ETH Zurich researchers have developed a plasmonic modulator enabling significantly faster data transmission using terahertz frequencies. This breakthrough has the potential to revolutionise communication technologies, including next-generation mobile networks.

The source explores the broad speculative impacts of this technology across economic, social, ethical, environmental, and geopolitical domains, presenting optimistic, neutral, and cautionary scenarios for each.

It also considers wildly speculative ramifications for human cognition, cultural evolution, and environmental monitoring, posing visionary questions about privacy, addiction, and global power.

Ultimately, the text argues that while THz technology offers transformative potential, its implementation necessitates careful consideration of ethical concerns and societal impacts to ensure equitable and beneficial outcomes.

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