Today, with the rapid development of science and technology, it is not easy to keep up with the trend of the times, and it is even more difficult to predict the future. Just like before the Wright brothers invented the airplane, we could only dream about romantic legends like Chang'e flying to the moon, and thousands of households could only devote themselves to rockets and smoke. In this way, we have no way of knowing what technological miracles will happen in the next few years, let alone eighty years from now, but this does not prevent us from using our rich imagination. Let us take a look at the year 2100 10 super advanced technologies that are most likely to be realized!

Although these technologies are still only at the level of imagination, I am quite confident in making these predictions. Like advanced technologies that already exist, we may take them for granted now, but before they were invented they may have seemed fanciful. I believe that by the 22nd century, even if all of these ten super-advanced technologies will not be successfully developed, most of them will still be possible. Here is a living example - Artificial superintelligence. Before the invention of computers, we could not imagine such a huge information network today. Computer scientist I. J. Good once aptly described it in the 1960s as "the advent of the first super-intelligent machine, which is the most impossible invention in the history of mankind."

Once machines with superhuman intelligence are developed (as early as the 21st century 50s), intelligent machines will replace humans and serve as designers and engineers to help us realize our technological dreams, even including some of our own. Unexpected technology. Below we take a look at ten technologies that could change just about everything.

1. Brain-computer-connected virtual reality

Wearable devices like the Oculus Rift (a head-mounted display device designed for video games - a virtual reality device) are very sophisticated and advanced, but no matter how these gadgets are configured As complex and sophisticated as it is, that real-life feeling remains just out of reach. What we need is a virtual reality device that can give us a more realistic sensory impact. Perhaps by the beginning of the 22nd century, researchers will be able to successfully develop such a device. When experiencing virtual reality, the feelings will be so real that we cannot distinguish them. Out of virtuality and reality. Incredibly, information is transmitted directly from the body's receptors to the brain, unlike ordinary sensory input modes, so that our feelings are more real.

This kind of thing feels really amazing! Call it tangible, but sometimes we can only feel it but cannot express it; call it intangible, we can really feel the changes in our emotions. If we want to know how feelings exist in our lives, we must start to understand them from the source - the human brain. In fact, the brain (of all organs) is a sensory processor, and it has a pattern of how everything feels, whether it's the taste of a tortilla or the glare of a computer screen. As Morpheus said in the movie The Matrix: "What is real? If you mean something that you can feel, or something that you can taste, then what is real?" Or things you can smell or see, so sorry, these so-called 'reality' are just electrical signals processed by your brain."

"The Singularity is Near". ), author Ray Kurzweil, a futurist, explains how this happened in the book's Q&A section.

“What I first learned about was nanorobots that can be implanted in our bodies and brains (this is a programmable molecular robot that applies biological principles at the nanoscale), which can help Keeping our bodies healthy also plays a role in achieving full immersion in the nervous system, as well as direct brain-to-brain communication via the Internet. In addition, nanobots can save our IQs! Remember, our biological intelligence has remained almost constant since birth, but our nonbiological intelligence can double every year! By the 2030s, our nonbiological intelligence will account for 10% of our intelligence. Dominance."

Although Kurzweil's timetable is a bit too optimistic, his point is reasonable. We are working hard to find new ways to break the blood-brain barrier and invent microscopic machines that can move freely within the body. Just as important, we are creating a detailed network map of the brain, including the regions responsible for processing incoming sensory information.

Once Morpheus's nanorobot is implanted in the brain, it will find information from various sensory inputs received by the brain and prevent the information from being transmitted further (for example, refusing to receive electrons collected by retinas and ears) signal), which allows us to be completely unaware of the actual environment around us (perfectly shielding external information). At this time, nanorobots replace those lost signals and transmit some artificially simulated feeling signals to the brain through wireless transmission. Cortical area, this will be a completely new subjective experience. For a person, maybe they feel like they are in another world.

2. Utility fogs

J. Storrs Hall, a pioneer in nanotechnology, once designed a kind of utility fogs, which are actually A swarm of nanorobots, or "little fog blocks," can replicate the true shape of any physical object and change its shape as it moves. Stowers was inspired by the concept of seat belts in the future, if the seat belts that protect us are no longer static or inflatable airbags, but interconnected snowflake-shaped smart fog blocks that move around with each other. As the environment changes, such as the movement of passenger seats, they also change their shape to protect everyone.

This kind of practical fog requires researchers to have rich imagination to implement complex technologies. Each small fog block is only about 10 microns long (about the same size as a human cell), and its movement is generally controlled by a microcomputer that can be carried on the vehicle, that is, controlled externally through an artificial intelligence system. It is also equipped with twelve telescopic arms that can be extruded outward into a dodecahedron shape. When two small fog blocks meet, a circuit is formed, which enables the transmission and effective distribution of energy and information in this network. But these little fog clumps are not free-floating. When they connect to each other in twelve directions, they form a lattice structure - an octet truss.

Practical fog works like a programmed substance that can move around an object or person, surround them, or even serve as a means of transportation. What’s even more exciting is that practical fog can also create a virtual world for us, and even dominate a person’s thoughts when he is in nanofog (similar to Warren Ellis’s “Across the Universe”). A small fog patch described in the book Transmetropolitan).

3. Space solar energy

Currently we have been working hard to mitigate the impact of climate change on the global ecological environment and human life, and trying to transition to a more sustainable energy economy and society. As it stands now, the Earth's existing resources will never be able to meet our insatiable energy needs. The idea of ??space solar power has been floated since the 1960s, claiming it could solve all energy problems at once.

About 60 years ago, Peter Glaser envisioned a solar satellite that could transmit the solar energy it captured in the form of microwaves to a receiving disk on the Earth's surface. Since then, relevant researchers have proposed many different plans. Japan first made a complete implementation plan for this - the SBSP system, which is actually a fixed orbital movement of the Japanese space orbital power station about 22,400 miles above the equator, and then uses laser The beam transfers energy to the earth. Each satellite corresponds to a 1.8-mile-wide receiving station, and the solar energy it receives can generate one billion watts of electricity, which is enough to power half a million homes. Of course, for safety reasons, the receiving station should be built far away from human settlements, such as in deserts or islands.

4. Consciousness uploading

In the 22nd century, everyone’s existence can be represented in pure digital form without any biological restrictions. So-called mind uploading, or whole brain emulation, requires us to master and replicate all the details of existing biological brains. Scanning machines can capture every molecular-level detail of the brain, including memories, associations and even a person's personality quirks.

Although futurists do not fully know how to obtain information about human consciousness, the key step is to ensure that important areas of the brain can be well replicated, especially those that are identified with the individual. Sensation is information related to the parahippocampal gyrus (located on the medial side below the occipital and temporal lobes) and the cingulate cortex (located in the cerebral cortex of the cingulate gyrus). This process may be a bit "destructive". In order to better record the state of the brain and memory, it is best to slice the brain or otherwise separate it (just simulate the operation), which is beneficial to recording information in various details. In addition, we can also use a powerful enough brain scanner to take a snapshot of the brain, and then transfer it to a computer, which can then analyze and translate the information in the photo into a brain that is functioning normally. In order to make the uploaded person's various functional behaviors behave normally, a virtual body and environment are also essential.

However, there is an important scientific and philosophical question, does this represent a true transfer of consciousness, rather than simply copying a person's brain? At the same time, it's not entirely clear whether clear self-awareness can be replicated on digital substrates. The frightening thing is that everyone who uploads may not really be called a "person" in a sense. To put it more directly, they are like walking zombies, their behaviors are based on existing people. Thought-based, it might actually be more appropriate to call it a "script-driven bot".

5. Control the weather

As of the end of the 21st century, it is still impossible for us to completely control the weather, but at least we can try to use technology to make the weather change as we want. At present, we can already use clouds made of special particles (such as dry ice) to stimulate rainfall. California, which is often short of water, has been producing artificial rainfall for nearly fifty years. During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Chinese government launched 1,100 rockets over Beijing ahead of the storm to create artificial rainfall, and even attempted to trigger lightning in a controlled manner by firing laser pulses into thunderclouds to achieve the purpose of rainfall.

Looking ahead, weather engineers could build a giant wall-like structure to prevent destructive tornadoes from forming. At the same time, a large and powerful array of offshore turbines could be built to capture usable energy from hurricanes as a clean resource for society. A 2014 study found that wind power plants, which typically include thousands of turbines, can reduce peak wind speeds to 92 mph (148 kilometers per hour) and reduce storm surges by 20 percent. one. In effect, this reduces the hurricane's energy by an order of magnitude, which, of course, can be converted into energy that can be harnessed by humans.

Even more exciting is that eventually we can develop a weather machine that can be programmed to simulate the atmospheric environment. There is currently a particularly interesting plan, which mainly uses small transparent balloons to create a global cloud area, and then rises to the stratosphere, thereby blocking the incoming sunlight to a certain extent. A mirror is placed inside each balloon, which is also equipped with GPS (monitoring position), actuator (controlling direction) and a microcomputer, and then moves upward with the help of hydrogen. This programmed greenhouse gas reaches It will stop about twenty miles above the ground. When tens of thousands of mirrors face away from the Earth's surface, sunlight is reflected back into space. The system, operated by artificial intelligence, affects weather patterns around the world and transforms uninhabited areas into habitable temperate zones.

6. Molecular Assembly Machine

Are 3D printers magical? What’s even more amazing than it is yet to come, that is, the Molecular Assemblers. This is an assembly machine envisioned by K. Eric Drexler, the father of nanotechnology, in his book Engines of Creation. Drexler sketched a device that could assemble individual atoms into whatever you wanted them to look like. If you've seen the episode of Star Trek where a crew member uses a replicator to print out a steaming cup of Earl Gray tea, you basically understand how this molecular assembler works. . Many futurists also call them fabricators, or fabs for short.

The replicator that appeared in "Star Trek" is basically equivalent to a part of the sub-assembly machine

Drexler believes that the biological assembler has already existed, and it can generate many complex and Exquisite biological structures, such as bacteria, trees, and even you and me. By the same logic, we will eventually be able to gain a deep understanding of the mechanical properties of extremely small matter, and thus use similar principles to create objects of any size, shape, and density.

fabs is expected to usher in a new era of "inherent abundance" for the world (Translator's Note: Radical Abundance is the name of a book by Drexler). It allows us to make objects and materials that are otherwise impossible to make, entirely from scratch, or rather, from molecules. However, such devices can only be used to make things we are familiar with, like food. If you make a steak, first, the molecular assembler collects raw materials, including carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, etc., then converts them into amino acids and proteins, and finally shapes them into the shape of a steak.

7. Geoengineering

Unfortunately, the negative effects of climate change seem irreversible. Between now and 2100, no matter how hard we try, the abundance of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will continue to warm the planet.

Search for concept drawings of an unmanned "cloud-making ship" that is creating clouds and reflecting sunlight back into space.

From rising sea levels and extreme droughts to superstorms and species extinctions, climate change has brought about a variety of environmental disasters. To stop this damage from continuing to spread, we have to start carefully using geoengineering Come and save the planet.

Some of the more popular solutions include reducing albedo through cirrus cloud rainmaking, injecting particles into the stratosphere to manage solar radiation, injecting sulfur aerosols to slow global dimming, and basically Restoring carbon balance through tropical reforestation. There are also other methods, such as deploying a huge space mirror (although our technological capabilities may not reach this level by 2100), or fertilizing the ocean to eliminate large alkaline blooms, and increasing ocean alkalinity to Reduce the acidity of sea water. Obviously, there are endless solutions and we don’t need to limit ourselves to any one.

However, the problem with geoengineering is that if these methods are developed in the wrong direction, then we may become more damaging to the earth in the name of science. From now on we will only become more and more dependent on these methods and there will be no turning back. But extraordinary times require extraordinary means. Perhaps in order to ensure the safety and efficacy of the final results, we have almost no other choice but to rely on complex climate models and supercomputers.

8. Telepathy

Currently, a series of achievements in the fields of communication technology and neuroscience have made telepathy between people possible.

"Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence"

The realization of telepathy between people not only brings them closer to each other, but also undoubtedly promotes the "hive mind" Come early. "Hive mind" refers to the future in which the minds of every dispersed individual can be connected together through the Internet. At that time, we will find that the power of individuals gradually dissolves, while the power of group consciousness continues to grow.

It is worth noting that such a scenario will come sooner than we think. As early as 2014, an international research team demonstrated a completely non-invasive brain-to-brain communication system. This can be regarded as the first time that humans have sent and received information directly through the brain. In this experiment, two volunteers were separated by hundreds of miles but communicated through thoughts in their heads. A year later, another research team also made a breakthrough. They asked two volunteers to cooperate in playing the same computer game. One of them transmitted brain signals to the other through the Internet and directed him to make actions. action. Although these systems are still in their infancy, they point to the direction of future industry development. In the future, we will be able to communicate with another person just through our thoughts, and we can also control the smart devices around us through "thinking".

9. Fusion energy

At the beginning of this year, German physicists used 2-megawatt microwave pulses to heat hydrogen to 80 million degrees, and finally converted it into a substance with extremely low density. of hydrogen plasma. The entire experiment did not produce any energy, and the entire process only lasted 1/4 of a second, but it brought people an important step forward on the road to achieving the ultimate goal, which is the way to generate energy: nuclear fusion.

Heating, heating, reheating: hydrogen plasma is heated to 80 million degrees

Nuclear fission, also known as nuclear fission, refers to the splitting of heavy atomic nuclei, mainly uranium nuclei or plutonium nuclei, into Unlike a form of nuclear reaction between two or more smaller atoms, nuclear fusion refers to the polymerization of two smaller nuclei to form a heavier nucleus. Scientists believe that the ultimate result of nuclear fusion is to release huge amounts of energy, which will also become a feasible source of clean energy in the future. Eventually, fusion energy could replace fossil fuels and traditional nuclear reactors.

But in order to achieve this goal, scientists also need to find safer and more reliable methods, especially when conducting experiments on the sun. The difficulty is that fusion plasma is difficult to "hold in a container" because these proton and electron flows are difficult to control. The sun has a huge gravitational force that is enough to restrain ions together, but we are on the earth, so we must rely on magnets or laser confinement methods to achieve the same effect. Once a tiny amount of plasma is separated, the walls of the machine will be damaged, causing the nuclear reactor to stop operating.

10. Artificial life

Future scientists will not be satisfied with genetic engineering, but will design and create new life from scratch—from the most microscopic synthetic bacteria to The redesigned replicants in "Blade Runner" that have the same feelings as humans. This emerging discipline is artificial life, also called Alife, which refers to the artificial transformation of organisms through computers and other synthetic biology technologies.

JCVI-syn3.0, a synthetic bacterium composed of 473 genes

Scientists have already begun exploring synthetic life forms. At the beginning of this year, researchers from Synthetic Genomics and the J. Craig Venter Institute in the United States successfully produced a synthetic genome. This bacterium has only 473 genes, which is more than There are fewer genes than any other bacteria currently known. In the future, advances in this field will help biologists explore the core functions of life and classify the most important genes within cells.

Researchers can also use this as a basis to create organisms that do not exist in nature, such as bacteria that eat plastic and toxic waste, as well as microorganisms with certain medicinal effects.

There is another major breakthrough related to this. George Church of Harvard Medical School (Harvard Medical School) is also one of the organizers of this new project. He is Attempts to synthesize the human genome. The researchers say their goal is to synthesize a complete human genome in just one cell. But once successful, this technology will also be applied to the synthesis of artificial organisms, even synthetic humans.

Any of the technologies listed above has the potential to reshape the course of human civilization. It’s just that we still don’t know how these extraordinary achievements will collaborate with each other in the future. The superimposed effects of different technological integrations are always difficult to predict. For example, the integration of brain-computer-connected virtual reality, consciousness uploading and artificial intelligence may create the possibility that the computer-based world will be integrated with people in the real world, and simulated brains and artificial intelligence will exist at the same time. Future geoengineering systems will incorporate both climate control systems and engineered nanoparticles, among other things.

The more we predict future technologies, the more confusing the future will actually look like.

Tadpole staff is compiled from gizmodo, translator Yi Lichen, sunshine, reprinting requires authorization