Visions

Happy New Year to all and welcome back to class! Welcome to my new column called "Visions," featuring perspectives on politics, philosophy, social issues, or anything else that happens to catch my fancy. If you have any comments, feedback, or (heaven forbid!) criticism on what I write each week, feel free to send an email to technews@wpi.edu so that your words can also be immortalized in the pages of Tech News.

Age of the Titans

Since we are now in the real first year of the new millennium, it is appropriate that we should gaze back on the past thousand years and look at the accomplishments of humanity. When you think about it, it's really quite remarkable. In the past 1,000 years, we've (mostly) shed our superstitions about nature and replaced them with scientific methods and learning. We have gazed back to the beginning of the universe, and discovered that life itself is not static, but is constantly changing and evolving. On the social front, we have eliminated slavery, shattered (for the most part) the superstitious notion that a person's identity is determined by their ancestors, and have begun to bring women into equal status with men. Perhaps most significantly, the Allied Victory in World War II and the fall of the Soviet Union are leading to humanity's final victory over the two-headed totalitarian beast of Collectivism. We have unlocked the secrets of the atom. Through the revolution in information technology, we are globalizing trade, information, and culture-diminishing the stifling bonds of geographic community in favor of true communities based on ideas, interests, and hobbies. Given the achievements of the previous millennium, it is clear that, barring a Nader comeback victory in 2004, humanity will continue its scientific, ethical, political and spiritual growth indefinitely.

In Greek mythology, the Titans were the predecessors to the gods. They were mighty beings who ruled over Heaven and Earth, but they were destined to be dethroned by their superior children-the gods.

Today, I believe we are living in an Age of Titans. Like the Titans of old, we are mighty beings, and we have made our mark on the Earth and reshaped it to suit us. But also like the Titans, we are destined to be dethroned by our children, or, perhaps even ourselves. In the future, radical advances in technology will enable people to change not only the world around them, but change the very essence of humanity.

One such advancement is nanotechnology. Recently, some stunning breakthroughs have been made in this field. Probably within the next century, legions of different types of nanotechnology will be used to alter the world around us, our food, our homes, our possessions, and even our own bodies. If nanotechnology lives up to its promise, it would cause a dramatic change in the nature of society. It will become so inexpensive to provide for everybody's basic needs that it will be practically free. Nanotechnology can also be used to design and build machinery whose only limit is the human imagination. It will lead to a new age of creativity and progress.

Another important advancement will be human genetic engineering. Within 100-200 years, it will be possible to alter the genes of people in favor of increased intelligence, increased immune systems, increased athletic ability and strength, the appearance of youth-virtually anything. Genetic disorders, allergies, and undoubtedly even old age will be present only in those who reject the new technology. Other advances in this field will lead to significant improvements in medicine and overall quality of life.

Yet another important advancement is quantum computing. When this technology becomes practical, the result will be computers that calculate instantaneously. This increase in computing power has a number of benefits, most of which are simply impossible to predict. Picture the current computer revolution multiplied by a million-and I'd say that's a conservative estimate.

The net result of these three, and other technologies is that they will give the human will the means to make its own destiny, irrespective of the bodies we inhabit. Don't like your body? Change it! Growing old? Get rejuvenated! Don't like your house? Program your nanites to build a new one, using your current house! More to the point, as computers become more a part of our lives, it is inevitable that our interface with them becomes more intimate. In fact, it may even be possible to link the mind directly to a computer. If this is possible, then given the power of quantum computing, human intelligence would be advanced so much that I hesitate to call the result human.

This is not to say that the result is repugnant, or undesirable. What this represents is nothing more than technologically aided human evolution. And we, the Titans, will find ourselves supplanted by children who are in perfect health, can create virtually anything with the aid of nanites, and possess a virtually limitless intelligence.

What name could we possibly use for them but "gods"?