THE EDGE THE EDGE AH, YES THE EDGE Now is the time to look at the local technological Edge. How well is present day mass technology creating the path to the future? With the advent of new fuels, new designs, and new control systems, all the old engine technologies are pushing towards their theoretical maximum efficiencies. This coupled with newer fuel cycle designs and such technologies as magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) have made fair progress on the pathway of efficiency. The most promising development in this area is, however, the immanent possibility of room temperature superconductors with the possibility of a 10 fold increase in efficiencies. On the pathway of source regeneration we now have heat recycling, trash and biomass recycling and the use of regeneratable biomass for fuels and other industrial uses. These and similar processes, such as solid state heat to energy conversion, are beginning to cut down the rate at which resources are being degraded. We can look at the relatively inexhaustible resources which are available to us right now. If these can be effectively harnessed we will be all right energy wise for at least a million years. Two of these, wind and water, have been used for many years as energy saving and energy creating systems. These will be here as long as the Earth survives. Another, solar, will be around even longer. It is the opinion of many intelligent people that with proper technological engineering these three sources alone could provide all the energy that human society needs. Solar energy is also the best bet to power many extraplanetary ventures. The final energy process to be considered here is the one truly at the edge of modern mass energy development. This is fusion energy: the process at the heart of the sun. If laser fusion processes or certain cold temperature fusion processes can be made feasible, this type of energy could power our civilization until the hydrogen runs out. Even then higher level safe fusion/fission systems could be developed to regenerate the hydrogen and/or other light atomic fusion fuels. So why not a free lunch? May it be served soon!