I have been on the Internet for about 20 years or so. I remember about 15 years ago seeing something floating around called the Ultimate Final Exam. Of course nothing really ever goes away so here is a link to it. If you are a teacher, you definitely should read it for a good laugh. 🙂
One of the questions is in biology and goes like this:
Create life. Estimate the differences in subsequent human culture if this form of life had developed five hundred years earlier, with special attention to the probable effects on the English Parliamentary system. Prove your thesis.
🙂
It’s ridiculous but our technology is now getting to the point where we might actually be able to create life. Even sooner we will be able to simulate it. Check out this video of an activity school kids are doing in Japan called Sketch Aquarium.
See, that is one of the things you can do with wall sized screens. That’s pretty cool and harmless but this week’s theme is about possible scary future things so let’s take the next step.
Let’s say we can design a creature in a computer. The computer can do a lot of the work of course and even evolve it through millions of generations. What do you do then? How about print it out?
H/T Popular Science 5 Body Parts Scientists Can 3-D Print
How long until we can 3d print whole organisms? Or maybe we can just manipulate DNA and create our own new lifeforms?
There are a group of technologies known as GRIN technologies which stands for Genetics, Robotics, Information technology and Nanotechnology. All of them are on exponential growth curves and these are the ones that will change the world. These are the ultimate disruptive technology fields. Right now we are seeing the effects of just the Information Technology part. Just wait until the others get into high gear. The scary part is this will all happen within the next 50 years (and maybe much sooner).
Sleep well tonight. I’ll have more tomorrow.
Education Stormfront 
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