Quest to Better the Human Condition
The 17th century English Philosopher, Thomas Hobbes, famously stated, “Life is
nasty, brutish, and short”. Though his philosophical view has been termed as
pessimistic, I think his outlook provides a valuable and realistic direction for
modern science. When the sciences achieve breakthroughs in several key areas,
then I would advocate a more stereotypical adaptation of science to pure
exploration. Until that time, advancements in health, productivity and education
can better advance society by giving people more opportunities to fulfill their
destinies and have richer living experiences.
Health, the Greatest Wealth
After walking the journey of life a while, along the way I have caught the flu,
been in physically affective accidents and dealt with debilitating fatigue.
Overcoming these ailments, like everyone, leaves you feeling stronger and causes
your body to respond by further educating the immune system to reinforce the
affected areas. Despite these natural phenomena, time seems to wear down this
pattern until eventually you cannot recycle to vitality. Evidence of this is
age, diminished physical performance and natural death. Before long, you realize
that vibrant health is a key ingredient to participate effectively in the
activities of everyday living.
Beyond survival and expected lifespan, science can expand the possibilities of
healthcare past reactive medicine and help propel us into the realm of truly
prosperous existence. Outside of ethical considerations, how Biotechnologists
discovers the solutions may be less important than the societal results. Some of
the benefits I anticipate are a longer lifespan, youthfulness, disease-proof
immune systems and better maintenance of bodily systems to operate at efficient
levels.
Many millions of dollars in investment goes toward Biotechnology every year.
Funding on this level attracts top talent to the field and makes equipment and
facilities available for the most challenging research and validation of theory.
Studies into the impact of the affects of cellular division on aging may
eventually bear the fruit of more stable DNA and more resilient cells that do
not answer when viruses knock at the door of infection. Should the scientists
succeed, there would be a revolution in health as breakthroughs in the area of
cellular mechanics would be a foundation for a predictably longer lifespan and
less susceptibility to the ravages of time and disease. One current theory is
that cell division and sickness damages DNA over time. Since the DNA serves as
instructions to the cells about when they should replicate, how to form organs
and when to stop working, controlling this process would be the engine that
drives our bodies further ahead through time.
Access to lasting physical energy, a broadened life expectancy that would allow
us to see our greatest plans through as well as to have multiple careers and
retirement cycles will change our understanding of fulfilling goals. As we
experience the higher levels of health, we may find ourselves in a position to
accomplish more as individuals and as a society. The common challenge may evolve
from the difficulty in accomplishing goals to a personal adversity in defining
rich systems of goals. To elaborate, imagine today’s process of dealing with
objectives. You set a few major occupational and economic goals in a lifetime
and if you are lucky, you accomplish them before retirement through
well-executed effort. The usual term to describe this process is hard work,
intelligence and opportunity to achieve success.
In this new world of micro-eternal health (we may not exist forever physically
but we can live very long), the nature of reaching your dreams may shift from
toil to time. That is, reaching goals may be a matter of time and patience
rather than of willpower and cunning. Keep in mind, some of our more conscious
purposes may be directed towards a better living condition in retirement and
beyond. If we are already experiencing a thriving reality independent of
economics, then what become the truer aims of our goals?
Prosperity from Atomic Dust
Regardless of the outcome of the health questions and their answers, another
field of significant importance is Quantum Science. This broad field could be
described as the fraternal twin sister of Physics. Classical physics, when
associated with Albert Einstein’s theories, deals with the larger universe that
comprises galaxies, quasars, stars and constellations. Oversimplified, classic
physics deals with the things we see and the things we experience such as
gravity, electricity and other forces. Quantum deals with the very small and
unpredictable world at or below the atoms. This is the possible domain of time
travel, multiple universes and dimensions and other sci-fi kinds of subjects.
As exciting as those subjects are, I think of more importance are the practical
affects this field may have on society. Further, I think advancements may come
from the development and refinement of Quantum Computing. It is my contention
that Quantum Computers will set about a chain of events that will give us a much
different world than the one we currently occupy. Perhaps there will be many
decades or centuries before these amazing devices will become functional and
useful for our purposes, I should certainly hope not, but as they arrive, they
may single-handedly advance science to border the ultra-miraculous.
To understand the potential of these devices requires a comparison to our
present-day computers. Today’s computers are made of silicon, electricity and
work with instructions that are either a one or zero. Current estimates have
that the most advanced computer would take almost a million years to factor a
two hundred-digit number. An advanced quantum computer is expected to perform
this feat within minutes or hours, if not seconds. As to practical applications,
well, I suppose the quality of our television picture could always be improved
to give us immersive environments were we are actually in the movie. Outside of
that, however, I think the applications are enormous.
Think about all the theories in science that takes centuries to validate and
perhaps half a century or more to realize widespread application. I think the
most powerful use of these quantum machines will be to contribute the unique
processing power that would verify, calculate, combine and simulate these
theories. Simulating and reconstructing the entire universe within the framework
of these devices, the known laws of physics and theory could work safely. Nice
as that sounds, what are the real-world applications of the field?
Processes of molecular and atomic manipulation in the hands of the people would
allow us to create products literally out of thin air. A system of commerce
could arise where instead of purchasing products from a vendor online, you buy
product creation codes that you transmit to these personal matter replication
machines. These devices could manipulate molecules in real-time to form anything
from food, to clothes, and other simple materials. Such a machine would allow
industries powered by physical labor or mechanized devices to diminish and thus
fuel an even more service oriented economy.
Transportation near velocities approaching the speed of light would also be
possible due to the immense power and capabilities of these quantum machines. I
personally, would trust no other kind of device to send my atoms across the
universe and back. Perhaps the machines will have a marking like, \93Intel Q
Inside\94. If this process is possible, I think this machine could enable it
safely. Time would no longer have to be wasted in tiring commutes and the
on-demand manufacturing processes popularized by Dell would spread into nearly
every area of logistics and shipping. Of even larger magnitude is the prospect
of directing travel within and across solar systems. Organizations and
institutions could put aside unnecessary spacecraft construction projects with
the costs savings put towards higher quality of life in planetary communities.
Such a technology could even hasten the pace of colonization so that
overpopulation would be of less detriment to the environment.
Economics and commerce could also expand through reliable execution of new
markets. We could have an economy were intellectual property is a tangible
offering rather than a concept defined by law. Under the mechanisms of this
market, intellectual property receives true protections through security
technology realized on the quantum machines and enforced by an incorruptible
communications network. Furthermore, due to the advances that arise often,
valuable intellectual products and services would have to be less revolutionary
but increase the value of existing technologies, processes, products and
services to a level that elevates customer desire.
Knowledge Transcends Power
Traditionally, one value of more uncommon knowledge was greater survival.
Knowledge gave one a way to gain advantage in competitive situations or assume
power using certain kinds of information. In a world of more uniform and wider
prosperity, knowledge could gradually become less of a tool for business success
and more an apparatus to allow you to experience this social state in greater
ways. The effect is not as much of a concern for competition as it is a
condition of further exploring the gifts of life, science and relationships. Due
to custom, there will always be those that have more but as the rich become the
supremely rich, the middle-class become the massive upper-class and the poor are
only the criminals of society, social status within each strata may hinge less
on what you have than on what you do with it and how much you enjoy life. Thus,
your true underclass are those that, for no other reason, do not seek to become
more as a human being.
If we consciously use less than twenty percent of our brains, then it would be
of tremendous contribution to humankind to find ways to make our minds more
dynamic and capable. Until I encounter a more exceptional instrumentality for
boosting our mental capabilities, my money is on unobtrusive brain implants to
augment our neural functions. Of course, these devices do not have to be silicon
based but made of synthesized biological material with computational qualities.
Implants of this kind could allow for more instantaneous recall and
re-communication of complex information as well as make long-term memories as
consistently attainable as short-term ones. Furthering the capabilities of the
mind, these implants could contain wireless functions that allow for powerful
methods of team learning. Even less knowledge is lost because of the real-time
blending of psychological experiences with the technology that also enriches the
total experiences of the population. People could not only gain greater
knowledge of recorded information, but also gain deeper insights into themselves
through these interactions. Looking back at commerce, people with meaningful
experiences could possibly offer copies of their mental property for sale.
NOTE TO READERS: The last sentence contains one of the worst ideas I ever fathomed onto paper. See my additional comments below.
Gautier Talks About Design 