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Humanity can exist as the biological stuff we are now, or as a smokey, mind-reading presense that can take whatever form it wants.

— karmavore

For those unfamiliar with the book, the author is a futurist who makes a case for “The Law of Accellerating Returns”, which posits that the rate of evolutionary progress is increasing exponentially. Evolution, as Kurzwil defines it, can be physical (sub-atomical particle interactions), chemical (RNA), biological (single-cell to human), and now technological (ENIAC to iPod and beyond). Our exponential technological growth, the book posits, is in the knee of the curve, and progress is going to come much faster than you expect. It’s a good read, and I haven’t done it justice in summary here.

The book explores many places technology could take us. For instance, the author predicts that we’ll have artificial blood cells 10,000 times more efficient at delivering oxygen to brain in less than 10 years time. By the 2040s, we’ll have no need for our human bodies, as it will all be replaced by techonology. Small machines will be able to embed themselves in our brains, retrieve our memories, and store them indefinitely. Some of our “body” technology may be something called “foglets”, which are small machines that can reassemble themselves in any form.

A side note: I am aware that I’m describing nanotechnology, and I’m equally aware that Cuse/Lidelof have debunked this theory. Nonetheless, after reading Kurzweil it seems worth the consideration, especially since Cuse/Lindelof have also stated that they sometimes debunk correct theories to keep us off the chase. (See podcasts for that.)

According to Kurzweil, humanity isn’t our bodies — it’s our pattern of being that always seeks to surpass what we were before. Humanity can exist as the biological stuff we are now, or as a smokey, mind-reading presense that can take whatever form it wants. Smokey is part of the humanity of the future.

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