>>12837745CRISPR-Cas9 is an emerging technology that would completely change the world if mastered, but is very slow and difficult to develop to a useful state.
Nuclear fusion is an emerging technology that would completely change the world if mastered, but is very slow and difficult to develop to a useful state.
Artificial Intelligence is an emerging technology that would completely change the world if mastered, but is very slow and difficult to develop to a useful state.
Highly advanced carbon-based materials are an emerging technology that would completely change the world if mastered, but are very slow and difficult to develop to a useful state.
See a pattern here?
The jump from "possible" to "useful" takes far longer nowadays, because the way forwards tends to be less about sheer effort and more about knowing what to do.
When powered flight emerged, it was obvious how to make it useful: Simply improve the quality of construction to improve performance to useful levels: An industrial effort.
When the rockets that bombed London were captured, all that had to change to allow space exploration was making them bigger and better: An industrial effort.
With CRISPR-Cas9, all that stands between humanity and the next stage of evolution is knowing exactly what changes to make to the most complicated system on Earth: A monumental scientific effort.
