NGOs, scientific organizations and private companies specialised in telemedicine and e-health scientific research, space applications, economics and development participated in the discussion.

UNESCO: Communication and Information

Indeed, Andy Petro of NASA's technology office in Washington, DC, says power beaming might change the economics of space exploration completely.

ECONOMIST: Monitor

Ordinary Russians see little connection between space exploration and national economics.

FORBES: Will Russia Win the Next Space Race?

This particular proposal is likely to be quickly disavowed by Democrats, Republicans, human beings in general, possibly a few farm animals and any invading space aliens who have read Economics in One Lesson.

FORBES: Retirement Caps and Budget Politics

Shervin Pishevar, a venture capitalist at Menlo Ventures and an investor in Getaround, TaskRabbit, Uber and other startups in this space, believes these services will have a major impact on the economics of cities.

FORBES: Airbnb And The Unstoppable Rise Of The Share Economy

The result is the social-science equivalent of a particle accelerator or a space-based telescope, says Robert Willis, a University of Michigan economics professor and the survey's principal investigator.

ECONOMIST: Ageing America