tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404553574933465315.post2052805366314086120..comments2024-03-23T14:00:18.515-04:00Comments on Terebrate: Book Review: “Breakpoint (2007)” by Richard ClarkeRickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11140485584379281758noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404553574933465315.post-15113175441211515152013-01-31T21:12:24.653-05:002013-01-31T21:12:24.653-05:00Thanks Frank. I think that many of these topics ar...Thanks Frank. I think that many of these topics are on the edge of possible and not too far away either. The hacking stuff, that is all possible.<br /><br />RickRickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11140485584379281758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404553574933465315.post-33078352679339008872013-01-31T10:22:16.073-05:002013-01-31T10:22:16.073-05:00I just finished read this book. I thoroughly enjo...I just finished read this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I agree that if you like Michael Crichton books like Prey (2002) and State of Fear (2004) you will enjoy this book. I also think that if you enjoyed this book that you would find those books, especially Prey (for you tech folks) a fun read. I found it interesting that Mr. Clarke borrowed or spoke to ideas from both of those earlier Crichton books. Prey serves as a cautionary tale about developments in science and technology, nanotechnology, genetic engineering and artificial intelligence. In State of Fear the debate over global warming serves as the backdrop for the book. Crichton supplies a personal afterword in State of Fear (that I happen to agree with) and two appendices that link the fictional part of the book with real examples of his thesis. But I digress!<br />Will the rich really have smart robot dogs that are attached to the internet? Can important government satellites really be hacked and sent into deep space? Will the military have armor suits that make humans strong enough to lift a small car and are attached to the internet to supply them with brainpower (and can be hacked)? Bill gates told me on the today show yesterday that 20 years from now I will talk to the walls (I have news for you Bill, I already do), and they will talk back. I tend to believe Bill. They showed a clip of Mr. Gates on the today show in 1992 saying that in 20 years we would corresponding by “electronic mail”. Wow! <br />SCADA systems that can be hacked, that scares me!! The catastrophe that is our utility grids going down can be seen a few years back during the east coast black out and in events (not cyber) like super storm Sandy last fall. Is it possible that someone would actually use this as weapon against us?<br />All of this is thought provoking, what I want to know is how possible is it? It is hard to believe that all of the things in this book are possible or plausible as the author talks about in his afterword. The idea that humans one day could just be manual labor and technology will think and act for us seems pretty far out there. How far will we actually take some of these ideas? The idea that technology will help humans live longer more productive lives doesn’t seem so bad in small steps. Maybe because we get used to them (see my electronic mail comment above) X-rays, MRI’s, the tests that are administered in the hospitals today grew from past technologies. Problem is who gets to decide who is eligible for a better life, through technology, and who is not and why? Although, if you think about it we are already there! Can this technology really be the next step in human evolution?<br />Thanks for the recommendation!! <br /><br />Frank O'HaraAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com