golewis

Ray has a very simple theory that he has been standing behind for about 30 years: technology is advancing at an ever-increasing exponential rate. This is important because of the “doubling” effect, which means for example that instead of advancing the same amount that it advanced in the previous year, technology advances at double what it did the previous year.

It seems like a “yes, so what” kind of fact. Until you do what Ray has done and project this out a little ways. And that’s the crazy thing. You only have to go out a little ways to see the stuff that we now consider science fiction actual come into existence.

We all know that there are devices, technologies, and discoveries that exist in secret today that we won’t learn about for years to come. Ray makes it his job to seek out these discoveries and understand the direction science is taking us. And that direction is towards a Singularity, the point at which man and machine merge.

If you’re continuing on after that bold statement, I have to apologize for using the word “machine” as I don’t mean machine the industrial sense. I just like to use that to get the shock value. It really should be stated that man will continue to augment and improve upon himself with the use of technologies and science in order to enable capabilities that would not be possible with our organic systems alone. We all know about the health care uses of new technology. We’ve seen it. the Cochlear implant for hearing, laser eye surgery for sight, artificial limbs and joints, and performance enhancing drugs (regardless of the side effects). This will continue in ways we can hardly imagine. And the good part is, it might be in time to help us a bit.

In our daily lives we are not aware of all of the things that are being designed and explored by science. We go about our business and take life a face value. It’s the linear trap Mr. Kurzweil refers to. But if every now and then you stop and reflect - maybe by listening to the thoughts of a marvelous person like Ray - you might just realize that you’re already living in the future you’ve imagined, and it’s only getting better.

Rob