the Global Future: Report of the National Intelligence Council's 2020 Project Based on Consultations With Nongovernmental Experts Around the World”.²⁾

While not primarily a pandemic war game, the word “pandemic” appears in the document 316 times (including footnotes).

In addition to the National Intelligence Council, funding was provided by the Intelligence Technology Innovation Center (ITIC) and the U.S. Department of Energy. It is a follow-on report to RAND MR-1307-NIC, The Global Technology Revolution (2001), which was sponsored by the NIC to inform its 2000 document, Global Trends 2015.

Many interesting and noteworthy technologies are mentioned, some directly relevant in the COVID-19 crisis. For now, here is a summary for further investigation at a later date:

• Biometrics as sole ID
• Biomimetic and function-restoring implants
• Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) Sensors on ERT
• CBRN Sensor Network in Cities
• Cheap autonomous housing
• Cheap solar energy
• Chip implants for brain
• Commercial Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
• Communication devices for ubiquitous information access anywhere, anytime
• Computational (or “in-silico”) drug discovery and testing
• Embedded sensors and computational devices in commercial goods
• Filters and catalysts for water purification and decontamination
• Fluorescent quantum dots for medical diagnosis and treatment
• Gene therapy
• Genetic modification of insects to control pests and disease vectors
• Genetic screening
• Genetic selection of offspring
• Genetically modified (GM) Animals for research and development (R&D)
• Genetically modified (GM) crops
• Green manufacturing
• High-tech terrorism
• Hospital robotics
• Hybrid vehicles
• Implants for tracking and ID
• Improved diagnostic and surgical methods
• Ingestible radio transmitters
• Large, searchable databases containing detailed personal and medical data
• Mass-producible organic electronics, including solar cells
• Memory-enhancing drugs
• Military nanotechnologies
• Military robotics
• Monitoring and control for disease management
• Multifunctional cell phones that take digital photographs and receive and transmit electronic mail
• Nanostructured materials with enhanced properties
• Personalized medicine and therapies
• Pervasive undetectable cameras and sophisticated sensor networks
• Proxy-bot
• Quantum computers
• Quantum-based cryptographic systems for secure information transfer
• Rapid bioassays using bionanotechnologies
• Robotic scientist
• Rural wireless communications
• Secure video monitoring
• Small and efficient portable power systems
• Smart fabrics and textiles
• Super soldiers
• Targeted drug delivery through molecular recognition
• Therapies based on stem cell R&D
• Tissue engineering
• Ubiquitous radio frequency identification (RFID) tagging and tracking of commercial products and individuals
• Unconventional Transport
• Wearable computers
• Widespread bundled information and communications technologies, including wireless Internet connectivity
• Xenotransplantation