Robot Nation?

Open Sky’s second part continues to look into the future. From nanotechnology to the future of transportation, Virillo continues to look at how the future will impact human life.

Nanotechnology continues to transform the way we look at science. Some would say that it is the single most important upgrade in technology ever. Recently, an experiment was done where two gloves, one covered in nanobots, the other not, were stuck in buckets of mud. The result was astounding. The glove covered in nanobots came out completely clean! A similar experiment is shown here:  As is seen, nanotechnology can prevent surfaces from getting wet. Eventually, it will also help to clear diseases and help doctors with surgery as well. With nanotechnology, the possibilities are endless.

One of the other aspects that Virillo discusses is the future of transportation. I also see this as a major change in mankind’s future. Virillo discusses how trains will be able to move faster because they are pulled by magnets, and even fewer people will rely on the automobile. His examples, however, are all in Europe. Personally, I see this claim as a little farfetched in the U.S., but that does not mean that the future of transportation will not also change in the U.S. as well. Technology in cars today is already so great that our cars can stop themselves from hitting other cars. And we are already talking about cars that will completely drive themselves in the near future.

Will these changes impact our society in such a way that they will eliminate the necessity for certain jobs? Is that a bad thing? Are we turning into robots?