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Name: Nicholas A. Compton
From: New York
Bio: Future Space exploration fanatic, Anime otaku, Mech devotee, U.S. Marine
Area of Expertise: Futurist/Consultant
Topic: Technology
Headline: Remarkable, dangerous progress…
Nutshell: Seamless and unbound by mankind's self-imposed limitations.
Vision:In a relatively short period of time, mankind has made incredible bounds in the realm of the sciences. One day, we will realize what is truly possible when we tap into our ultimate potential. Such things take time, yes, but imagine, in less than a half a century, we became a space-faring civilization. And based on what? War. That’s right. War.
Indeed, whoever said this infamous quote is correct: "Who says mankind does not make progress? For in every war, they devise a new method to kill one another."
As I write this, I am imagining the feudal lives of our ancestors, knowing nothing of what we would accomplish. Today, in the here-and-now, we think nothing of the things prevalent in our lives that did not exist decades ago. The essay I submit today, travelling at the speed of light towards its destination, would be unheard-of heresy hundreds of years ago, except to the most enlightened of thinkers. Is it not possible that in one thousand years’ time -actually, is it not inevitable – that the things to come cannot possibly be imagined? We have already created based on existing things. Almost anything that is imagined now will have some sort of worldly influence in its conceptual design.
Only savants can be truly capable of envisioning brand-new technologies. Yes, modifications, streamlining, and variants of existing tech will continue to come. That is just how things are. I mean, things like a truly wireless interface between man and machine. This crosses the ethical line between right and wrong, of course. Having no outside influence from religion, or whatever; I am seeing only the inevitable.
The successful implantation of some sort of "nano-bio-whatchamacallit" might herald in this new era. Imagine not having to manually convey words into the machine’s data banks, even orally. Just think it, and there it is. Other "networking" methods might be devised, such as connections to automobile, or other "self"-aware artificial intelligence.
At this point in time, we are heading in the right direction. We have gone ahead and played God, manipulating genetics, and creating true artificial intelligence. Now we need only to combine the two.
Though I may be jumping from topic to topic in a random manner, that is the nature of the human species. Look at the seemingly unrelated innovations we’ve made in the past. I want to be subject to cryogenic suspension – if only to see what will become of mankind in a century or so. How would I react? Like a true vision of our future, it’s impossible to know.
Date Submitted: February 10, 2005
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