A three part series on the BBC, Visions of the Future, has
seen leading
theoretical physicist and futurist Dr Michio Kaku examine the cutting
edge science of today, tomorrow, and beyond.
Part one of the series looks at how artificial intelligence
will
revolutionise homes,
workplaces and lifestyles, and how virtual worlds will become so
realistic that they will rival the physical world. Robots with
human-level intelligence may finally become a reality, and in the
ultimate stage of mastery, we'll even be able to merge our minds with
machine intelligence.
Part two is about the biotech revolution including how DNA
screening could prevent many diseases, gene
therapy could cure them and, thanks to lab-grown organs, the human body
could be repaired as easily as a car, with spare parts readily
available. Ultimately, the ageing process itself could be slowed down
or even halted.
The third part is about the revolution of quantum physics including the
possibility of metamaterials with properties like invisibility
through to limitless quantum energy and room
temperature superconductors to Arthur C Clarke's space elevator. Some
scientists even forecast that in the latter half of the century
everybody will have a personal fabricator that re-arranges molecules to
produce everything from almost anything.
Posted February 14th, 2008
