The fifteen years from 2020 to 2035 could be the most turbulent of human history. Revolutions are gathering pace in four overlapping fields of technology: nanotech, biotech, infotech, and cognotech, or NBIC for short. In combination, these NBIC revolutions offer enormous new possibilities.
Episode 4 of Humanity Unshackled addressed the subject of the radical changes being enabled by NBIC. It started with the above short extract from the book RAFT 2035.
As RAFT 2035 goes on to point out, these possibilities enabled by NBIC include enormous opportunities alongside enormous risks:
- Nanotech can provide resilient new materials, new processes for manufacturing and recycling, new ways to capture and distribute energy, new types of computing hardware, and pervasive new surveillance networks of all-seeing sensors.
- Infotech can augment human intelligence and creativity with new generations of artificial intelligence, leaping over human capabilities in increasing numbers of domains of thought, and displacing greater numbers of human employees from tasks which used to occupy large parts of their paid employment.
- Biotech enables the modification not only of nature, but of human nature: it will allow us not only to create new types of lifeform – synthetic organisms that can outperform those found in nature – but also to edit the human metabolism more radically than is possible via existing tools such as vaccinations, antibiotics, and occasional organ transplants.
- Cognotech allows similar modifications for the human mind, brain, and spirit, enabling in just a few short weeks the kind of changes in mindset and inner character which previously might have required many years of disciplined study of yoga, meditation, and/or therapy; it also enables alarming new types of mind control and ego manipulation.
In this Humanity Unshackled discussion, regular show hosts Rusty Burridge and David Wood exchanged ideas about each of the four NBIC quadrants, some of the interactions between these quadrants, and the implications arising for the future of humanity.
To listen to this discussion, click below:
Alternatively, listen to this episode on Soundcloud, or see the corresponding Radio Hydrogen page.
Show notes:
Books mentioned during the show:
- Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology, by K. Eric Drexler
- Nano Comes to Life: How Nanotechnology Is Transforming Medicine and the Future of Biology, by Sonia Contera
- Roadmap to Abundance, Flourishing, and Transcendence, by 2035, by David Wood
Additional material to explore:
- The incredible physics behind quantum computing – A Big Think video featuring Brian Greene, Michio Kaku, & more
- Beating Moore’s Law: This photonic computer is 10X faster than NVIDIA GPUs using 90% less energy – video by John Koetsier
- Vital Foresight: The Case For Active Transhumanism – The most recent book by David Wood, which includes further material about topics from this episode
Music: “Far Away 6,” written and performed by Sean Anthony Brennan aka Jonny Carbine & The Lowdown Dirty Dog Band.
The image above incorporates design elements from Pixabay users Gerd Altmann, Mudassar Iqbal, and Ahmed Gad, used with thanks.
Radio Hydrogen Artwork: Eleanor O’ Donnell.
Technology, Admin, Australian FM Radio Network Liaison, Legals, and Social media: Chris John Doe.
Content Mining, Idea Generation and Reality Checks: Craig Bowles & Cynthia Leonard.
Radio Hydrogen Website: Sara Bowles & Chris Doe.
Thanks also to: Bob Evans, Merry Nation, and all at Tribe FM, Willunga, South Australia – no exceptions!
Published on 26 June 2021.
Transhumanist UK 