Technologies of the future
 

I was thinking about this a couple of days ago, and I thought I'd see what everyone else thought.

Back during the holidays, before Christmas break, one of my teachers and I talked about which way technology would go in the future.

Now, I'm not claiming to be an expert, not at all. In fact, the place I got most of my knowledge was from the books Jurassic Park, Timeline, and Prey. On thing you have to give Michael Crichton is that he does do his homework before he writes a book.

Anyways, as we talked, we decided it would come down to two things: Either Quantum technology or biotechnology.

Here is the basic rundown that we used. With Quantum, everything would be faster and smaller. Imagine a computer more powerful than any computer today that was the size of a cell. Theoritically, with Quantum tech, this is possible.

In biotechnology, we weren't talking dinosaurs or anything like that, but computers (seeming as that is what I was studying). My teacher told me about the idea to use organic material as memory storage. Neuro-pathways instead of PCI buses, and the like.

Personally, I think quantum would have the best chance, as biotech would be contraversial in some ways.

Also, how do you feel about nanotechnology?

Of course, we have anyone who really does know what the heck they are talking about, feel free to correct me in any way possible.

Im no expert either, but from what i have heard and read is that biotech is the curent "cutting edge" technology. I think that quantum technology might come later.

Read the Human Quantum Computer Thread I started. It seems that the human brain in some way uses Quantum effects that are generated and protected by protein mircotubules in nerve cells. Basically, both Quantum and Biotech are the future.

The thing you are trying to describe is called the Singularity. Basically its the point at which technololgy changes are lifes so much so fast that after its over life is as different from today as today is from the stone age. This term was coined by SciFi writers and the general consensus is that its coming in about 20 years or so.

I know a thing or two about Nanos. Nanos are robots that are the size of cells, and work together exactly like cells would to get things done. They're currently creating a tire made from nanobots that, when punctured, would instantly heal itself and not lose air. The only problem is heat. All machines produce heat. And when they're that small, the heat they generate will more than likely fry their circuits, and cause them to malfunction. They're still working on that.

And Biotech using organic materials would lead to real cyborgs. Instead of simply relying on your original brain power, extra memory storage could actually be implanted into your head, so that instead of just remembering something, you could actually call back real audio and visual footage into your mind. Not to mention the military advantages of such research. By implanting actual technology into the organic material that makes up the human body, one can actually increase a person's true strength, and enhance it to a super-human level. Imagine a man could, on average, lift about 100 lbs. Now, implant the mech-enhancers into the man's body. He could now pretty much lift up a van.

The only downside to things like that is when the technology inside the body starts to deteriorate. They haven't done anywhere close to enough experiments to tell if implanting technology into organic material could actually cause the organics to deteriorate faster than normal. If that was true, then that could significantly reduce the lifespan of a human. It would be a trade-off of physical superiority for your years of life.

Isn't it fun to do research? :D

Hopefully, militaries will be abolished by then.

Although Quantum sounds cool, I'm leaning towards Biotech here. Biotech actually would give earth, and humans, to retain a biological connection with the planet, and themselves. I'm not an animal/environmental activist or anything, I just find the idea of an ultra-biologically yet still technologically advanced society would be awesome. Nature is so cool--I mean, again, I'm not the camping type, and I don't study bugs, but I'd give anything for my computer environment to be a foresty, rivery place. I know biological just means in function, but it could be taken to the next level, neh?

Also, nano sounds sexy.

I hate to say it but I think millitaries will always be needed locke, no offense but there will always be a need to defend ourselves. However by that Time I am sure we will have robots that will be able to fight for us. If I can find a link there is a place that is already willing to reserve purchases (Baiscally a spee pass.) for a humanoid companion robot when they come out. That will probably be the first use for a humanoid robot. That is if the goverment allows it after all, wouldn't be eaier to just ban humanoid robots than worry about a robot revolution?

Militaries are only needed as long as people think they're needed. It's like capitalism--"this dollar is worth one dollar," and so it is.

Of course, we need a military. Wars and militaries are the most impossible meme to annihilate. If everyone just up and destroyed all their weapons, that would be fine. But since the actual process would go something like:

Country 1: eliminates army
Country 2: eliminates army
Country 3: seizes opportunity and takes over country 1 and 2
Countries 1 and 2 regain their independence and obviously need an army for future loss-of-army takeovers. And so it goes.

I'm just saying that all weapons are like the Cold War--paranoia mounting...and mounting...and mounting...until the threat is "all-too-real" to ignore, but only because of paranoia...

And ON topic, is nanotech advancing at all? Last I checked 5 years ago people were saying the same thing about tires, although I don't doubt it's possible.

Well My brother is going over to UI Urbana and he got to see there nano technology station, incredibly long and pointful yet overly long story short, Yes its progressing, just not as fast as its made out to be. I hope that honestly though that it doesn't go the way of super conducters...

Two words Metal Rubber; it's considered nanotech because its built up a few molecules at a time. (Yes nanotech means more than tiny machines.) Basicaly this robot dips a speacial substrate into bucket of postively charged metal ions, then rinseing in water, and finaly into negatively charged elastic ploymers. The substrate is rinsed again and the process repeats and when is all said and done the substrate is removed. The stuff can flex like rubber and conducts like metal. Thats were nanotech is going first.

Here's what I think.

Eventually, we'regoing to become so reliant on technology, it'll control everything we do. However, something will go wrong in the system...it'll start small, like a power generator somewhere shuts down. But, since that power generator shut down, then all the transfrmers it was powering will shut down. Thus, all electrical currents those transformers sent into your house and the city, will cease. Thus, more transformers shut down, more electrical current ceases...eventually, all machines will come to a complete halt, and we will find ourselves in the Second Dark Age. No one will know how to do anything for themselves, since machines and computers did it all. After all, due to the tchnological advances we've already made, modern "geniuses" use only about 7% of their brain; people rarely use calculators or pen and paper anymore.

Also, the time will come when people use these cell-sized computers inside their actual being. Well, if someone hacks into that computer, they hack into you, and you get messed up. Kinda like Gizmo Duck from Duck Tales.

Now, as for Biotechnology, all bio-organics will eventually erode, thus the data encrpyed inside them will also erode. Personally, I think we've already reached our peak, an from here things may get better, but at a higher cost.

Also, Sithdarth, is this Metal Rubber also as durable as metal?