Science fiction depicting our near future

[Warsai]

Some of the sci-fi books that will be coming out soon will be set in a time in the near future, a time called the Singularity, a time of revolutionary change in science and technology, similar to our leap out of the stone age. Having computers integrated into the human body becomes commonplace. Nanotechnology will perfected, and so will AI.

The sci-fi books that will be set in this time are similar to the Arthur C. Clarke books in that they are some of the few books that can give a seemingly accurate description of the near future. Most sci-fi books today are either mixed with fantasy, or are set in the far far future, so books like these are usually quite enjoyable.

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/science...676265,00.html

Your thoughts?

[plazul]

I haven't looked at science fiction lately but this is very intriguing. In another post I touched on the idea that the human species may be evolving with technology and may soon integrate with computers. I think it will start out with chip implantaion and computer brain and body enhancement and then evolve into organic computing and super organic intelligence capable of endless improvement.

The concept of remote human brain control of a nano spaceship is fascinating. I wasn't clear whether the human subjects were in a dream state or conscious but I don't see how they could be if they were tasked to function in a quasi artificial reality.

Science fiction is an underrated genre for quality writing and doesn't get much praise but I'm definitely going to read Singularity Sky.

[jayboy]

I fear it will be more fact than fiction. There will be no nobler result than correcting spinal chord injuries, other lost motions, limbs and in some the ability to once again posses thought . We have already been gifted with a sophisticated computer processing and distribution system, which defies description. With our still primitive mind “man” (which includes the ladies) will mess it up. But take to the bank, greed and warped minds will surely use the technology for control and other devious end results. Western Medicine will not have caught up and will resist allowing computer and mechanical wonks into their society and operating rooms. The result, as with the first Jarvik (sp) heart pump, will bring an unbelievable living hell to many.

[Warsai]

Originally Posted by jayboy

I fear it will be more fact than fiction. There will be no nobler result than correcting spinal chord injuries, other lost motions, limbs and in some the ability to once again posses thought . We have already been gifted with a sophisticated computer processing and distribution system, which defies description. With our still primitive mind “man” (which includes the ladies) will mess it up. But take to the bank, greed and warped minds will surely use the technology for control and other devious end results. Western Medicine will not have caught up and will resist allowing computer and mechanical wonks into their society and operating rooms. The result, as with the first Jarvik (sp) heart pump, will bring an unbelievable living hell to many.

Yes, it's true science does create many problems, the revolutionary equation E=mc^2 gave us the proof that energy and matter were really one and the same, but it also gave us the atom bomb. But science does many great things also.

[Lunaverde]

I just read a couple of good books on future human societies, post-Singularity, lots of nanotech, downloading personalities to reload them into new bodies after death, etc -- "The Cassini Division" and "Newton's Wake" by Ken MacLeod.
Very well-done explorations of the evolution of human society and our technology. I read someplace that he won an award for the Best Libertarian SF Novel -- had no clue there was such an award to win, and don't know which of his novels won it, but I can see why. He has good descriptions of anarcho-socialist and anarcho-capitalist societies. Plus the Non-cooperators, who live in the ruins of London and (gasp, choke) still run a Capitalist Economy! Anyway, his books are worth reading. The dangers and delights of the paths our technology is heading down. Quite sophisticated, and I plan to read more from him.

I particularly liked the woman who was downloaded into a robot body, and thus was able to fulfill her dream and cling to the outside of a starship as it travelled through space...

[Jinn]

'Blue screen of death' comes to mind.

[plazul]

Originally Posted by Warsai

Some of the sci-fi books that will be coming out soon will be set in a time in the near future, a time called the Singularity, a time of revolutionary change in science and technology, similar to our leap out of the stone age. Having computers integrated into the human body becomes commonplace. Nanotechnology will perfected, and so will AI.

The sci-fi books that will be set in this time are similar to the Arthur C. Clarke books in that they are some of the few books that can give a seemingly accurate description of the near future. Most sci-fi books today are either mixed with fantasy, or are set in the far far future, so books like these are usually quite enjoyable.

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/science...676265,00.html.

Your thoughts?

The future is now. The dizzying pace of technological advancement is causing a real future shock in the First World. Machines are replacing human labor at an alarming rate and human beings are in the first state of total integration with machines.

In the future the new racisim will be between cyborgs and ordinary humans. There may even be a war beween the two species.

[Lunaverde]

Science Fiction has long been the only genre in literature that really looks at the possible future of humanity and our technology. Some of it has been eerily accurate -- seems to me we here in the US are currently living in a blend of Brave New World and 1984.

The question is will technology really change human culture to the radical degree depicted in some of the current Singularity post-human novels, for instance? These authors generally seem to plot worlds where the advent of the Singularity somehow destroys capitalism. Because nanotech allows a post-scarcity world, plenty of everything for everyone, capitalism simply is no longer needed. Also, they seem to like the idea of freewheeling, cooperative, anarchist societies as a natural result of the hypertechnology. While I very much like these ideas, and hope the human race does manage to overcome capitalism and turn to a more ethical cooperative anarchism, I wonder if it will come about due to technology. Or will it be caused by something else, if it happens at all? Personally, I rather doubt it will ever reach that kind of egalitarian height, but one can always hope!

Perhaps cyborgs -- if we ever do develop that kind of capability -- will be the new underclass. Perhaps it will be the genetically modified humans or animals who will be the underclass. Some of the most beautiful speculations on the genecically modified underclass (animals in this case)were written back in the early l960s by Cordwainer Smith. The Dead Lady of Clowntown story has never been topped in my opinion, as a wonderful look at this issue. Humans tend to be hierarchical, and all our technology so far has not changed the basic monkey-brain and monkey-cells that we operate from. I don't know if advancing technology really will advance human ethical systems, nice thought though it may be.

[plazul]

I like your ideas. Cloning and genetic engineering does raise issues of organ harvesting and all sorts of hideous possiblities for a new breed of second class citizens, to put it mildly.

I'm not terribly optimistic that technology will solve the problems of nationalism and capitalism but I am sure, as I just alluded to, that it will lead to a diabolical class division between the haves and the have nots of the brave new world. I imagine a race of physically and intellectually superior beings served, for who knows what purpose, by a subservient underclass of inferior human beings.

But if I were writing such a novel it would center on a struggle between good and bad technology, so to speak. Good computers vs bad computers. It makes you wonder whether the ultimate equation for good would defeat the ultimate equation for evil.

I do think we will soon have machines that are truly independent thinkers and it will be fascinating to see how they come down on the human condition.

[pattybug52]

I remember the first time I saw Gattica-ya right I said. Now it is getting close-people are already harvesting which embryos they want to keep and which to get rid of. I just read article on the in vetro thing where they can now do the gene thing to cancel out some bad stuff -just a few so far. But the possibility is becoming more real-they already have eye scans, the prick of the finger thing has been done for years for diabetics-I imagine somewhere it is already a fact to determine your dna.