Here Comes the Future

NPR news this morning reported on a paralised man in the United States who has regained the use of his right arm through the use of cybernetic technology. This wonderful application of cybernetics didn’t come about in a vacuum. As long ago as the 1950s, science fiction writers have predicted the connection of anatomy and technology. Use of computers without input devices, but by thought, is called “direct neural interface” (DNI) in scifi circles.

Frankly, I am very excited about this opportunity for advancing the state of the art to the fulfillment of science fiction predictions. The dystopian problems are reparable if we work to resist the trends of politics and law that would lead to it. But the technological prospects for improving human life are profound. Imagine a DNI flash drive that backs up your memory to mitigate the loss of dementia. Or a built in internet connection that allows you to check your email or social media in the background of your mind without distracting you from driving. You could even make a VoIP phone call without speaking. Neat!

Science fiction has been a very good prognosticator of human future expansion in technology and science. The huge growth of communications, wireless tech, commercial space exploration, etc., have all been predicted by scifi. Some of it is caused by engineers and scientists who were scifi fans as children. Other advances are simply the product of good foresight on the part of scifi writers who are versed on science and technology. Many science fiction authors have been and still are scientists and engineers. The most famous past author of scifi, Robert Anson Heinlein, was a Naval Engineer from the 1920s to the 1940s, before he ever became famous for his scifi work.

Ironically, the technology is secondary in science fiction. The entire genre is based on human interactions and the story is about the people. The technology is actually just the setting. We owe a debt of gratitude to these authors who have spent so much thought on window dressing.

The research into cybernetic prostheses is worthy of support by everyone. If you are looking for a tax break, find a foundation or other charity that supports this kind of work and make a tax deductible donation.