Sci-fi
This is my vision of the future. I do believe it, but the details here are poetic, not factual, and there's a lot of room for interpritation. This is also hopelessly idealistic, but I still think it's accurate. Perhaps the future is a good place, not a bad one. Anyway, this is it:
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With the current rate of technological growth, it's estimated that by 2060 computers will become as efficient as the human brain in function and size. The rate of technological growth will take a sudden leap forward when machines can create new systems as fast as (and soon faster than) human beings. The term "think tank" will quickly become a joking tribute to the world before machine intelligence (m.i., not to be mistaken for a.i.).
New technological possibilities will arise when it's more efficient to ask a computer a question that it doesn't have an answer to than to figure out the answer yourself. Within years there will be robots doing everyday tasks, and by the year 2068 every human being will have a personal robot to send to a job and earn a living. All business will be run through robots and computers, and all humans will have free income and open schedules.
With the ability to work 24/7 on electric (solar, wind, water, and fuel cell) power, the day will no longer be split into an active day time and sleeping at night, but will consist of a roving day (all people use a 24 hour clock, not two 12s) and common slang will be "night shift" and "day walker" among kids.
On the subject of kids, they are given robots at birth (by the world government that regulates equality for all by ensuring nobody has to work) but until the age of 12 can't collect income so it all goes to savings to be paid at "maturity" on their 16th birthday. College is therefore always paid for, but is expensive as teaching is still done exclusively by humans (though TAs are done with) and so teaching is one of the highest paid professions. State schools are always guaranteed 100% affordable for tuition, housing, and meals for a minimum wage robot that has saved for 10 years, which allows 2 years of income with which to start investing.
Robot investment is a new industry that develops from 2063-2071. All jobs require certain “training”. Training refers to software and hardware upgrades that you’ve bought for your robot, costing anywhere from $50 to $10,000 and more. The more upgrades, the better job you can get, the more income you can get. The industry standard is to devote 15% of your income to your robot, however, years spent in college (most people get at least one Masters) generally involve devoting more income to your robots so as to have more “training” when you leave the fixed income living of college. It’s not unusual for parents to upgrade their child’s robot at a young age as well.
During these times, the arts flourish. Everybody is free to learn about whatever they’d like, and there is no time frame in which to learn it. Time in general has become less a constriction and more a measurement.
Scientists and mathematicians exist more than ever, looking for new ways to fuse living cells with robot parts, tissue with computer chips. Philosophy has become a youthful fad and is leaning more towards telling the future than deducing the meaning of life (which was actually discovered to be, “to define good and evil” somewhere around 2010). Activities formerly called “extreme” are now the norm. The whole youthful mentality is to enjoy every minute of life because the blessing of never having to work really opened up everybody’s possibilities. Without restrictions of responsibility to a steady schedule and with renewable income the human race lives a mostly enjoyable experience.
Those who break the two laws (“Don’t force it” and “don’t hurt anyone”) are sent to prison, guarded by their own robots who “work for free” as guards. The guards are always in the prison’s control. Very few people break the laws, as most children’s robots work as manual labor rebuilding all low-quality housing to the best standards, courtesy of the world government’s equality law. Therefore, there is no poverty or inequality and most people see everyone as equal.
The governments should be understood at this point.
The World Government: is responsible, at the control and request of the nations of Earth to ensure equality by endowing all human beings with robots (owned by the human for life, at the end of which it is returned to the government for redistribution) and ensuring that any human being whose quality of life doesn’t meet some pretty high standards becomes the subject of a “public works project” through which robots are assigned to rebuild housing, relocate pests, etc…. All humans now have the ability to be born into money, get a free education, do whatever they’d like and never worry about the responsibility of living up to a capitalistic system. However, innovative growth in all industries is still dependent on original thought, as computers can solve problems but they can’t create new ideas. All possibilities are laid out to all people and all industries are still run by Homo sapiens.
A direct result is that more people can work in an industry but work fewer hours. Some people don’t work at all, some work daily. Business tycoons can amass a great fortune, but anybody can be a business tycoon, and they don’t put anybody out of business because there’s no unemployment and everybody is more active than ever before. Cities multiply, farming communities (run entirely by robots) produce more fresh food than humans alone ever could, and tourism blooms everywhere as there are people whose whole lives are spent traveling around the world.
National Governments: are responsible for maintaining a level of protection, and essentially serve as Unions for smaller communities. Some small nations just have one federal government that also serves as a community government. Ultimately though, the idea of a nation has been mostly abolished. M.I. made travel so efficient that border guards became a rarity. National governments are little more than representation for the people to the World Government so that all are kept equal.
Community Governments: are responsible for governing the people. Communities are as large as the mindset controlling them. Laws and codes of conduct are prevalent in areas that want them, and near-anarchy exists in communities that want it. Crime is low everywhere though, as there is very little need to commit crime in this time and age.
Everything changes around 2143.
The scientists succeed and fuse the human brain with computer chips, allowing full information transfer between computers and humans.
It’s not long before robots’ “senses” are increased to the point of equaling and surpassing human sensitivity. The next step, after lifelike robot bodies are created is to take a human brain and transplant it into a metallic body, giving the brain full reign over the new conduit.
Robotic bodies are created to fully protect and nourish the mind. Human lives officially mix with machines in 2161 allowing human beings to live over 500 years without the restraints of the physical world.
Sex fuses carnal lust with computer-generated fantasies and a sense of touch far more sensitive than Homo sapiens could ever have experienced. Physical appearance as well as gender become arbitrary, as they can be changed at will. Other planets are quickly colonized, as oxygen is no longer needed. Cold Fusion powers all the bodies enough that they can do everyday tasks for weeks on a single glass of water (food is eaten for taste only so people can eat as much as they like without worrying about gaining weight or as little as they like without having to spend the money). However, much more complicated tasks can be accomplished with enough water stored, including heavy lifting (over 10,000 pounds), sports (very popular), and outer-space travel.
Speaking of outer-space travel, it should be explained. All senses have been replaced with computer-generated senses that affect the brain the same way but aren’t from a real source. As such, the vacuum of space could feel just as warm as Mercury. Without oxygen needed it’s possible for people to travel singularly in space, and there are entire industries based on making the most efficient personal space travel vehicles (including rocket shoes, magnetized pants, and car shuttles to name a few). All work is still done by robots who are more accurate and advanced than the “people” who are all fused with robots now that the human form has been exposed as so frail.
At this point, the world as we know it today has officially ended. The world where people have jobs and earn a living is long gone. The world where people hate each other for superficial “human” things like race, sex, and gender preference has ceased to exist. The world in which life lasted a mere 80-100 years and only one career could be had have been forgotten.
Children are all born in labs, where DNA from both parents (always kept in the “person’s” system) is fused and health problems are fixed. At the age of 16 all people are given the right to transfer their brains to machines if they so want (many wait until after college), but ultimately all want the lifestyle.
Old religions have all died out, but new religions have formed. The most common Earthly religion is Philanthy, which is based on the 2010 realization that the meaning of life doesn’t pertain to the living but to whatever exists beyond the realm of life. The meaning of life, according to Philanthy is merely “to continually define and refine ‘good’ and ‘evil’,” which roughly translates to “live a life in which you are presented with options and acknowledge that one is likely better than the other.” There is an entire faith as well, but that’s the gist of it. Discordianism, Bokononism and Scientology are also very popular.
The bulk of technological growth at this point (now that health and longevity are conquered) is in the travel industry where post-light speeds have been reached. A detailed map of stars, solar systems, and other galaxies is engrained in all who want it and so very few people ever get lost while traveling out there. "Space Exploration" generally refers to the concept of a ship (run on cold fusion) that can birth new children, has teachers, and can continue a small group of people. Trips that span 4 generations and last more than 2,000 years are going on in every direction. The end of our own galaxy is discovered and ships have set out for other galaxies as well.
Communication exists in many forms at this point. Spoken word is used until fusion (putting your brain into a computer) occurs, and is still a preferred mode of conveying ideas afterward. More common for daily chores and contrivances is “telepathy” which essentially amounts to built-in “cell” phones. Long-distance communication is always done with telepathy, via satellite.
Strangely enough, the human brain still needs sleep. All people have different natural sleep cycles, but on average people are up for 42 hours and then sleep for 23. That certainly varies, and right after fusion most people still have a Homo sapiens sleep cycle (32 hours).
The Earth clock is used as the standard with all Earthlings, but some further settlements use their planet’s rotational system, and a 5-day week eventually surpasses Earth’s 7 day week.
An important part of the human/machine fusion is the addition of a hard drive to the brain. Almost 30% of the average body (different regions have different general sizes, but most hover around 9 feet tall) is a computer hard drive, capable of storing every memory and thought had by a person. As such, with synthetic senses, it’s possible to relive every memory as if it were happening again. It’s a common psychological problem to spend too much time in the past, but also makes long voyages bearable.
_____________________________________________________
I've written more, but it largely has to do with sex (which I imagine will become far more important when it's no longer about reproduction and genuine connections are rare) and I have every intention of exploring this universe of mine. If anyone's ever interested, drop me a line or ask a question and I'll try to fill you in as to what the future is going to be like.
Also, when dark energy eventually moves galaxies so far apart that they become cold and die out, it won't end life, because cold fusion will still exist and heat and light won't be necessary anymore. The possibilities are virtually endless as soon as machines and life form a symbiotic relationship in which the human mind becomes the "ghost in the machine" that isn't present in robots.
And for any possible naysayers, it should also be noted that the thing we call "I", the "self" so to speak, is not the body or the heart, it's not hair or voice - it's the mind. All thoughts form in the mind, all emotions are felt there. Sensory perception is all dependent on electrical impulses in the brain. Essentially, there is no sanctity of body, only sanctity of mind, and to replace the frail and mostly useless human form with something more advanced and capable is a great step in evolution, not an "unnatural" or scary thought. Replacing this weak fleshy pod for a better model is something we should all strive for.
I did mention that most known religions die out in the future, right?
__________________________________________________
With the current rate of technological growth, it's estimated that by 2060 computers will become as efficient as the human brain in function and size. The rate of technological growth will take a sudden leap forward when machines can create new systems as fast as (and soon faster than) human beings. The term "think tank" will quickly become a joking tribute to the world before machine intelligence (m.i., not to be mistaken for a.i.).
New technological possibilities will arise when it's more efficient to ask a computer a question that it doesn't have an answer to than to figure out the answer yourself. Within years there will be robots doing everyday tasks, and by the year 2068 every human being will have a personal robot to send to a job and earn a living. All business will be run through robots and computers, and all humans will have free income and open schedules.
With the ability to work 24/7 on electric (solar, wind, water, and fuel cell) power, the day will no longer be split into an active day time and sleeping at night, but will consist of a roving day (all people use a 24 hour clock, not two 12s) and common slang will be "night shift" and "day walker" among kids.
On the subject of kids, they are given robots at birth (by the world government that regulates equality for all by ensuring nobody has to work) but until the age of 12 can't collect income so it all goes to savings to be paid at "maturity" on their 16th birthday. College is therefore always paid for, but is expensive as teaching is still done exclusively by humans (though TAs are done with) and so teaching is one of the highest paid professions. State schools are always guaranteed 100% affordable for tuition, housing, and meals for a minimum wage robot that has saved for 10 years, which allows 2 years of income with which to start investing.
Robot investment is a new industry that develops from 2063-2071. All jobs require certain “training”. Training refers to software and hardware upgrades that you’ve bought for your robot, costing anywhere from $50 to $10,000 and more. The more upgrades, the better job you can get, the more income you can get. The industry standard is to devote 15% of your income to your robot, however, years spent in college (most people get at least one Masters) generally involve devoting more income to your robots so as to have more “training” when you leave the fixed income living of college. It’s not unusual for parents to upgrade their child’s robot at a young age as well.
During these times, the arts flourish. Everybody is free to learn about whatever they’d like, and there is no time frame in which to learn it. Time in general has become less a constriction and more a measurement.
Scientists and mathematicians exist more than ever, looking for new ways to fuse living cells with robot parts, tissue with computer chips. Philosophy has become a youthful fad and is leaning more towards telling the future than deducing the meaning of life (which was actually discovered to be, “to define good and evil” somewhere around 2010). Activities formerly called “extreme” are now the norm. The whole youthful mentality is to enjoy every minute of life because the blessing of never having to work really opened up everybody’s possibilities. Without restrictions of responsibility to a steady schedule and with renewable income the human race lives a mostly enjoyable experience.
Those who break the two laws (“Don’t force it” and “don’t hurt anyone”) are sent to prison, guarded by their own robots who “work for free” as guards. The guards are always in the prison’s control. Very few people break the laws, as most children’s robots work as manual labor rebuilding all low-quality housing to the best standards, courtesy of the world government’s equality law. Therefore, there is no poverty or inequality and most people see everyone as equal.
The governments should be understood at this point.
The World Government: is responsible, at the control and request of the nations of Earth to ensure equality by endowing all human beings with robots (owned by the human for life, at the end of which it is returned to the government for redistribution) and ensuring that any human being whose quality of life doesn’t meet some pretty high standards becomes the subject of a “public works project” through which robots are assigned to rebuild housing, relocate pests, etc…. All humans now have the ability to be born into money, get a free education, do whatever they’d like and never worry about the responsibility of living up to a capitalistic system. However, innovative growth in all industries is still dependent on original thought, as computers can solve problems but they can’t create new ideas. All possibilities are laid out to all people and all industries are still run by Homo sapiens.
A direct result is that more people can work in an industry but work fewer hours. Some people don’t work at all, some work daily. Business tycoons can amass a great fortune, but anybody can be a business tycoon, and they don’t put anybody out of business because there’s no unemployment and everybody is more active than ever before. Cities multiply, farming communities (run entirely by robots) produce more fresh food than humans alone ever could, and tourism blooms everywhere as there are people whose whole lives are spent traveling around the world.
National Governments: are responsible for maintaining a level of protection, and essentially serve as Unions for smaller communities. Some small nations just have one federal government that also serves as a community government. Ultimately though, the idea of a nation has been mostly abolished. M.I. made travel so efficient that border guards became a rarity. National governments are little more than representation for the people to the World Government so that all are kept equal.
Community Governments: are responsible for governing the people. Communities are as large as the mindset controlling them. Laws and codes of conduct are prevalent in areas that want them, and near-anarchy exists in communities that want it. Crime is low everywhere though, as there is very little need to commit crime in this time and age.
Everything changes around 2143.
The scientists succeed and fuse the human brain with computer chips, allowing full information transfer between computers and humans.
It’s not long before robots’ “senses” are increased to the point of equaling and surpassing human sensitivity. The next step, after lifelike robot bodies are created is to take a human brain and transplant it into a metallic body, giving the brain full reign over the new conduit.
Robotic bodies are created to fully protect and nourish the mind. Human lives officially mix with machines in 2161 allowing human beings to live over 500 years without the restraints of the physical world.
Sex fuses carnal lust with computer-generated fantasies and a sense of touch far more sensitive than Homo sapiens could ever have experienced. Physical appearance as well as gender become arbitrary, as they can be changed at will. Other planets are quickly colonized, as oxygen is no longer needed. Cold Fusion powers all the bodies enough that they can do everyday tasks for weeks on a single glass of water (food is eaten for taste only so people can eat as much as they like without worrying about gaining weight or as little as they like without having to spend the money). However, much more complicated tasks can be accomplished with enough water stored, including heavy lifting (over 10,000 pounds), sports (very popular), and outer-space travel.
Speaking of outer-space travel, it should be explained. All senses have been replaced with computer-generated senses that affect the brain the same way but aren’t from a real source. As such, the vacuum of space could feel just as warm as Mercury. Without oxygen needed it’s possible for people to travel singularly in space, and there are entire industries based on making the most efficient personal space travel vehicles (including rocket shoes, magnetized pants, and car shuttles to name a few). All work is still done by robots who are more accurate and advanced than the “people” who are all fused with robots now that the human form has been exposed as so frail.
At this point, the world as we know it today has officially ended. The world where people have jobs and earn a living is long gone. The world where people hate each other for superficial “human” things like race, sex, and gender preference has ceased to exist. The world in which life lasted a mere 80-100 years and only one career could be had have been forgotten.
Children are all born in labs, where DNA from both parents (always kept in the “person’s” system) is fused and health problems are fixed. At the age of 16 all people are given the right to transfer their brains to machines if they so want (many wait until after college), but ultimately all want the lifestyle.
Old religions have all died out, but new religions have formed. The most common Earthly religion is Philanthy, which is based on the 2010 realization that the meaning of life doesn’t pertain to the living but to whatever exists beyond the realm of life. The meaning of life, according to Philanthy is merely “to continually define and refine ‘good’ and ‘evil’,” which roughly translates to “live a life in which you are presented with options and acknowledge that one is likely better than the other.” There is an entire faith as well, but that’s the gist of it. Discordianism, Bokononism and Scientology are also very popular.
The bulk of technological growth at this point (now that health and longevity are conquered) is in the travel industry where post-light speeds have been reached. A detailed map of stars, solar systems, and other galaxies is engrained in all who want it and so very few people ever get lost while traveling out there. "Space Exploration" generally refers to the concept of a ship (run on cold fusion) that can birth new children, has teachers, and can continue a small group of people. Trips that span 4 generations and last more than 2,000 years are going on in every direction. The end of our own galaxy is discovered and ships have set out for other galaxies as well.
Communication exists in many forms at this point. Spoken word is used until fusion (putting your brain into a computer) occurs, and is still a preferred mode of conveying ideas afterward. More common for daily chores and contrivances is “telepathy” which essentially amounts to built-in “cell” phones. Long-distance communication is always done with telepathy, via satellite.
Strangely enough, the human brain still needs sleep. All people have different natural sleep cycles, but on average people are up for 42 hours and then sleep for 23. That certainly varies, and right after fusion most people still have a Homo sapiens sleep cycle (32 hours).
The Earth clock is used as the standard with all Earthlings, but some further settlements use their planet’s rotational system, and a 5-day week eventually surpasses Earth’s 7 day week.
An important part of the human/machine fusion is the addition of a hard drive to the brain. Almost 30% of the average body (different regions have different general sizes, but most hover around 9 feet tall) is a computer hard drive, capable of storing every memory and thought had by a person. As such, with synthetic senses, it’s possible to relive every memory as if it were happening again. It’s a common psychological problem to spend too much time in the past, but also makes long voyages bearable.
_____________________________________________________
I've written more, but it largely has to do with sex (which I imagine will become far more important when it's no longer about reproduction and genuine connections are rare) and I have every intention of exploring this universe of mine. If anyone's ever interested, drop me a line or ask a question and I'll try to fill you in as to what the future is going to be like.
Also, when dark energy eventually moves galaxies so far apart that they become cold and die out, it won't end life, because cold fusion will still exist and heat and light won't be necessary anymore. The possibilities are virtually endless as soon as machines and life form a symbiotic relationship in which the human mind becomes the "ghost in the machine" that isn't present in robots.
And for any possible naysayers, it should also be noted that the thing we call "I", the "self" so to speak, is not the body or the heart, it's not hair or voice - it's the mind. All thoughts form in the mind, all emotions are felt there. Sensory perception is all dependent on electrical impulses in the brain. Essentially, there is no sanctity of body, only sanctity of mind, and to replace the frail and mostly useless human form with something more advanced and capable is a great step in evolution, not an "unnatural" or scary thought. Replacing this weak fleshy pod for a better model is something we should all strive for.
I did mention that most known religions die out in the future, right?