The modern tempo of development, especially in microcircuit engineering, computer technology and genetic engineering is both fascinating and fearsome. We are living in the epoch when humans have outperformed Mother Nature in the creation of new and unusual things. What took evolution millions of years and generations to achieve takes only several years in modern research laboratories. The computer processing speed growth curve is a very impressive and convincing example. It appears, we are in one step from the creation of an artificial intelligence.
Automated systems have been designed and fabricated to perform most complicated tasks in the conditions unbearable for living organisms – in the vacuum of outer space or under high pressure, intensive radiation or high temperature. What is also important, they do not need to stop to eat or sleep. Truly fantastic opportunities will open for mankind with the creation of nanorobots – microscopic mechanisms capable of performing a wide range of functions, and, what is most important, capable of self-improvement and reproduction.
There are two main directions of progress in this area: One is development of purely artificial mechanisms and the other involves the use of genetic engineering to create living organisms with desired properties. Typical examples of the former are smart machines, personal digital assistants, which tend to be getting increasingly portable while gaining in memory and power. The second direction is represented by new types of plant and animal species with unusual properties.
It appears, we may soon be able to manufacture devices where artificial parts are combined with live cells, kind of organomechanic hybrids. Probably, though in a more distant future, it will become possible to "produce" people with enhanced intellect, or, conversely, professional soldiers with outstanding stamina and discipline. Incidentally, artificial joints, particularly an endoprosthesis for replacement of natural joints, and other sophisticated prosthetic devices are widely used nowadays, and they have proven to be not inferior in performance to natural bones and tissues. Next to appear are devices for replacement of the vital human organs. Theoretically, most radical modernizations of human organism might be possible, like, for example, gill breathing or direct absorption of sun energy.
Of course, the appearance of such "enhanced" organisms may cause new social problems. What will happen to "ordinary" humans? Well, I must say that it is not a rare situation in real life where one trains an assistant for himself and this assistant gains strengths and shakes his boss off. We have to be careful enough to prevent such situation from occurring on the macro scale.
