Week 9: Clear: The Future of Technology

I had no idea that the future of technology was so close.  I found Dr. Machio Kaku's video to be very informative.  The idea of shapeshifting being within reach in the next decade is mind boggling.  To think that technology is moving that fast makes my nerd brain work in overdrive.  'Oh God!  Skynet!  Zombie Apocalypse!  RISE OF THE MACHINES! NEOOOOOOOOOOOOO!'  My imagination can run wild sometimes.

I had heard of a version of Moore's Law in that technology seems to be outdated by the next year, but this is everyone's common knowledge.  I didn't know there was true science behind it, which I find very interesting.  The idea that a CPU's ability can double in 18 months at first seems ridiculous, but if you truly think about it, it's right on the money.  Every year and a half there is newer and faster memory out.  Newer and faster operating systems.  Newer and faster motherboards.  Innovation is happening all the time.  The releases for new phones seems to be that you buy the new iPhone and then put down a pre-order for the next generation.  And the fact that everyone has access to these new advances in technology seems a bit ridiculous also.  I recently saw a picture online that said "I wish I had enough money to buy an iPhone like the girl in front of me paying with her food stamps."  People believe that they need these inventions.

I didn't have a cell phone until about four years ago.  I absolutely refused to have one, mostly to avoid work (the Army) calling me when I was off duty, which happened a lot.  I got one the year before I got out of the service and then I couldn't see myself without one.  I look back now and I know I lived perfectly well without one, but to think about living without a cellphone now?  I wouldn't know what to do with myself.  Now I have an iPhone and I wouldn't know what to do without it.  I think right now that the iPhone 4S is ridiculous to purchase when I have a perfectly functioning iPhone right here, but that's what I thought about the regular iPhone when I had my regular cellphone.  I'm sure if I got the iPhone 4S I wouldn't know what to do without it.  I'd probably starting thinking of Siri as a person (but I probably wouldn't go so far as to say I'd be Raj from The Big Bang Theory TV show).

I just think that the evolution of technology is going to continue to grow and grow.  Humans are adaptable creatures.  I believe that if we do reach the "end" of Moore's Law with our current limitations, we'll find some new way to go about making computer chips.  Even Dr. Kaku stated the new ways scientists are trying to get around this limitation.