things that make me think

Since I started my MA I have change my dissertation subject many times, because I am interested in many different things. I wanted to write about managing personal knowledge, information exchange and organisation, productivity and efficiency for individuals and groups, does technology make us happy?, brain mystery – how it works? how we remember and associate things?, semantic web and quantum physics. Finally I decided to write about the impact of future technologies (nanotechnology, DNA, biochemistry, quantum physics) on the society. Do we really want the technology to develop a we are aiming to? I chose this subject because I was inspired by 3-part documentary on the BBC hosted by Michio Kaku, called Visions of the Future:
Visions Of The Future (1 of 3) The Intelligence Revolution

Visions of the Future (2 of 3) The Biotech Revolution

Visions Of The Future (3 of 3) The Quantum Revolution

Unfortunately I had to narrow down my subject to one technology, I stuck between nanotechnology and DNA. I decided to do some research. I watched many documentaries not necessary related to DNA and nanotechnology, because I didn’t want to narrow my research yet. I have watched The Incredible Human Body (National Geographic), BBC Planet Earth The Future, BBC Documentary – Stupidity, Anthropology – Mysterious Origins Of Man. Forbidden Archeology – Charlton Heston 1996, Documentary – Bbc Horizon – The Bermuda Triangle, Unlocking the Mystery of Life (Intelligent Design), Paranormal – Unexplained Mysteries – Scariest Places On Earth.

Out of all those documentaries the most inspirational was Unlocking the Mystery of Life (Intelligent Design). This documentary is about Darwin’s theory of evolution, DNA, and origins of life. I noticed many similarities between DNA and nanotechnology and artificial intelligence. It made me think, that DNA could be a very clever algorithm that allows to produce new organisms, body parts, proteins etc in a creative way – it doesn’t always reproduce already existing cells, it constantly evolves. Scientists are trying to create artificial intelligence based on intelligent algorithms and create machines that would create self-replicated materials. In other words scientist are trying to create technology that would self-evolve. It would be possible to create a replica of our world but in miniature. But what if scientists physically bigger than us created a mini version of the world they are living in? That would explain Intelligent design. It all comes back to a question: how did it all begin? What was at the beginning? Nothing could be created from nothing.

Maybe I should write about similarities and differences of DNA and nanotechnology? Or many the impact of DNA evolution on other technologies? I don’t know I need to do some more research.

~ by Rocky on May 10, 2008.