Technology is a good thing. It helps to save lives and it works every day to connect people around the world. Yet, there are two sides to every coin: as good as it is, there are instances in which technology could become very scary. These are the technologies you should be aware of, and expect to hear more about them in the near future.
Biotechnology
Image via Flickr by johnalexanderhowie
Biotechnology is designed to enhance biological processes and systems that will, in turn, improve the quality of life. These high-tech systems and devices modify plants and animals through cross breeding and overall genetics to provide a better quality product. Yet, many claim that GMOs, or Genetically Modified Organisms, are too risky to consume. According to ResponsibleTechnology.org, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine recommends that doctors prescribe diets that avoid GMOs for all of their patients. In short, people don’t know what biotechnology could ultimately lead to, and it ought to be treated with care until we know more about the long-term consequences.
Ultrasonic Messages
Remember that scene from Minority Report where Tom Cruise is walking through a mall and receives personalized messages from eye-scanning advertisements? Well, it’s not too farfetched to imagine that maybe within the next couple of decades or so, you’ll be walking into a grocery store and begin to hear whispers telling you to buy special items. This technology is called an Audio Spotlight System. The product, manufactured by a company called Holosonics, uses ultrasonic frequencies too high for the human ear to hear and directs them at a specific location. By the time the sound reaches the new location, it is audible and can deliver a very spot-on message that could greatly influence your shopping decisions.
Cyber Warfare
You check out your options on InternetProviders.com, but what if the Internet took control over your life? If the computer software designed to break into codes were to fall into the wrong hands, there could be disastrous results. They could infiltrate banking systems and siphon out money, they could turn off emergency response systems and make it impossible to contact the police, and they could even shut down the electrical grid. The scariest part of cyber warfare is that this is an anonymous crime, and there isn’t really a way for the general public to individually protect themselves from it.
Robots of Mass Destruction
Robots are now more accessible than ever and they can do much more than they used to. In one incident, the FBI arrested a man who was planning to use a remote-controlled aircraft containing explosives to attack Washington DC. Robots, including those with artificial intelligence, could cause massive destruction in the hands of a criminal, whether it be a device that breaks into your car to start it or one that destroys an entire city.
Technology is, by far, an incredibly valuable and beneficial tool. Yet, you have to wonder that as more and more of our lives become digitized and modified, are we leaving ourselves more vulnerable?
