The research topic should develop your response to the 2009 Edge question ("What Would Change Everything?").
Choose some technological development, discovery, or breakthrough which would be revolutionary, and begin researching it. Choose a research question and develop an answer to the question.
Some suggestions
The paper should be approximately 10 pages (double-spaced), incorporating 8-12 sources. Any citation style is acceptable, although I prefer the MLA 2008 update.