the golden era of nanotechnology

Fascinating article by Ray Kurzweil here at Science & Theology News. Excerpt:

The most interesting application of computerized nanobots will be to interact with our biological neurons. We’ve already shown the feasibility of using electronics and biological neurons to interact non-invasively. We could have billions of nanobots inside the capillaries of our brains, non-invasively, widely distributed, expanding human intelligence, or providing full immersion virtual reality encompassing all of the senses from within the nervous system. Right now we have a hundred trillion connections. Although there’s a certain amount of plasticity, biological intelligence is essentially fixed. Nonbiological intelligence is growing exponentially; the crossover point will be in the 2020s. When we get to the 2030s and 2040s, it will be the nonbiological portion of our civilization that will be predominant. But it will still be an expression of human civilization.

Every time we have technological gains we make gains in life expectancy. Sanitation was a big gain, antibiotics was another. We’re now in the beginning phases of this biotechnology revolution. We’re exploring, understanding and gaining the tools to reprogram the information processes underlying biology; and that will result in another big gain in life expectancy. So, if you watch your health today, the old-fashioned way, you can actually live to see the remarkable 21st century.