In the year 2040, I would finally wish for less suffering and injustice in the world. I hope the people, especially those power-hungry heads of state, would finally realize that life is much better for everyone, without oppressing innocent lives. I hope they can finally realize that it is much easier and funnier to rule over a satisfied people. I hope that peace will finally come between peoples and territories and people will learn to appreciate each other and see their diversity as an opportunity. I hope we all pay a little more attention to each other in 2040.

In 2040, Europe became a continent united politically, socially and technologically. After decades of climate crises, geopolitical tensions and inequalities, a new generation of leaders, scientists and citizens has transformed the European Union into an advanced federation, based on cooperation, sustainability and innovation. Energy is entirely renewable, thanks to a huge network of orbiting solar panels and fusion power plants, and artificial intelligence regulates resource consumption, avoiding waste and ensuring fairness. Every citizen has access to a fair European digital currency, which fosters collaboration instead of unbridled competition. In this scenario, the protagonist Gaia is a young Italian engineer specializing in biomedicine, who moves to Berlin to work on the GaiaNet project, a network of interconnected green cities, capable of adapting to climate change and hosting multicultural communities without borders. But when a flaw in management systems threatens to tilt the entire urban ecosystem, his team must find out if it is a mistake or sabotage by those who want to bring the world back to the fragmentation of the past. In the end the protagonist discovers that the biggest challenge is not only to solve the technical problem, but to convince everyone that the future of cooperation, peace and sustainability for which they have worked is really possible.

In the morning I get up. A video shows me a message from my children who have their own family. They are independent and have a profession that fascinates them and allows them to live with dignity. They are happy and convey their love to me through this message. The latter appears on a wall and I can save it on a cloud. Then a self-driving taxi picks me up to go shopping. The caddies will be lighter and follow me like a robot. No need to push and or lower myself. The rays can also be accessed at my height. No need to ask for help to access products at height. The checkout will be done in a few clicks. no more waiting. For the return, the store robot will automatically load into the car. At home, a basket will carry the groceries on my balcony. No need to wear anymore.

This year, researchers have finally found the cure to completely eradicate Alzheimer’s disease, which has decimated all European countries over the past 20 years. These medicines are over-the-counter and allow the population not only to live old but to do it well, also raising the retirement age