A Brave New World

Imagine a computer more powerful than the human brain, that can programme itself and even think for itself. Exciting? Terrifying? Whatever your reaction to this prospect, you may have little choice about the outcome. The new generation of computers is on its way and most experts believe that by the year 2020 the current will have been replaced by living computers.

Scientists have had considerable success with this latest technological breakthrough. Believe it or not, the work stated with leeches, small worm-like creatures, whose nerve cells were used in experiments. These nerve cells, or neurons as they are known, perform the same function as human neurons. They are the basic thinking blocks that our brains use to solve problems. In the living computer, researchers connect the neurons to a computer and then link the cells together. The result is a computer that will be able to think for itself.

The future uses of this technology are endless. For example, scientists will have the ability to help blind people to see and deaf people to hear again, by connecting bionic ears and eyes to their brains. It could also mean the end of problems with government departments, no more mix-ups with your documents because of human error. With computers that think for themselves, your file will be ready at the press of a button.

However, many people are afraid of such technology. They wonder if they will lose their jobs to the new generation of computers. They fear that a situation like the film Matrix could develop, in which computers control our minds and our world.

It seems that we are rapidly heading for a ‘brave new world’. By the time the next generation of children have grown up, our lives and our world will have changed in ways beyond our imagination. Nonetheless, the future is still in human hands. It is up to us how we use this new technology. We must make sure that living computers work for the benefit of humankind and do not result in a threat to our very existence.