Our Very Plausible Future
Posted by drteine on November 30, 2011
If you get a chance and have some time to kill, go and listen to this story on NPR (I think it’s 20-30 minutes) about the predictions for 2100 as made by a very high brain power physicist. In general, I think I agree with the man, except for a few issues.
1) He claims that the early adapters of contacts that act as heads-up displays will be students. I fully disagree – it will be businessfolk who need to have that information at their fingertips to make better deals faster. Indeed, that drive to make money will push the adaption of this technology faster than students. The technology he describes would enable you to completely dominate the competition that doesn’t have it.
2) The bit on recorded memory is really something profound. Why? Because if you can truly record a memory and give it to someone else, why stop at using it for learning? Prof. Kaku should read more science fiction, because recorded memories will be used for more than just quick skill learning. They will be used for planting memories, crime and punishment, and the ultimate in entertainment, both life-changing and profane. However, I suspect what works with a mouse won’t translate as easily to humanity, since it could be that each recording of memory must be tailor made to that person and it may not translate to each complex individual mind, as I would bet that everyone’s hippocampus is wired just differently enough such that the memories can’t slip over so easily.
3) Self-driving cars….perhaps, but it will involve a larger cultural shift for this to happen. If enough people start to hate driving, then this will come to pass. But if enough people like being in control, then those cars won’t be given up.
4) The portion of the interview on String Field Theory I thought was very well explained, and I think I really like the idea that the mind of God is the symphony of music in the universe in 11 dimensions.
James said
Self-driving cars will be here as soon as humanly possible, methinks, but it’ll be an on/off switch. During awful commute hours: on. Scenic drive to lake tahoe: off. :)
drteine said
Sounds very likely when you put it like that – much like the option of cruise control on some cars today. Either on or off as you like. The question will be if insurance companies or government get heavy handed about the self-driving cars, but given the fascination with being in control of your own car here in the US, I suspect the backlash would keep this at an optional level. Interestingly, I feel the opposite about the self-driving that you do. When in bad traffic – I want to drive and control, but for gorgeous scenery, I want the car to self-drive so I can take in all the scenery and focus on that.