futuretalk Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 Imagine living in a perfect body without fear of unwanted death. Consider a world where “smart” homes with friendly biomaterials responds to our every whim; and bird-like skycars on autopilot whisk us gracefully through the sky to our destinations. Though these scenarios may seem too futuristic to happen in just 34 to 44 years, experts believe that science could indeed make this future possible by the 2040s. Author Ray Kurzweil, in The Singularity is Near details how our bodies will evolve. Today’s frail human body “version 1.0” has a high failure rate – UN statistics predict 50 million people will die this year. Biotech and nanotech revolutions will provide a more durable and capable “version 2.0” over the next two decades, which will drastically reduce deaths. “This brings us to “version 3.0”, Kurzweil says, “an amazing body boasting a zero failure rate”. Even if a destructive accident were to occur, molecular nanotech, expected by the 2040s, could immediately construct a new body, retrieve mind and memories, and allow our indefinite lifespan to continue. Homes will not look sci-fi in 2040, because most people still enjoy living in houses, not futuristic pods. But tomorrow’s residences will include biomaterials imbedded in ceilings, walls and floors that kill harmful microorganisms, provide pleasant odors, and make us feel cozy and secure. Refrigerators will order food and provide nutritional data on what’s inside. Meat and dairy products no longer spoil and drinks chill themselves. All food items include nutritional supplements designed to keep our “version 3.0” body in perfect shape. “Smart” mattresses read our minds and promote dreams that enhance intelligence and emotions. Our always-on holographic TV streams live feeds from friends and relatives and delivers entertainment from the “global brain” Internet. We can experience programs the old-fashioned way, through eyes and ears, or for easier comprehension, allow signals directly into our mind. Windows provide clean air and light when needed. Street addresses are gone. GPS coordinates identify every house; and personal IDs allow monitored access to everyone. No more house keys; mind-scans approve entries and guarantee security. Exterior coatings change color and texture on demand; 20th century wood and brick styles are the rage. Every home has an aircraft parked in the garage that can drive as well as fly. Backing out the driveway, the skycar quickly lifts vertically like a helicopter and effortlessly glides through the sky to our destination. NASA’s Global Positioning System acts as onboard air-traffic controller to prevent collisions. For longer trips, we hop a scramjet that can travel to anywhere on Earth in an hour or less. Nanotech has enabled splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen, creating clean hydrogen for fuel cells; by mid-century, the world no longer suffers from the tyranny of oil. Nano-replicators, now a staple of every home, provides food, clothing and household gadgets at little or no cost. This has lowered the cost of living and eliminated the need for most incomes. The 2040s promise to change forever the ways we relate to each other; even our view of what constitutes life will be challenged as technology places humanity at the edge of immortality. Could this incredible “magical future” happen? Positive-thinkers say it can! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgrmdave Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 And what about the poor, underclass? That sounds great for the people who could afford it, but it seems that there will become an underclass of people without the money to afford all those things - furthuring the economic gap. Besides - if nobody dies, what will happen to the population? Eventually we wouldn't have enough food for everybody, or enough water, or more importantly, enough space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tormod Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 Please provide the source url of the story - it seems like a collection of items from this blog: http://betterhumans.com/blogs/futuretalk/default.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futuretalk Posted April 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 Nano-replicators could become the “great economic leveler” providing affluence to everyone, eliminating all economic gaps. Experts say advanced nanotech could reformat our environment and provide enough resources to support 100 billion people. Our biggest hazard on the road to this utopian future is potential disasters from accidents or purposeful wrong-doings from technologies such as biotech, nanotech, or infotech. Can humanity prevent these disasters? Will this future happen? Time will tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futuretalk Posted April 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 http://www.positivefuturist.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pangolin Posted May 15, 2007 Report Share Posted May 15, 2007 It's a good book but it's a dystopia. The dead are used as slaves and prostitutes and the living have trouble finding work. Eventually the dead revolt. Amazon.com: Terminal Cafe: Books: Ian Mcdonald http://www.amazon.com/Terminal-Cafe-Ian-Mcdonald/dp/0553374168 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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