A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste
The June issue of Inc Magazine includes an article, Innovation: The Outer Limits, which captured my attention. It detailed "the hottest, most mind-blowing high-tech products" looming on the horizon. It certainly grabbed my attention, causing me to shutter with glee — really.
First are quantum computers, promising to run circles around the current offerings, reducing hours of calculations to mere seconds. Then there are devices that will detect and respond to brain waves — great for gamers and virtual reality projections. Listed next is manufactured body parts: prostheses, replacement eyes, and synthetic organs. Another promising advance lies in the area of nanotechnology with the ability to alter substances at the molecular level and — my personal fav — nano machines that could be injected into your body to repair, rebuilt, or scour.
Lastly is the opportunity to chemically enhance the brain, thereby improving memory. This really excites me. Wouldn't it be great to remember more and quickly recall details? Sign me up! But wait. What about the things you want to forget? That unhappy consideration dimmed my enthusiasm a bit. However, what really gave me pause was the recollection of a novel I read in high school (if I can recall something from three decades ago, maybe my memory's not all that bad after all — but then, why do I sometimes blank on my address?)
The book was Flowers for Algernon (see the Spark Notes to refresh your memory — ironic humor intended). Essentially, it's about a mentally challenged man who undergoes an experimental process, which catapults him to the genius level. Unfortunately, the mental improvement is short-lived as he soon regresses to his former self, with the implication that he could soon die.
Technology is exhilarating and its implications are exciting, but given the potential downside, perhaps I'm not quite ready to improve my memory after all.
First are quantum computers, promising to run circles around the current offerings, reducing hours of calculations to mere seconds. Then there are devices that will detect and respond to brain waves — great for gamers and virtual reality projections. Listed next is manufactured body parts: prostheses, replacement eyes, and synthetic organs. Another promising advance lies in the area of nanotechnology with the ability to alter substances at the molecular level and — my personal fav — nano machines that could be injected into your body to repair, rebuilt, or scour.
Lastly is the opportunity to chemically enhance the brain, thereby improving memory. This really excites me. Wouldn't it be great to remember more and quickly recall details? Sign me up! But wait. What about the things you want to forget? That unhappy consideration dimmed my enthusiasm a bit. However, what really gave me pause was the recollection of a novel I read in high school (if I can recall something from three decades ago, maybe my memory's not all that bad after all — but then, why do I sometimes blank on my address?)
The book was Flowers for Algernon (see the Spark Notes to refresh your memory — ironic humor intended). Essentially, it's about a mentally challenged man who undergoes an experimental process, which catapults him to the genius level. Unfortunately, the mental improvement is short-lived as he soon regresses to his former self, with the implication that he could soon die.
Technology is exhilarating and its implications are exciting, but given the potential downside, perhaps I'm not quite ready to improve my memory after all.
Posted by Peter DeHaan at 5/29/2008 3:08 PM 
Categories: Technology, Publishing, future
Tags: technology Flowers for Algernon Peter DeHaan blog author Peter DeHaan Peter DeHaan Musings Musings of Peter DeHaan
Categories: Technology, Publishing, future
Tags: technology Flowers for Algernon Peter DeHaan blog author Peter DeHaan Peter DeHaan Musings Musings of Peter DeHaan
I love that you're a geek. :)
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