The future of technology seems bright. We live in a world where 'progress' is perceived as a defining feature of what makes humans different from the rest of the animal kingdom, but what does that word mean? Where are we moving from and what are we moving to? If Arthur C Clarke has anything to do with our future then the colonisation space is our ultimate aim:

"The analogy I often use is this: if you had intelligent fish arguing about why they should go out on dry land, some bright young fish might have thought of many things but they would never have thought of fire and I think that in space we will find things as useful as fire." - link

...and Arthur should know, he predicted the coming of the radio transmitting satellite way back in 1945, a good 12 years before even the most primitive chunk of human technology was put in orbit (Sputnik in 1957).

But it often seems in these days of anti-GM protests and the cutting of space program budgets that technology is something to fight against, something outside of the realm of the ordinary man on the street - something that scientists and governments alike waste our hard earned taxes on for little, short term return. How then to dig up the treasures of 'progress' and keep everyone happy? X marks the spot:

"A series of X-Prizes for the scientific or technological breakthroughs that tackle the most important challenges facing humans are being planned.

The World Technology Network (WTN) and X-Prize Foundation are asking the public to help them decide on bids.The multi-million dollar prizes intend to emulate the space X-Prize, which kick-started private space tourism.

Although currently at the planning stage, it is hoped the prizes would be won in the next five to 10 years."The basic idea is that the X-Prize for spaceflight taught or reaffirmed some previous lessons about how to jump-start fields and focus people around certain technological challenges," James Clark, WTN chairman, told BBC News Online." - link

A fast and furious future building prospect indeed. But what happens next? When the computers out think us and the bio-technology remoulds us in its own image, where to progress for the human race? Could we, the ten thousand year old children of the African Savannah, remodel ourselves in our own God's image? The singularity is coming:

"[Ray] Kurzweil....is busy inventing a future in which humans merge with machines and the pace of technological development accelerates beyond recognition.

The concept is known by its proponents as the Singularity, and until recently it's been the province of science fiction authors such as Vernor Vinge and Ken MacLeod.

Now Kurzweil, in a new book called "The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology", claims that the inexorable pace of technological development and its exponential growth will usher in the Singularity by 2045.

...the condensed version [of Kurzweil's predictions] goes like this: Thanks to Moore's Law and other exponential growth rates, by 2030 a $1 computer will be as powerful as the human brain. Information technology's exponential curve will fuel advances in biology, robotics, nanotechnology and artificial intelligence--with world-shattering results including radical life extension and practically omniscient and omnipotent abilities for humans who elect self-augmentation." - link

Ah, so that's progress: Earth Orbiting, Radio Tranmitting, All Knowing, All Seeing, Human Self-Augmentation Units - at 1$ a pop - and here's me thinking satellites were cool enough! Sound any good to you?

Categories: Future, Human, Technology, News, Singularity, Space, X-Prize, Nonsense