From the Publisher
What Alvin Toffler''s Future Shock was to the 20th century, Our
Molecular Future will be to the 21st century.
What will happen to our jobs, health care, and investments when the
molecular revolution hits?
How might artificial intelligence transform our lives?
How can molecular technologies help us cope with climate changes,
earthquakes, and other extreme natural threats?
Our Molecular Future explores some intriguing possibilities that
answer these questions and many others. Douglas Mulhall describes
the exponential changes that are about to be wrought by the
nanotechnology and robotic revolutions, which promise to reduce the
scale of computing to the nanometerùa billionth of a meterùwhile
increasing computing power to almost unimaginable levels.
The resulting convergence of genetics, robotics, and artificial
intelligence may give us hitherto undreamed-of capacities to
transform our environment and ourselves. In the not-so-distant
future, our world may include machines that scour our arteries to
prevent heart disease, cars and clothes that change color at our
whim, exotic products built in our own desktop factories, and
enhancements to our personal financial security despite greatly
accelerated obsolescence.
But while technology is making these fantastic leaps, we may also
encounter surprises that throw us into disarray: climate changes,
earthquakes, or even a seemingly improbable asteroid collision.
These extremes are not the nightmare scenarios of sensationalists,
Mulhall stresses, nor are many of them human induced. Instead, they
may be part of nature''s cycleùrecurring more often than we''ve
thought possible.
The good news is that this convergence of catastrophe and
technological transformation may work to our advantage. If we''re
smart, according to Mulhall, we can use molecular machines to
protect ourselves from nature''s worst extremes, and harness their
potential benefits to usher in an economic renaissance.
This visionary link between future technology and past disasters is
a valuable guide for every one of us who wants to be prepared for
the twenty-first century.
About the Author
Douglas Mulhall is a sustainable development specialist and technology journalist. He has managed scientific institutes that pioneered adaptive technologies such as water recycling and flood prevention, in collaboration with governments, research laboratories, and multinational companies He has written articles for professional journals, newspapers, and magazines, including the Futurist and Nanotechnology magazine.
Format: Hardcover
Published: April 1, 2002
Publisher: Prometheus Books
Language: English
The following ISBNs are associated with this title:
ISBN - 10: 1573929921
ISBN - 13: 9781573929929
