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Name: Melvin Harris
From: Nevada
Bio: Scientist
Area of Expertise: Technology Developer/Administrator
Topic: General, Overarching Remarks
Headline: The Wild Wild Cyber West
Nutshell: The virtual world trumphs the real one
Vision:It’s 2014 and mankind has integrated 80% of "everything" into the Net: databases and commerce are old news, the new frontier is net-relayed CONTROL systems and "links". Mankind scrambles to integrate "Net-controlled" systems into everything. Farm equipment, surgical robotic arms, military systems, and construction to name a few. Everything is "Net."
The "Net" becomes more important than old earth reality. "Net" crimes become more important than normal crimes.
Cyber police and Cyber security becomes a multi-billion dollar industry. Info and "Net control" become the new "Big Stick." Cyber terrorism is more feared the WMD terrorism. Precision strikes are conducted by destroying the Net infrastructure of rival nations.
Scientists and engineers from all over the world collaborate on real-time projects. Computing power is linked and now 1000-teraflop supercomputers are available to thousands of scientists, causing an exponential explosion in technological innovations.
Online dating becomes the norm, traditional dating becomes passe’.
Lastly, mankind will be at the door of neurolinks that will enable the human brain to directly link to the Net, that will not occur until around 2040, but the seedlings of that research will seriously come into being in 2014.
Date Submitted: November 10, 2004
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