Swimming Like a Fish

While artificial hearts, brain implants, and artificial/biotic limbs are already tomorrow's technology being used today there are some even more exciting advances on the way. I would like to fantasize a bit about enhancing our bodies to explore the world in ways we have never seen. One particular idea in development, readily studied, experimented, and commented on by one Robert Freitas, is called respirocytes. These are artificial red blood cells. It turns out our blood cells are incredible creations, however, they are severely inefficient and can be replaced and enhanced at the nano-level. These artificial blood cells would allow a more efficient use and distribution of our oxygen and other gases in our body. This would mean swimming underwater for hours without ever having to take a breath, or running a marathon while barely being winded. On another level these "nano blood cells" can capture toxins and harmful compounds we might breath into our lungs. Smoke deaths would cease to exist, though shark attacks may become more prevalent as we start to fearlessly swim through the exotic without scuba gear. This idea, this thought experiment of extending beyond physical limitations is fascinating. I invite all who read this to comment: tell us what enhancement you would like to see in the future made to our bodies, limitations that you would like extended. I have always dreamed of being able to "breath" underwater, but what else could these respirocytes mean for us mere humans as our bodies move to version 2.0. All thoughts are welcome.

Here is a link to an understanding of respirocytes for those wanting more information.....
http://www.foresight.org/Nanomedicine/Respirocytes.html

The World is Flat- When Will My Body Be?

Thomas Friedman talks about ten "flatteners" of our world. If we stick to the last eight, we can relate them easily to the coming singularity at the level of a single human being. Friedman talks of:

1. Work Flow Software
2. Uploading
3. Outsourcing
4. Offshoring
5. Supply-Chaining
6. Insourcing
7. In-forming
8. Steriods

This discussion centers around the macro level, but we can easily see how it relates to the present and coming nanotechnologies. We will relinquish control to nanobots customized for optimal work flow, uploading, supply-chaining, insourcing, in-forming, and steriods within our own body. The offshoring may occur as the information the nanobots transmit about our physical well-being is constantly reevaluated and optimized by people or computer programs anywhere in the world. Most nanobot scenarios include the constant transmission of information from the circulating nanobots in our bodies to outside sources, a sort of BAN ( body area network), or PAN (personal area network).

I makes me wonder what kind of control we will have over all of this information.

I relate it to my experience on the WWW, where everyone competes for my information in hopes of getting me to read their stuff, by their product, look at their video, etc. How will companies compete to gain the information nanobots accumulate in my body?

And an even bigger question? Who will control the nanobots? Will I control them, or leave that to some more capable computer program (computer conscious)? When will I fully merge into this technology so that I have the super-computing capability to control my own functioning, without leaving too much to outside control?

When will the singularity come, and what will my living look like?

iPhone

How integrated have we already become. I know that as I walk/train to work each morning I put in my ear buds and start up my iPod. I turn on my cell phone and check my email, my voicemail and the local weather. I am in constant communication throughout the day either through sporadic text messages, phone calls, or emails. This all goes with me. My Internet on my phone allows gMail in its most basic form and the weather takes at least 10-15 seconds to load. In our generation this is basically too long. So what if we combine everything we are used to at our desktops and even our "portable" computer laptops. What if we combine it in a pocket sized device capable of integrating all our present technological needs. What if Apple unveils an iPhone.......nice. I will speak briefly about the features and provide a link to Apple's iPhone website. Quite frankly, it is incredible and I believe it is only just the beginning of our truly mobile lives......

iPhone
Phone
Internet
Music
Video
Instant messaging
Camera
Maps
more....

I am not compensated by Apple, and nor do I think this will be the only device to allow to take all aspects of our lives with us. However, this is the coolest so far, let's be honest with ourselves.

At more than a glance we see our Family Room (tv), or kitchen (phone), our bedrooms (stereos, etc) combined into one device. Let's redefine what it is to be homeless.

Take a look......http://www.apple.com/iphone/

"Singularbot" in Our Body

This article describes the trip a microscopic, remote-controlled bot will make in the human body by 2009. Can the singularity really be far off? View article here.