Across
- 1. If _____ cameras had never replaced film photography, photography would have remained more expensive, and social media less visually driven.
- 3. If _____ media platforms had failed to gain widespread adoption, information would have spread slower, and personal connections would been more localized.
- 5. If 3D _____ had remained a niche industrial tool, custom manufacturing would have been less accessible, and the "maker movement" would have been smaller.
- 8. If digital payment systems had never become ubiquitous, _____ and checks would have remained dominant, limiting the speed and convenience of transactions.
- 11. If biometrics had been widely rejected for privacy concerns, device security would have relied more on _____, and convenient access methods would have been less common.
- 12. If advancements in _____ imaging had stalled, diagnoses would have been less precise, leading to more invasive procedures.
- 13. If mainstream adoption of electric vehicles had occurred in the 1990s, _____ pollution in cities would have been significantly reduced earlier.
- 15. If _____ computing had never become the backbone of modern software, software would still have been primarily installed locally, and scaling applications harder.
- 17. If blockchain technology had failed to emerge or gain credibility, decentralized finance and _____ would not have existed.
- 18. If powerful, affordable _____ had been delayed by decades, electric vehicles would have been a distant dream, and portable electronics bulkier.
- 19. If the "Internet of _____" (IoT) had failed to integrate into homes, homes would have been less automated, and remote control of appliances would have been uncommon.
Down
- 2. If ___ technology had remained exclusive to military use, navigation would have relied on paper maps, and logistics would be far less efficient. [abbreviation]
- 4. If _____ threats had remained minimal, never leading to a complex industry, there would have been less investment in security infrastructure, leading to more widespread data breaches.
- 6. If ____ had become truly commonplace by 2010, domestic labor could have been significantly automated, changing family dynamics.
- 7. If _____ had remained a luxury item, people would have carried multiple separate devices for communication, photos, and music.
- 9. If _____ power had become the dominant energy source by 2000, global climate change would have been less severe, and energy prices more stable.
- 10. If video conferencing had remained clunky and unreliable, _____ work would have been far less feasible, and global collaboration would rely more on travel.
- 14. If the development of the _____ had been significantly delayed, global communication would have been slow, and e-commerce would have been non-existent.
- 16. If _____ technology had been widely available for civilian use by the late 1990s, package delivery and aerial surveillance would have evolved much earlier.
- 18. If e-readers had completely replaced physical _____, traditional publishing would have been severely diminished, and bookstores largely obsolete.