Thursday, August 9, 2012

Voluntary Evolution | Thought Controlled STMs

Humans are co-evolving into lifeforms that can voluntarily and dynamically control their own genetics (and the genetics of others). Kurzweil's belief in technological singularity is a subset of a larger picture. The true awesomeness of emerging technologies and Moore's Law, while rooted in processing power, will be the ability for humans to control their biochemistry with thought-controlled nanotechnology.

A day will arrive when we can directly reshape the nano-scale world based on thought. Which will allow us to change the color of our eyes, search online networks (cognitive search engines), and manipulate our genetics; all directly and instantaneously via thought.

If you believe this is absurd, then ponder the following pieces of information:

1.) There are already devices on the market which can read brainwaves. InteraXon creates brainwave devices and focuses on thought-controlled computing. Honda has been testing thought-controlled robotics.

2.) A scanning tunneling microscope (STM) can move atoms. In 1989, IBM accomplished a revolutionary feat by spelling the acronym "IBM" with Xeon atoms.

So what happens when we combine (1) thought-controlled computing, with (2) instruments that can manipulate atoms? What happens when the technologies developed by Honda merge with the technologies developed at IBM?

Technology will become embedded deep within our biological systems; everything from our neurology to our genetics will be accessible with molecular nanotechnology and controllable by thought. Giving us the ability as a population to alter any individuals genotype and phenotype based on thought-alone.

Essentially, the ultimate drive for humanity is the development of STMs which are thought-controlled and built on organic electronics. And just as cell phones have become smarter and more portable, so will the STMs and AFMs.

Timothy Montague has a Bachelor's of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Santa Barbara, California. He has worked as an undergraduate researcher for the Jager group and the Wudl group at the California Nanosystems Institute.