IT Conversations & Tech Nation — September 17, 2005 | Moira Gunn

This is a summary. Read original article in full here.

IT Conversations | Kurzweil’s Talk: “When Humans Transcend Biology”: In this talk from the Accelerating Change Conference in 2005, Ray Kurzweil outlines his startling predictions for the next 25 years. Based on recent progress in the fields of neurobiology and nanotechnology, Kurzweil predicts significant strides in the fight against disease and aging, as well as the augmentation of the human mind.

In the future, the line between biology and technology will blur and eventually become irrelevant. Physics has shown that while it may be nearly impossible to predict the actions of individual items, by looking at patterns of a group, we can often very accurately predict trends. By looking at the large scale history of biological and technological evolution, we can see an exponential growth that is continuing through the current age and into the future.

While there are many concerns about the impact of new technologies on human existence, Ray Kurzweil presents a vision of the future that is unequivocally positive. This perspective suggests a future where humanity is aided by our interaction with technology and potential pitfalls are mitigated by smart technological solutions. Kurzweil offers an amazing picture for our future, one in which many of us will live to participate.

In Parts 2 and 3 of the podcast, Ray Kurzweil answers provocative questions posed by Dr. Moira Gunn of Tech Nation and audience members in this question and answer period from Accelerating Change 2005.

The discussion includes these topics: Can we prepare for the environmental impact of technologies we cannot imagine? Will education be revolutionized in our lifetimes? How will the technological singularity improve your sex life?

Kurzweil points out that life is in a permanent state of change. Human cells are renewed constantly, but the overall pattern of what makes each person unique remains the same. Paradigm shifts do change everything in some regards, but rarely are the “old ways” replaced. Rather, opportunities increase with every advance in technology and human understanding.

Podcast: “When Humans Transcend Biology Part 1”: Ray Kurzweil’s talk
Podcast: “When Humans Transcend Biology Part 2”: On stage interview with Moira Gunn of Tech Nation
Podcast: “When Humans Transcend Biology Part 3”: Q&A moderated by Moira Gunn of Tech Nation