I have often discussed with friends and wondered on my own what the future holds for our generation. It’s incredible to look at the extreme advances that have been made since just the turn of the century, and thus interesting to ponder what the next 50 years entail. This video provided me with somewhat detailed insight into this question, and I was astounded at what I heard. I found Kurzweil’s explanation of the three bridges of longevity to be particularly interesting. The first bridge consists of the simple ideas of exercise and eating healthy, which then leads us to the next bridge. Bridge two will consist of the biotechnology revolution where we can change the makeup of our DNA in mature individuals. The next bridge is bridge 3 where nanotechnology will come into play. He explained that there will be blood cell sized devices that keep us healthy from the inside (Kurzweil). I found the possibilities of the last bridge to be astounding. The idea of blood cell sized devices that perform complicated tasks inside of our blood stream is hard to comprehend. On a separate note, Kurzweil discussed the very real possibility of billions of artificially intelligent robots becoming a part of our lives in around 30-40 years. As intriguing and amazing as this sounds, I must say that it is somewhat disturbing as well. The idea of interacting with robots that have the brainpower of a human on a daily basis is not only mind-boggling but bizarre as well.
The majority of what Ray Kurzweil said was not new to me. In my opinion, all I hear about it how technology is improving and with time will continue to improve. With these improvements, of course other things will get better and perfected. I found the bridge idea interesting. The first bridge (as I saw) is the first step for people to reach by changing their lifestyles to something more healthy so they can live longer and make it to bridge two. This is a little scary because it is like the survival of the fittest and if you don't make it past bridge one, then you can't contribute much to bridge two, and I don't even think I will be alive for bridge three depending on how long they are planning for these bridges. There have been some crazy inventions like the Google glasses, or something rather. The first robot to pour its own drink was a huge deal, and so was chip timing for races, or the HomeAgain chip placed in dogs if they get lost from their families. Now they are just something as normal as the iPhone or Android market. These new technologies will happen and it won't be that big of a deal once it is assimilated into everyone's lifestyle. I am not hating against Kurzweil, but I don't think these ideas are coming out of the blue. It was bound to happen once the first computer was made that didn't engulf an entire room.
This was a very interesting interview, and I echo what my peers above have said in that I was also curious about where technology would go in the future. It is really strange to think that maybe someday in the future I can tell my grandchildren that I was a young child in the 90s when the internet was created. It's even stranger to think that my grandchildren will probably think that means I must be ANCIENT since technology will have advanced so much in its continuous and exponential manner by the time they are born. I still did not really understand how the term "singularity" applies to the entirety of technological advancement, as there are so many different fields of advancement that this applies to. I too was intrigued about the bridge analogy, and it made sense until the last bridge when it started getting into nanotechnology. The idea of tiny nano-robots assembling themselves into battle alongside my immune system cells fighting off evil infection and disease within my body was really trippy. As a science student and pre-med student I also wonder and marvel at the incredible possibilities and benefits that can result from such advances, but I also share Ray Kurzweil's fear and anxieties about the abuse of such power. Ideas and conspiracy theories of inventions like micro chips that the government uses to spy on people and know everyone's whereabouts used to be great plots for sci-fi movies, but it is the reality now. There are many predictions about what it will be like 50 years down the road, but I just hope that we don't lose our humanity and become cyborgs as we upgrade ourselves to the next level nano-tech Immune system 3 by Apple, and interact with fellow robots that end up replacing many workers at manual-skill jobs. OH like the robot coffee machine in the FAC! See, they're already taking our jobs.
As Nesa stated above, it does seem like such a wonderful idea... to be able to increase the parameters of medicine by introducing nanotechnology and this so called "singularity." However, I do fear that this can be so potentially dangerous in the wrong hands. Not only that, our definition of health would then have to be reformatted.. ONCE AGAIN. Not that we have a single definition now, but at least all the majority of what we call "health" in our bodies in organic. With advances in technology, even artificial things can be considered health. Health could potentially be limitless. For some reason, this idea frightens me. Other than that, his theory and ideas were very interesting. As the students above have stated, these changes are already visible. Who knows, maybe robots will take over the world one day!
I have too often reflected on how much technology has changed since our parents were children and it's very intriguing but also frightening to think of the world 50 years from now. I had heart about the Law of Accelerating Returns, the fact that basic measures of information technology progress predictably and exponentially, doubling every year--but it's still crazy to think that technology advances that quickly (Kurzweil). I also found it astounding that he mentioned that computer will keep getting smaller and smaller until eventually they will be in our clothing. Although that's awesome that they have the resources to advance technology at that speed, it's scary if it gets to the point of a world filled with a bunch of robots. Another thing Kurzwell said that I found very interesting was that we'll be online all of the time and because of that, search engines will automatically anticipate what we need and we'll never have to manually search anything! Crazy! This will cause people to just get lazier and lazier. With my heavy dependence on the Internet, I often find myself extremely lazy thinking that people used to have to actually search through shelves in the library rather than simply typing a database into UT Libraries online. Overall, I think the advances in technology are extremely overwhelming and mind-boggling as they can/will positively change the world but could also have the potential to destroy it.
The term singularity makes me a bit apprehensive. Having the means to create technology that is smarter than human intelligence just doesn’t sit well with me. Our world is so fixated on trying to have the biggest and best gadget out there and I don’t see that trend changing. I feel like there will be a point when all of these technological advances will do more harm than good. My sister’s boyfriend works for a robotics company who is working on creating robotic cars that will completely control every aspect of driving. The car (which Google has already been working on) works like the human mind and is able to imitate decisions humans would make while driving. While this will help decrease accidents caused by distractions, sleep or drugs – would accidents really ever stop? What if the computer crashes? I kept thinking of this while watching the video for class, what will happen once we all start living longer. What will be the next best thing technology will seek to improve? The cycle never ends; something will eventually take the “fear of aging” spot on the forefront on all scientists’ mind.
Ray Kurzueil interview about the future has actually made me realize how fast the technology in the world is developing and also the cost of new technology will be a billion times more powerful per dollar in 25 years. Listening to Ray say the technology is going to be more powerful per dollar is scary, just to think that there’s a chance of a recap of the past is very freighting. Agreeing with the comments above mine, yes all those awesome inventions seem very cool and interesting but by any means I will be really really scared if all that power will fall under the wrong hands. In addition, what ever is bound to happen in the future I just hope human development inventions don’t go against religious beliefs. After watching this interview I’m scared about the future because with all the new technology but also I’m wondering how the kids and people who are going to grow up with all those possible inventions, would religion still be accurate to them? Not saying that religion will no longer be true, but to just note that there is a possibility of increase in Humanist people in the world again not saying humanist people are bad but just the simple fact that religion mite not be believable, just a thought…
I'm mostly worried like many others have mentioned on the possibility of someone abusing the power of this new nanotechnology and causing harm. Will the government make any regulations when such advanced technology becomes part of our daily lives? I also question whether "longevity" will decrease the quality of life. I just imagine people in the future living a longer (organically) "healthy" life but not having enough resources, money, or jobs. I agree with Young that the term "health" would have a different meaning than it has now. Probably "health" would refer to a person who is well off (economically and/or with a better state of mind). Perhaps, new jobs will be invented and some jobs will be replaced by advanced robots. Anyways, these ideas that Ray Kurzweil presented with the bridge concept convinced me that the future will hold dramatic changes.
Ray Kurzweil didn't convince me of anything, I was just listening to his opinions on what will happen in the future and agreeing or disagreeing based upon my own views. I definitely agree with his view on technology, and how close it will be to us...the images transferred directly to our retinas through eyewear, Google being able to predict what we are going to ask or helping along the way. The Singularity idea is kind of weird though, putting human intelligence into a robot...I'm not even sure how that would be possible, all these thoughts of robot movies with self-aware human-loathing robots come to mind. I can't image how you would put human intelligence into a robot when a lot of what we know is through learning, we learn through mistakes or are taught...Robots are just moving computers that can retrieve data stored in them, at least right now. His ideas on humans having pieces of technology within their bodies to extend their lives is strange; it seems so invasive, and makes me question at what point is a human no longer human when all that he speaks of is possible? Replacing bits of your brain with software?
I think about it constantly how much the world has changed even in my lifetime and I ponder on what the world will be like 10 years from now. It scares me greatly, I cant imagine the types of things the next generation of children will be doing, using , and learning. I almost wish we could go back to 30 years ago when there were car phones and no cell phones, no facebook, or twitter just to live life without having to know what everyone else is doing. I though Kurzweil's thought on if he really thinks that people will live longer lives in the future and how this will happen was very intriguing. 1. what you do right now, 2. able to change our genes in our bodies, 3. nano robots will be able to keep us healthy on the inside. It scares me to think of all the different advances that might change are lives drastically but It was interesting to hear his point of view.Also his idea of computers which we see in our lives that every time a new computer comes out it is smaller then the last but I can't imagine having something so small it projects on your eye, like those glasses that that girl in the video was wearing. HIs idea that search engines will soon anticipate what we need instead of waiting to be asked was really something that I would like to experience just to see how someone would come up with that to make it work.
This interview has reminded me of a conversation my roommates and I had about what the future will look like 100 years from now. Technology has been advancing exponentially ever since humans first created machines to do their work for them. However, we segued into the topic of solar flares where one with a big enough magnitude can wipe out the every piece of technology on earth and render humans into a state of disarray. It just got me thinking that because we think that every piece of advancing technology is good, humans are increasing becoming dependent on them for every service. For example, robots and machines are slowly displacing human labor, especially in the checkout lines at the supermarket. While technology like nanotechnology for uses of health is very important, the heavy dependence on other aspects of technology has got me worried. If one day a large enough solar flare happens, what will happen to humans when our technology stops working?
Watching this video made my mind go to too many different places. On one side, I find it amazing that technology has reached a level that our "hardware" can be restored after it has crashed, as in individuals with Parkinson's disease. As everyone above stated, we all wonder about what life would be like in 50 years, and honestly I can't image imagine the future that Kurzweil explains. What does he exactly mean by saying that we will eventually be able to reprogram our biology? As fascinating as this all sounds, this whole idea of "accessing information in the brain that makes us who we are",and extending human longevity scares me a lot. It makes me think of myself as a machine that can be manipulated by technology, and I don't like that idea very much. In my study of medicine in college, I've realized that the more mysterious our body is, the more fascinated I am with our biology.
What he meant by reprograming our biology is being able to tell our genes to turn on and off ourselves, with our thoughts or some sort of computer. This way we, or the computer chip, is directly commanding our cells what to do rather than them making those decisions based on their environment. The example he gave is being able to turn off our fat insulin receptors so that our bodies do not store calories when we eat alot.
After watching this video, I started thinking a lot about the ethics of technology and medicine. All the possibilities Kurzweil explained seemed so unfathomable to me because I can't imagine anyone actually wanting all the things he talked about. Why have a search engine tell you the name of something that's on the tip of your tongue? What is the point of even thinking/ being a human then? I thought many of the technologies he suggested are way more distant than he made them seem and I think he neglected to include in his argument the strong opposition that these technologies will produce.
The future of health, according to Kurzweil, shows promise and problems. We would all like health to be less intrusive and less of a worry, and nanotechnology would hardly be noticeable. I think there will be many governmental stoppages to progress in health in the future, much like our current state of affairs. I don't think "crossing bridges" will eliminate arguments about health. I don't know how he expects society to experience these collective shifts.
I found the idea of artificial intelligence, or machines, being able to surpass the mental capacity of human brains to be quite frightening! However, the advancement in medical technology to benefit the health and lives of humans is obviously a great thing. It is mind blowing to see how dependent people have already become on machines and technology around us, but the thought of being absolutely dependent on machines as a way of life in the future seems scary. I don’t know if any one else got this while watching the video but I kept thinking of that move I Robot… NOT OKAY! I would definitely have to agree with most of the previous posts; Kurzweil seemed to neglect the obvious oppositions that these ideas and advances in science would have from society and the government.
Ray Kurtzweil's theory seems intriguing, but I found it quite ironic. As a scientist, futurist, etc he predicts that in the future, we will be able to have longevity via three different bridges. The first bridge is old fashioned eating healthy and exercising. The next one is utilizing biotechnology. The third one is nanotechnology in which we insert nano chips in our body to stay healthy and inspect what's going on in our body. Hypothetically, it sounds wonderful. People would love to enjoy longevity. However, there are people out there who will be abusive of that technology and power. And furthermore, I don't believe that when that technology comes into reality, it will be affordable and accessible to everyone. Societally, it will broaden the gap between the haves and have nots. More importantly, the abuse and miuses of that technology by bad figures will incur tremendous side effects in the society, that will not be retrievable or turn around back to normal once the technology is developed. Personally, I think it is the best to follow the nature and live what we are given to our best. His argument seems brilliant but even he knows that there certainly are going to be abuses. I think it is best to live the way we are born, all people are supposed to die in the end. To sum up, his idea is really intriguing but I would definitely oppose to its actual development and exercise.
I think Ray Kurtzweil's thoughts on future could be very possible. Moore's Law has held up so far and technology is continuing to growing at an exponential rate. If someone in my freshman year of high school told me about the iPhone, I would of called them crazy and thought it was something that would be completely unnecessary. Has anyone herd of the Google Glasses? I kinda see it as one step closer to actually having computers in our body. I can not imagine that biotechnology will not follow this pace. Too many people want to live long and healthy lives without the work. Businesses have been profiting off this idea for years and I dont see them stopping with the these exponential increases in technology.
I agree with everyone from above that technology is exceedingly growing fast. The best paid jobs now are in medicine and technology and it reminded me of the biotechnology article we read last week. Also he mentions that he fears abuse which we can all agree on, so I really liked that he pointed that out. Although the more I keep on thinking about this the more I think of the movie Wall-E. When people sit all day and to communicate they use a hologram screen. I think this is what I fear. Since we have cellphones to text and FaceTime we really don't have the "necessity" to visit family. And then there's online shopping. I just realized that this past Christmas and all the birthday gifts that I bought this year have been through my laptop. I think we kind of lost that face-to-face communication. As someone previously mentioned, workers are getting replaced by machines, and yes its great that technology is improving, but I just fear that good old fashion communication is long dead. We can almost do everything in house: communicate through phone/laptop,online shopping, pay bills, watch TV, watch movies, etc
I think JuYoung's makes a good point about what having these technologies will do to society. It will widen the gap between those who are of higher and lower socioeconomic statuses. Kurtweil's repeatedly makes the claim that "we" will be using all these technologies in the near future, but "we" will not mean everyone in my opinion.
I have often discussed with friends and wondered on my own what the future holds for our generation. It’s incredible to look at the extreme advances that have been made since just the turn of the century, and thus interesting to ponder what the next 50 years entail. This video provided me with somewhat detailed insight into this question, and I was astounded at what I heard. I found Kurzweil’s explanation of the three bridges of longevity to be particularly interesting. The first bridge consists of the simple ideas of exercise and eating healthy, which then leads us to the next bridge. Bridge two will consist of the biotechnology revolution where we can change the makeup of our DNA in mature individuals. The next bridge is bridge 3 where nanotechnology will come into play. He explained that there will be blood cell sized devices that keep us healthy from the inside (Kurzweil). I found the possibilities of the last bridge to be astounding. The idea of blood cell sized devices that perform complicated tasks inside of our blood stream is hard to comprehend. On a separate note, Kurzweil discussed the very real possibility of billions of artificially intelligent robots becoming a part of our lives in around 30-40 years. As intriguing and amazing as this sounds, I must say that it is somewhat disturbing as well. The idea of interacting with robots that have the brainpower of a human on a daily basis is not only mind-boggling but bizarre as well.
ReplyDeleteThe majority of what Ray Kurzweil said was not new to me. In my opinion, all I hear about it how technology is improving and with time will continue to improve. With these improvements, of course other things will get better and perfected. I found the bridge idea interesting. The first bridge (as I saw) is the first step for people to reach by changing their lifestyles to something more healthy so they can live longer and make it to bridge two. This is a little scary because it is like the survival of the fittest and if you don't make it past bridge one, then you can't contribute much to bridge two, and I don't even think I will be alive for bridge three depending on how long they are planning for these bridges. There have been some crazy inventions like the Google glasses, or something rather. The first robot to pour its own drink was a huge deal, and so was chip timing for races, or the HomeAgain chip placed in dogs if they get lost from their families. Now they are just something as normal as the iPhone or Android market. These new technologies will happen and it won't be that big of a deal once it is assimilated into everyone's lifestyle. I am not hating against Kurzweil, but I don't think these ideas are coming out of the blue. It was bound to happen once the first computer was made that didn't engulf an entire room.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting interview, and I echo what my peers above have said in that I was also curious about where technology would go in the future. It is really strange to think that maybe someday in the future I can tell my grandchildren that I was a young child in the 90s when the internet was created. It's even stranger to think that my grandchildren will probably think that means I must be ANCIENT since technology will have advanced so much in its continuous and exponential manner by the time they are born. I still did not really understand how the term "singularity" applies to the entirety of technological advancement, as there are so many different fields of advancement that this applies to. I too was intrigued about the bridge analogy, and it made sense until the last bridge when it started getting into nanotechnology. The idea of tiny nano-robots assembling themselves into battle alongside my immune system cells fighting off evil infection and disease within my body was really trippy. As a science student and pre-med student I also wonder and marvel at the incredible possibilities and benefits that can result from such advances, but I also share Ray Kurzweil's fear and anxieties about the abuse of such power. Ideas and conspiracy theories of inventions like micro chips that the government uses to spy on people and know everyone's whereabouts used to be great plots for sci-fi movies, but it is the reality now. There are many predictions about what it will be like 50 years down the road, but I just hope that we don't lose our humanity and become cyborgs as we upgrade ourselves to the next level nano-tech Immune system 3 by Apple, and interact with fellow robots that end up replacing many workers at manual-skill jobs. OH like the robot coffee machine in the FAC! See, they're already taking our jobs.
ReplyDeleteAs Nesa stated above, it does seem like such a wonderful idea... to be able to increase the parameters of medicine by introducing nanotechnology and this so called "singularity." However, I do fear that this can be so potentially dangerous in the wrong hands. Not only that, our definition of health would then have to be reformatted.. ONCE AGAIN. Not that we have a single definition now, but at least all the majority of what we call "health" in our bodies in organic. With advances in technology, even artificial things can be considered health. Health could potentially be limitless. For some reason, this idea frightens me. Other than that, his theory and ideas were very interesting. As the students above have stated, these changes are already visible. Who knows, maybe robots will take over the world one day!
ReplyDeleteI have too often reflected on how much technology has changed since our parents were children and it's very intriguing but also frightening to think of the world 50 years from now. I had heart about the Law of Accelerating Returns, the fact that basic measures of information technology progress predictably and exponentially, doubling every year--but it's still crazy to think that technology advances that quickly (Kurzweil). I also found it astounding that he mentioned that computer will keep getting smaller and smaller until eventually they will be in our clothing. Although that's awesome that they have the resources to advance technology at that speed, it's scary if it gets to the point of a world filled with a bunch of robots. Another thing Kurzwell said that I found very interesting was that we'll be online all of the time and because of that, search engines will automatically anticipate what we need and we'll never have to manually search anything! Crazy! This will cause people to just get lazier and lazier. With my heavy dependence on the Internet, I often find myself extremely lazy thinking that people used to have to actually search through shelves in the library rather than simply typing a database into UT Libraries online. Overall, I think the advances in technology are extremely overwhelming and mind-boggling as they can/will positively change the world but could also have the potential to destroy it.
ReplyDeleteThe term singularity makes me a bit apprehensive. Having the means to create technology that is smarter than human intelligence just doesn’t sit well with me. Our world is so fixated on trying to have the biggest and best gadget out there and I don’t see that trend changing. I feel like there will be a point when all of these technological advances will do more harm than good. My sister’s boyfriend works for a robotics company who is working on creating robotic cars that will completely control every aspect of driving. The car (which Google has already been working on) works like the human mind and is able to imitate decisions humans would make while driving. While this will help decrease accidents caused by distractions, sleep or drugs – would accidents really ever stop? What if the computer crashes? I kept thinking of this while watching the video for class, what will happen once we all start living longer. What will be the next best thing technology will seek to improve? The cycle never ends; something will eventually take the “fear of aging” spot on the forefront on all scientists’ mind.
ReplyDeleteRay Kurzueil interview about the future has actually made me realize how fast the technology in the world is developing and also the cost of new technology will be a billion times more powerful per dollar in 25 years. Listening to Ray say the technology is going to be more powerful per dollar is scary, just to think that there’s a chance of a recap of the past is very freighting. Agreeing with the comments above mine, yes all those awesome inventions seem very cool and interesting but by any means I will be really really scared if all that power will fall under the wrong hands. In addition, what ever is bound to happen in the future I just hope human development inventions don’t go against religious beliefs. After watching this interview I’m scared about the future because with all the new technology but also I’m wondering how the kids and people who are going to grow up with all those possible inventions, would religion still be accurate to them? Not saying that religion will no longer be true, but to just note that there is a possibility of increase in Humanist people in the world again not saying humanist people are bad but just the simple fact that religion mite not be believable, just a thought…
ReplyDeleteI'm mostly worried like many others have mentioned on the possibility of someone abusing the power of this new nanotechnology and causing harm. Will the government make any regulations when such advanced technology becomes part of our daily lives? I also question whether "longevity" will decrease the quality of life. I just imagine people in the future living a longer (organically) "healthy" life but not having enough resources, money, or jobs. I agree with Young that the term "health" would have a different meaning than it has now. Probably "health" would refer to a person who is well off (economically and/or with a better state of mind). Perhaps, new jobs will be invented and some jobs will be replaced by advanced robots. Anyways, these ideas that Ray Kurzweil presented with the bridge concept convinced me that the future will hold dramatic changes.
ReplyDeleteRay Kurzweil didn't convince me of anything, I was just listening to his opinions on what will happen in the future and agreeing or disagreeing based upon my own views. I definitely agree with his view on technology, and how close it will be to us...the images transferred directly to our retinas through eyewear, Google being able to predict what we are going to ask or helping along the way. The Singularity idea is kind of weird though, putting human intelligence into a robot...I'm not even sure how that would be possible, all these thoughts of robot movies with self-aware human-loathing robots come to mind. I can't image how you would put human intelligence into a robot when a lot of what we know is through learning, we learn through mistakes or are taught...Robots are just moving computers that can retrieve data stored in them, at least right now. His ideas on humans having pieces of technology within their bodies to extend their lives is strange; it seems so invasive, and makes me question at what point is a human no longer human when all that he speaks of is possible? Replacing bits of your brain with software?
ReplyDeleteI think about it constantly how much the world has changed even in my lifetime and I ponder on what the world will be like 10 years from now. It scares me greatly, I cant imagine the types of things the next generation of children will be doing, using , and learning. I almost wish we could go back to 30 years ago when there were car phones and no cell phones, no facebook, or twitter just to live life without having to know what everyone else is doing. I though Kurzweil's thought on if he really thinks that people will live longer lives in the future and how this will happen was very intriguing. 1. what you do right now, 2. able to change our genes in our bodies, 3. nano robots will be able to keep us healthy on the inside. It scares me to think of all the different advances that might change are lives drastically but It was interesting to hear his point of view.Also his idea of computers which we see in our lives that every time a new computer comes out it is smaller then the last but I can't imagine having something so small it projects on your eye, like those glasses that that girl in the video was wearing. HIs idea that search engines will soon anticipate what we need instead of waiting to be asked was really something that I would like to experience just to see how someone would come up with that to make it work.
ReplyDeleteThis interview has reminded me of a conversation my roommates and I had about what the future will look like 100 years from now. Technology has been advancing exponentially ever since humans first created machines to do their work for them. However, we segued into the topic of solar flares where one with a big enough magnitude can wipe out the every piece of technology on earth and render humans into a state of disarray. It just got me thinking that because we think that every piece of advancing technology is good, humans are increasing becoming dependent on them for every service. For example, robots and machines are slowly displacing human labor, especially in the checkout lines at the supermarket. While technology like nanotechnology for uses of health is very important, the heavy dependence on other aspects of technology has got me worried. If one day a large enough solar flare happens, what will happen to humans when our technology stops working?
ReplyDeleteWatching this video made my mind go to too many different places. On one side, I find it amazing that technology has reached a level that our "hardware" can be restored after it has crashed, as in individuals with Parkinson's disease. As everyone above stated, we all wonder about what life would be like in 50 years, and honestly I can't image imagine the future that Kurzweil explains. What does he exactly mean by saying that we will eventually be able to reprogram our biology?
ReplyDeleteAs fascinating as this all sounds, this whole idea of "accessing information in the brain that makes us who we are",and extending human longevity scares me a lot. It makes me think of myself as a machine that can be manipulated by technology, and I don't like that idea very much. In my study of medicine in college, I've realized that the more mysterious our body is, the more fascinated I am with our biology.
What he meant by reprograming our biology is being able to tell our genes to turn on and off ourselves, with our thoughts or some sort of computer. This way we, or the computer chip, is directly commanding our cells what to do rather than them making those decisions based on their environment. The example he gave is being able to turn off our fat insulin receptors so that our bodies do not store calories when we eat alot.
DeleteAfter watching this video, I started thinking a lot about the ethics of technology and medicine. All the possibilities Kurzweil explained seemed so unfathomable to me because I can't imagine anyone actually wanting all the things he talked about. Why have a search engine tell you the name of something that's on the tip of your tongue? What is the point of even thinking/ being a human then? I thought many of the technologies he suggested are way more distant than he made them seem and I think he neglected to include in his argument the strong opposition that these technologies will produce.
ReplyDeleteThe future of health, according to Kurzweil, shows promise and problems. We would all like health to be less intrusive and less of a worry, and nanotechnology would hardly be noticeable. I think there will be many governmental stoppages to progress in health in the future, much like our current state of affairs. I don't think "crossing bridges" will eliminate arguments about health. I don't know how he expects society to experience these collective shifts.
ReplyDeleteI found the idea of artificial intelligence, or machines, being able to surpass the mental capacity of human brains to be quite frightening! However, the advancement in medical technology to benefit the health and lives of humans is obviously a great thing. It is mind blowing to see how dependent people have already become on machines and technology around us, but the thought of being absolutely dependent on machines as a way of life in the future seems scary. I don’t know if any one else got this while watching the video but I kept thinking of that move I Robot… NOT OKAY! I would definitely have to agree with most of the previous posts; Kurzweil seemed to neglect the obvious oppositions that these ideas and advances in science would have from society and the government.
ReplyDeleteRay Kurtzweil's theory seems intriguing, but I found it quite ironic. As a scientist, futurist, etc he predicts that in the future, we will be able to have longevity via three different bridges. The first bridge is old fashioned eating healthy and exercising. The next one is utilizing biotechnology. The third one is nanotechnology in which we insert nano chips in our body to stay healthy and inspect what's going on in our body. Hypothetically, it sounds wonderful. People would love to enjoy longevity. However, there are people out there who will be abusive of that technology and power. And furthermore, I don't believe that when that technology comes into reality, it will be affordable and accessible to everyone. Societally, it will broaden the gap between the haves and have nots. More importantly, the abuse and miuses of that technology by bad figures will incur tremendous side effects in the society, that will not be retrievable or turn around back to normal once the technology is developed. Personally, I think it is the best to follow the nature and live what we are given to our best. His argument seems brilliant but even he knows that there certainly are going to be abuses. I think it is best to live the way we are born, all people are supposed to die in the end. To sum up, his idea is really intriguing but I would definitely oppose to its actual development and exercise.
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ReplyDeleteI think Ray Kurtzweil's thoughts on future could be very possible. Moore's Law has held up so far and technology is continuing to growing at an exponential rate. If someone in my freshman year of high school told me about the iPhone, I would of called them crazy and thought it was something that would be completely unnecessary. Has anyone herd of the Google Glasses? I kinda see it as one step closer to actually having computers in our body. I can not imagine that biotechnology will not follow this pace. Too many people want to live long and healthy lives without the work. Businesses have been profiting off this idea for years and I dont see them stopping with the these exponential increases in technology.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone from above that technology is exceedingly growing fast. The best paid jobs now are in medicine and technology and it reminded me of the biotechnology article we read last week. Also he mentions that he fears abuse which we can all agree on, so I really liked that he pointed that out. Although the more I keep on thinking about this the more I think of the movie Wall-E. When people sit all day and to communicate they use a hologram screen. I think this is what I fear. Since we have cellphones to text and FaceTime we really don't have the "necessity" to visit family. And then there's online shopping. I just realized that this past Christmas and all the birthday gifts that I bought this year have been through my laptop. I think we kind of lost that face-to-face communication. As someone previously mentioned, workers are getting replaced by machines, and yes its great that technology is improving, but I just fear that good old fashion communication is long dead. We can almost do everything in house: communicate through phone/laptop,online shopping, pay bills, watch TV, watch movies, etc
ReplyDeleteI think JuYoung's makes a good point about what having these technologies will do to society. It will widen the gap between those who are of higher and lower socioeconomic statuses. Kurtweil's repeatedly makes the claim that "we" will be using all these technologies in the near future, but "we" will not mean everyone in my opinion.
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