2006:Looking Back and Looking Forward

By David Faucheux

At this time, it seems all the media are trying to get a handle on the year that was or that is about to be. Janis-like, they peer over their collective shoulder while simultaneously looking forward. The worlds of politics, entertainment, and science are scrutinized.

I have been following KURZWEILAI.NET which produces a newsletter that is sent to your in-box. Yesterday, they were discussing medical and other breakthroughs such as the development of a lab-grown bladder. Now if they could grow other organs? Other developments included in floriculture, the breeding of a 4-inch-diameter organic rose with a 6-foot long stem by a farm high in the mountains of Ecuador, developments that make ocean waves a usable source of electric power, and xenograph materials that may help replace metal and plastic devices, implants, in certain types of orthopedic surgical procedures, a type of sponge that can filter out pollutants from rain water run-off, and a vending machine that can print out a book in minutes!

Five hot innovations in '07

Today, they discussed computers and energy tech: An operating system that runs entirely on the Web, the fastest desktop chip, and an e-reader are among the most innovative products of 2006. Also listed: 5 innovations to look for in 2007 that include flash/hard drive combos. And in the world of alternative energy, the following was presented: Biowaste to ethanol could soon power cars, the plug-in hybrid-vehicle era begins, massive recalls spark interest in better batteries, cheaper solar power is on the horizon, and clean coal technologies get mixed up in.

I say bring it on. But I hope everything works as well in reality as in theory. Kurzweil has written an interesting book, The Singularity Is Near, RC 61318 which has the following annotation in the NLS Union Catalog: Inventor and author of The Age of Spiritual Machines (RC 48260) posits that humankind will merge its biology with nanotechnology and robotics to create a new species.

Good-bye to aging?

Kurzweil predicts the result will eliminate aging, pollution, and world hunger. 2005. He sounds a uniquely out-of-the-box genius whose understanding of information science makes me wish it was that aspect of my MLIS that I had been able to focus on and make an academic career out of, but my understanding of that branch of scientific endeavor was not very good. I felt as though I were hanging on by my fingertips in my systems analysis class, and I know the professor watered it down for us who lacked any engineering background, and I did not even attempt the intro class to info-sci. You'd have had to have been me there and experienced the atmosphere I experienced.

I think the results Kurzweil envisions might have a negative side including the idea of scanning humans to reproduce them so that they can travel faster-than-light as discussed in the Hugo-winning title short story of James Patrick Kelly's anthology, "Think Like a Dinosaur" and Other Stories RC 47376. I also think of "Kelly's "Standing in Line with Mr. Jimmy"; and the sci-fi book, The Cassini Division, RC 56475, by Ken MacLeod whose annotation goes something like this: As an agent of the elite Cassini Division of the utopian Solar Union, Ellen May Ngwethu devises a means to eradicate the posthuman society on Jupiter that threatens mankind in the twenty-fourth century. High tech space battles ensue. Some strong language. Nebula Award nominee. 1998.

Posthumans dwelling on Jupiter

Only thing is, I forgot the strategy she used. But the posthumans dwelling on Jupiter were changing so fast that by the time you finished putting a query to them generations of changes had happened in their matrix. Think about it. In the computer world nanoseconds replace the standard minutes and hours of human time. So why in the posthuman world couldn't a nano-hour replace our standard hour? I suppose the Kurzweil human version 3.0 won't try to attack humans who might choose to be less, shall we say, advanced. I'd be happy with human version 1.5 seeing as I'm living in a less than even human 1.0 body.

IMAGINE THAT! And best to you in 2007.

HD Radio: You can have a say in the future of this exciting new medium

From a news release:

National Public Radio Labs, along with partner WGBH National Center for Accessible Media, has been awarded a 3-year grant from NIDRR to prototype and field test technologies and services to be included in the next generation of commercial digital receivers that will best serve consumers with sensory disabilities. We are currently in the first phase of this grant - seeking out information from the "user community" about the types of features and technologies that should be considered for inclusion in the next generation of digital radios.

As a first step in this process, we would like to invite you and your constituents to tell us about the kinds of products, services, features and technologies you would like to see included in the next generation of radios. In order to facilitate this process, we have developed a questionnaire that we would very much appreciate you completing and returning by December 20th. You can respond as follows: you can go addresses for the hearing impaired or vision impaired to fill out our on-line survey.

The Power of Nice

Yes, the Power works. Recently, I was reading an email from dearreader.com, and in the Author Biz section, there was a mention of the book, The Power of Nice by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval. Not expecting anything, I emailed, received a nice response, and was sent the audio book gratis! Wow. And the jelly beans were nice, too; they came with the book.

This book takes a second look at the idea that nice guys (and girls) finish last. The authors assert that they emphatically do not! Killing them with kindness can really work if it doesn't kill you to do it! Empathy, listening skills, and consideration are also stressed. It rather reminded me of my 7th grade English teacher who said, "Be careful how you treat the people you meet on your way up, you'll meet them again on your way down." Or the idea that what goes around, comes around. I am now going to visit thepowerofnice.com.

IMAGINE That!

-Text by David Faucheux