Physics of the Future

Future of the Computer Predictions: Internet glasses and contact lenses, driverless cars, wall screens, electronic paper, virtual worlds. 2030-2070: End of Moore's law, augmented reality, holograms. 2070-2100: Mind over matter, mind reading, telekinesis. Future of AI In the next decade, we will see robots, especially in healthcare, that can be controlled by doctors. We may see a robot doctor on a wall that you can change the appearance of. Supercomputers like Blue Gene can replicate the millions of neurons fired in a rat’s brain. It will take a couple of decades to mimic the human brain. Long-term studies say children who can refrain from immediate gratification and hold out for greater long-term rewards score high on almost every measure of future success: SATs, life, love, career. Instead of uploading our brains into a computer, it’s more likely we’ll upgrade our bodies. Two problems with robots: pattern recognition and common sense. Near future: expert systems (AI to plan a vacation), robot nurses. Japan is a leading nation in robotics. 2030-2070: modular robots that can change shape, robot surgeons and cooks, emotional robots, reverse engineering the brain, modeling and taking apart the brain. 2070-2100: when machines become conscious (1. sensing and recognizing the environment 2. self-awareness 3. planning for the future by setting goals and plans, simulating the future and planning strategy), when robots exceed humans. Most likely scenario: friendly AI, merging with robots, robotic body parts. Future of Medicine We will soon have sensors in our bathrooms that scan for cancer cells to detect it super early. Quantum computers have helped a lot with biology and bioinformatics. Reducing calorie intake by 30% increases lifespan by 30%. A new way of killing cancer: tiny nanoparticles that are the right size so they can’t penetrate blood cells, but can penetrate cancer cells since they are larger. The particle bounces around until it finds a cancer cell. Present to 2030: coexisting with cancer. 2030,2070: designer children, “smart” gene. 2070,2100: reversing aging. Nanotechnology Present to 2030: nanomachines in our bodies, zapping cancer cells, nanocars in our blood, DNA chips, quantum computers. 2030-2070: shape-shifting. 2070-2100: the replicator. Energy Most likely an energy mix, with no one form of energy ruling them all. Present to 2030: solar and hydrogen economy, wind power, nuclear fission, nuclear proliferation (bombs). 2030-2070: global warming. Fix ideas: send pollutants like sulfur dioxide to reflect sunlight back into space. Create algae blooms, or genetic engineering to create life forms that absorb carbon dioxide. Fusion power, hot fusion, fusion by laser. 2070-2100: age of magnetism, magnetic car and train. Future of space travel Present to 2030: extrasolar planets, journey to Europa (Jupiter's moon), creation of the Big Bang, landing on an asteroid, landing on the moon of Mars, back to the moon, permanent moon base, water on the moon. 2030-2070: mission to Mars, terraform Mars, space tourism. 2070-2109: space elevator, starships, nuclear rocket, nanoships.