Our amazing technology future

A crash course in the future of technology. Exponential advances in technology and their convergences are making it possible to solve some of the grand challenges of humanity: problems such as energy shortages, disease, hunger, and poor education. Amazing things are now possible. In a talk to some of Silicon Valley's brightest engineering minds, at the launch of Cadence’s Certus Closure Solution, I discussed what we can expect in the next decade thanks to the exponential technology advances they are enabling. This future includes things we long dreamed about, such as humanoid robots (like Rosie from the Jetsons); bionic upgrades (Steve Austin, the Six Million Dollar Man); and flying cars (or drones). Believe it or not, we may also soon be able to cure practically every disease, including cancer; transition into an era of unlimited clean and almost free energy; produce all the meat we need without killing animals; and launch the next green revolution, one that does not require dangerous pesticides and climate-destroying fertilizers. We can literally create the future of Star Trek, the one in which humankind has solved its key problems and focuses on exploring the stars, seeking out new worlds, and building more knowledge and wisdom. But there is also a dark side, because the same technologies that can be used for good can do evil, and we could end up in the dystopian future of Mad Max. So, in my talk, I also highlighted the dangers of these technologies, including the jobless future and creation of superhumans. By the way, I covered all this in twenty minutes!