I did know about the ability to turn off certain genes, only because of research I've been following where they turn off the gene (or set of genes) that allow us to store extra food as fat. They can turn it off in lab mice, allowing them to eat as much as they want without gaining weight. The drawback is if they stop eating for any length of time, they will die quickly.
Now if we can actually figure out what all of the various genes actually do, maybe this will be more useful. Right now, we only really know the function of a few select genes/groups of genes. Even that information is not as specific as some would like to think.
I would take issue with nanotech being a world saver. Like any new technology, its going to be (at least initially) very expensive. The rich will tend to keep the technologies that allow life extension to be priced out of the average man's ability to afford.
I see a critical juncture coming within our lifetime. The human species is going to have to grow up fast or we're going to have some massive famines and probably another world war.
These objections are addressed in the article. To begin with, specifically look for:
"Won’t the Singularity create the ultimate "digital divide" due to unequal access to radical life extension and superintelligent computers?"To sum up Kurzweil's answer, in the 80's cell phones didn't work well and were ultra-expensive. In the 90's they worked a little better and were less expensive. Today they work great and are inexpensive enough for populations in Asia who were pushing a plow fifteen years ago. Tomorrow's mobile communications will be ubuquitous and nearly as too-cheap-to-meter as ones and zeros are on the internet. This is how information techologies proceed
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I did know about the ability to turn off certain genes, only because of research I've been following where they turn off the gene (or set of genes) that allow us to store extra food as fat. They can turn it off in lab mice, allowing them to eat as much as they want without gaining weight. The drawback is if they stop eating for any length of time, they will die quickly.
Now if we can actually figure out what all of the various genes actually do, maybe this will be more useful. Right now, we only really know the function of a few select genes/groups of genes. Even that information is not as specific as some would like to think.
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I see a critical juncture coming within our lifetime. The human species is going to have to grow up fast or we're going to have some massive famines and probably another world war.
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"Won’t the Singularity create the ultimate "digital divide" due to unequal access to radical life extension and superintelligent computers?"To sum up Kurzweil's answer, in the 80's cell phones didn't work well and were ultra-expensive. In the 90's they worked a little better and were less expensive. Today they work great and are inexpensive enough for populations in Asia who were pushing a plow fifteen years ago. Tomorrow's mobile communications will be ubuquitous and nearly as too-cheap-to-meter as ones and zeros are on the internet. This is how information techologies proceed ( ... )
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