The future is all about magical yet scary technology
Last week I wrote about the inevitability of the driverless automated car and despite the seduction of such technology, there were pros and cons. The reaction was explosive and the debate swung both ways – how amazing it would be and yet how such advanced future technology could be a double-edged sword. But far larger than the debate on driverless cars was a brand new one. We stand on the threshold of advancement that is unprecedented. There will be more breakthrough technologies in the next 10 years than since the dawn of civilisation. Yet, this is both a celebratory and a cautionary tale. The future is all about magical yet scary technology. Here are three examples.
Seeing the Future (Literally)
Google’s Sergey Brin walked into a charity dinner with the future wrapped around his head. Project Glass is a piece of eyewear that has neither the bulk of virtual reality helmets nor the ridiculousness of amalgamated reality headwear.
This is unobtrusive tech that adds a new dimension to having information all around you with zero effort. It adds a screen to your field of view without derailing your normal day-to-day life.
Why It’s Amazing: Imagine walking down a road and a virtual overlay map giving you directions, clicking pictures by blinking your eye (the movie Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol had an amazing scene with that), looking up information on a wine as you sit for dinner, sending off an email on your evening run, playing a game of ‘words with friends’ right in the middle of a meeting, looking at an empty room and seeing it fill up with virtual furniture – and all of this without a single device being held up in your hand.
In fact, the power of Project Glass is just that – everything that you can do with a smartphone or Tablet – without ever touching one or holding one up to your eyes.
Why It’s Scary: The list is endless. Between information overload, health hazards of a screen so close to your eye, the serious dangers of being ‘always on’ to the fact that the human brain isn’t trained for such extreme levels of multitasking.
Imagine running down the street for a taxi and getting hit by pictures appearing in front of your eyes that completely disorient you and make your turn the wrong way onto oncoming traffic.
Both you and your Project Glass will be a small smear on the windshield of a big bus!
The Small Gods
Nano Technology. For years and years this is the one phrase that always seems to get people very excited. Ultra-small automated robots that will be programmed to do one thing and one thing only with efficiency, precision and speed. And finally the nano dream is turning into a gigantic reality.
via Hindustan Times – Rajiv Makhni ᔥ
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