Beyond the Internet

The Internet is evolving, there's no doubt about that. We have Internet 2.0(and now 3.0), Wikis, picture perfect global maps, and numerous developments everyday. Despite all the progress, the future of the internet as we know it is up in the air, as companies battle over content control and argue over which rights should be granted and kept from users. The danger that free and equal use of the internet might be lost is imminent.

I find it ironic that by the time this perverted internet does manifest, it may already be obsolete. The entire Internet could soon be replaced by what is known simply as "The Grid".

The developers of the Internet have already begun networking supercomputers for the further posterity of virtual collaboration. The new network has been said to achieve "speeds about 10,000 times faster than a typical broadband connection(times online)." IBM's Brian Carpenter said of The Grid's future potential, "The Grid will open up ... storage and transaction power in the same way that the Web opened up content."

By installing a completely new infrastructure, they can avoid many problems the Internet has faced already. Still, this total switch will be difficult because of it's large scale. Group's of the world's elite scientists have been meeting to discuss issues of compatibility, security, accounting, and other important issues to consider before initiating the project to full tilt.

Douglas Heingartner explains potential uses:

"Other potential Grid components include creating a virtual observatory, and doctors performing simulations of blood flows. While some of these applications have existed for years, the Grid will make them routine rather than exceptional."

The future of the internet and the grid do share a common characteristic: uncertainty.

Paper Cut

Many technologies are expunged due to their inferiority to competitors, while others are merely upgraded to keep up with the demands of the times. Despite the multitude of technological developments we have achieved, we have yet to successfully make paper a thing of the past, or even upgrade it.

To some, the disappearance of paper is long overdue. The computer has already eclipsed the printing press in magnitude, though it has not deemed it obsolete. A paperless workplace has been a commonly shared vision by many green-geeks of late, though a paperless world is easily perceivable to the common person. In his book, 1984, George Orwell predicted it's disappearance:

"The pen was an archaic instrument, seldom used even for signatures...Apart from very short notices, it was usual to dictate everything into the speak-write...Actually, few people ever wrote letters." (Orwell - 1984)

Let us consider what can go:

Paper records are being replaced by databases and electronic data storage types. Traditional snail mail has already been eclipsed by email. Physical newspapers have lost popularity, as anyone can simultaneously view multiple news sites for free. Paper books are still popular, though products like amazon's kindle look to take them out. Paper currency seems unnecessary with credit cards, check cards, and ATMs. Who needs map when you've got navigation?Airline tickets are totally electronic now. Even toilet paper can go with TOTO's new toilet seat.

So what is paper still good for? Well, it seems it started out as a medium for storing information, as paper records. Then became a transfer medium, used to share information and ideas with other people.
As a storage medium, people should try to free themselves of the paper reliance, as “paper is expensive to create and store - and not very environmentally friendly.” (silicon.com)
Though it seems digital data warehouses are better in almost every conceivable aspect of the storage medium, there are some characteristics as a transfer medium that are not yet replaceable with other technologies. The ability to hand someone a business card, or to quickly make a sketch may be hard to replace. It’s part of human nature to “hold something in our hands” says Bonnie Alba

There are a few proposed upgrades to lessen the reliability on paper, including the digital pen, digital watermarks, and E-paper.


Regardless, there will always be some resistance to the eradication of paper. Aside from the notable job losses to people anywhere on the supply chain for any type of paper-related production, there are some forces that will ensure paper usage to a certain extent. The government requires paper records to prove eligibility for tax deductions should there be an audit, paper records are required to prove many things in court, and paper records are required for proof of insurance. Still, I can envision ways to surpass these standards, as well as the true possibility of a paperless world. The arguments of the luddites, purists, and paper nostalgics are constantly dwindling due to the increasing promise of new technologies and innovation.

15 Crucial Sci-Fi Films

Brave New World(1932)
Aldous Huxley was the godfather of science fiction. Very early on, he recognized the dangers of emerging technology, and predicted a world that few of his contemporaries thought possible. Though it was only made into a TV movie, to me the book was the first instance of these new concepts in literature, media, and the world.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb(1964)
The first Stanley Kubrick film and only black & white movie on this list is about a pre-emptive nuclear dilemma involving the United States and the Soviet Union. The film is extremely ironic and satirical, showing how our own machines, especially the weapons, can get out of control and lead to destruction.


2001: A Space Odyssey(1968)
Another Kubrick film with a man vs. machine theme, only this time it's in the future. The film focuses on human evolution, artificial intelligence and even extraterrestrial life. It is especially known for its realistic accuracy(e.g. no noise in space). The ultimate battle is between the crew of the ship and the supposedly error-free computer, HAL 9000. This episode shows the danger of Artifical Intelligence cognizing and resisting a shutdown.


Beneath the Planet of the Apes(1970)
Another future tale about evolution and nuclear disaster, this film is about a battle over an infertile earth between mutant humans and apes that can speak. The mutants have telepathic powers and worship an unexploded nuclear bomb. They eventually detonate upon realizing they cannot win a battle against the apes, causing the total destruction of earth.


THX 1138(1971)
George Lucas' first film, THX 1138 is very Orwelian in theme, in showing the the total control a government can attain through technological and scientific advances. The danger of humans becoming more robotic, mechanical, and generic in nature is emphasized.


1984(novel in 1949, movie in 1984)
The film adaptation of the very famous Orwell novel, is not the same as the novel, but very close. Still, “Big Brother is watching YOU” was coined in the original novel, as Orwell imagined a possible post WWII future. The “Big Brother” concept has grown to be a quite relevant discussion on personal privacy rights balanced with security and surveillance, despite whether it is one's own government, large companies, or other people.

Terminator(trilogy 1984, 1991, 2003)
An epic action flick showing the danger of a cyborg company taking over the world and destroying humanity. It also touches on time travel and the possible effects.

Hackers(1995)
Definately the most hokey of the bunch, Hackers is a modern film about a group of misfit-hacker teens who end up having to use their destructive and disruptive hacking abilities to battle a large corporation with their own 1337 hacker of their own.

12 Monkeys(1995)
Terry Gilliam directed this futuristic movie about a prisoner who is sent back in time to try to find a pure form of a virus that wiped out most of mankind on earth, only everyone in the past thinks he's crazy. The movie deals with the issue of creating a virus that could kill the world, as well as the dangers and paradoxes of time travel. Gilliam also directed Brazil(1985) which was his own more futuristic rendition of 1984.


Gattaca(1997)
Gattaca takes place in near future, where a naturally conceived(as opposed to genetically modified) man attempts to surpass the limitations put on him by society. Major themes include the dangers of genetic engineering as well as the random, inexplicable nature of the universe.


Matrix(1999)
If you haven't seen this movie, then you've probably been asleep for the past 10 years. Basically it is an epic movie about humans fighting to destroy their own creation, the Robot, which has turned against its creators and enslaved mankind. It's similar to 2001: A Space Odyssey in that it shows the danger of creating a cognitive machine that resists termination. An interesting idea, when the computer entity, Mr. Smith, notes that humans are more like a virus than any other creature(shown in the following trailer).


Minority Report(2002)
“Set in Washington, D.C. in the year 2054, where a special police department called "pre-crime" apprehends criminals based on foreknowledge, provided by three psychics termed 'pre-cogs'.” -Wikipedia The movie deals with the moral issues of altering people for unnatural purposes as well as the blind total reliance on new technologies, and the unknown unknowns.


Equilibrium(2002)
Very much like Brave New World and THX 1138, this film is about a society controlled by a totalitarian government who forces its population to take pills to eradicate emotions. The main character is a special soldier who is supposed to apprehend those who don't take the pills. He eventually stops taking them and begins to struggle over right and wrong.

I, Robot(book 1950, movie 2004)
Though the original book by Isaac Asimov was a collection of short stories about depicting a future with robots, the film focuses on a story where a robot is charged for the murder of his master. Almost all of Asimov's books dealt with new technology and its interworking with humanity in the not-so-distant future. My personal favorite, Foundation, is coming to theaters in 2008. Foundation is the first book of a series about a man who develops a method to predict the future and sees the destruction of civilization. He then establishes a distant colony to ensure the survival of the human race.

The Real Superhumans And The Quest For The Future Fantastic(2008)
The only movie on this list that isn't science fiction, it is a documentary dealing with modern people with superhuman abilities. The film also focuses on human evolution, genetics, and aging. A geneticist in this film successfully creates a chimera between two species more genetically disparate than humans and monkeys. He sees genetic engineering of humans inevitable, while warns of the possible biological(as opposed to social)stratification. Still, the super-humans are by far the most fascinating, and definitely worth a look.