| A man switches on a tiny wireless chip that has been | | | | happened anyway on the monitor, triggered by the |
| surgically implanted behind his ear, which then synchs | | | | monkey's thoughts alone. In fact, the monkey was |
| up with the Web wherever he is in the world. The | | | | even able to control an artificial arm over the Web |
| mere thought of logging in to the Internet triggers the | | | | 600 miles away in the same manner. |
| system to turn on and connect to the Web. He could | | | | There are two important applications for this |
| be on a bus or at the beach and from all outward | | | | technology that are driving its research: medicine and |
| appearances he is just staring off into space. But he | | | | war, two constants in all of human history. Doctors will |
| sees a three dimensional artificial world before him that | | | | someday be able to attach a prosthetic arm to a |
| he can manipulate any way he chooses by thought | | | | patient, wire it up to her brain, and succeed in enabling |
| alone. | | | | her to control the prosthetic fingers by simply thinking it. |
| By looking at the trends of today we can begin to | | | | The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency |
| develop a image of what the Web of the future will | | | | (DARPA) manages the research for the U.S. |
| look like. I believe the Web will improve and grow in a | | | | Department of Defense. In 2003, DARPA invested |
| way that will dwarf its present existence and will | | | | $23 million in BMI programs, including the one at Duke |
| improve and enrich everyone's lives way beyond what | | | | University cited above. Their goal is to allow soldiers to |
| we can imagine today. The Net will become as | | | | control weapons of all kinds by thought only. These |
| integrated into everyone's everyday lives as much as, | | | | super soldiers will be able to stealthily navigate through |
| and even more so, than the television or phone (in | | | | a battlefield willing robotic gliders above to drop their |
| developed nations first, then everywhere). Television, | | | | payloads of smart bombs on the enemy over the |
| communications and the Internet will merge. | | | | next hill, without endangering their own lives. |
| The Web will become increasingly realistic, interactive, | | | | Ethical questions aside, brain-machine interfacing will |
| and three dimensional. Two dimensional displays will | | | | someday mature and become integrated into our lives. |
| evolve into three dimensional displays. And the Web | | | | Since the Web is already such a part of our world, the |
| will probably incorporate more than just the two | | | | marriage of the two is inevitable. |
| senses of seeing and hearing. It will first be | | | | This technology can be utilized in the other direction as |
| incorporated into all other electronics found in | | | | well. Just like a thought can produce computer |
| household appliances, copy machines, automobiles, and | | | | behavior, the computer will someday be able to send |
| anything else with a microchip. Then it will be integrated | | | | back sensory data other than just sight and sound. If a |
| directly into our brains. | | | | computer is hooked directly up to the brain, then smell, |
| I also envisage this new Web creating an unimaginably | | | | taste and touch can be affected as well. The Web will |
| sophisticated data sphere that surrounds and envelops | | | | literally come to life. |
| the world like a warm electronic blanket, connecting | | | | The Semantic Web, Web 2.0 and the Collaboration of |
| everyone and everything. And it may some day | | | | Humanity |
| become an autonomous and sentient entity in its own | | | | Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the Web, wrote an |
| right that we may even come to depend on for life | | | | illuminating book called Weaving the Web that I |
| itself. | | | | recommend all Web professionals read. Among the |
| When a person switches on his wireless Web chip | | | | many profound ideas expressed are two concepts |
| and connects with the Net, he'll be looking at and | | | | relevant here. One is the Semantic Web, which is |
| interacting with the Web of the future. He'll manipulate | | | | explained as "The Web of data with meaning in the |
| objects, click on links, download information, and | | | | sense that a computer program can learn enough |
| communicate with anyone by simply thinking it. In fact, | | | | about what the data means to process it." Metadata is |
| when he navigates to a grocery store to buy food, for | | | | the term used for data about data. Most Web pages |
| instance, he'll be able to "pick them up", "feel them" and | | | | today have embedded in the html code metadata that |
| even "smell" the food he wants to buy just by thinking | | | | gives information about the Web page. Eventually, this |
| the appropriate thoughts. | | | | information will become much more robust, allowing |
| In the future, Web-based software agents will | | | | more intelligent searches to become a reality. |
| constantly build dynamic lists and instructions to help | | | | The Semantic Web may have the potential to help |
| people in personal and professional activities. These | | | | make the Internet an entity in its own right. Parallel |
| software agents are subroutines, or small programs, | | | | processing, the connecting of computers to make |
| which may be part of a responsive 'Internet Operating | | | | super computers, has been in existence for some time |
| System' that serves humanity, or possibly even | | | | now. In fact, that's how the human brain operates, by |
| destroy it. Programs may become responsible for | | | | conducting many operations at the same time. |
| doing some of the basic thinking that we get stuck | | | | The other fascinating idea Berners-Lee expressed in |
| routinely doing today. Additionally, it may be responsible | | | | this landmark book is that his original idea for the Web |
| for storing a percentage of our memories as well. | | | | involved much more of a two-way exchange of |
| The Web has already become something we rely on | | | | information. His original vision for the Web was one of |
| for memory, and that reliance will only grow. We'd | | | | collaboration. He wanted people to be able to post |
| rather look something up on Google two or three | | | | information to the Web as easily as it was to view |
| times instead of trying to remember it initially. And | | | | information. Unfortunately, the latter has been |
| eventually, we'll come to rely on the Web for | | | | embraced more readily by the general population. |
| memories and immediate information so that it will | | | | But now we see the emergence of "Web 2.0", a fairly |
| seem like we are missing a part of our own brain | | | | new term that describes an innovative type of |
| when not "jacked in" to the Net, to borrow a phrase | | | | website that is built on the participation of its users. |
| from science fiction writer William Gibson. The Net will | | | | Blogs, wikis Podcasts and social networks all fall under |
| be such a part of our existence that we may even | | | | the Web 2.0 umbrella. Today we are finally achieving |
| feel profound separation and isolation when not | | | | what Berners-Lee had in mind all along. With websites |
| connected. | | | | such as MySpace, YouTube, Flickr, Squidoo, and Digg, |
| The Evolution of the Web Display | | | | non-technical users can now post information and |
| Of course we're not going to jump from flat screen | | | | contribute to the Web as easily as they can access it. |
| LCD monitors of today to displays that exist only "in | | | | The Web of the future will embrace this concept even |
| our minds". Three dimensional displays may be the | | | | more, causing its speed of growth to eclipse today's |
| bridge. There is a device in existence today called a | | | | rate. |
| Heliodisplay(TM) that produces holograms which exist | | | | It's not difficult to see that the Web could be a vast |
| in three dimensions and are created with photographic | | | | parallel processing farm, that given enough artificial |
| projection using advanced laser technology. It's possible | | | | intelligence programming, the infusion of Semantic Web |
| that all displays will employ this technology in the future. | | | | systems, and the constant additions from billions of |
| The gaming industry ceaselessly works at making their | | | | intelligent beings (namely humans), it could have the |
| artificial gaming experiences more realistic and is a | | | | potential of becoming something of a unified |
| powerful driving force in computer display technology. | | | | intelligence, a data sphere that surrounds the planet |
| The Web of our future will first be truly device | | | | and is more powerful that the sum of its parts. |
| independent where each piece of equipment is a | | | | This concept of technology's exponential growth |
| different window that peers into the same global Web. | | | | turning onto something we cannot even imagine with |
| From handheld devices not unlike the Star Trek | | | | the possibility of the Web becoming sentient is not |
| Communicators, to cell phones, televisions, automobile | | | | new. Vernor Vinge, a retired Professor of |
| dashboards, embedded refrigerator displays and MP3 | | | | Mathematics at San Diego State University, a |
| players, all will be portals into the same World Wide | | | | computer scientist and a science fiction author, wrote |
| Web. | | | | about the Singularity in a 1993 essay. |
| And of course everything will be connected. Instead of | | | | A super-intelligence emerging out of the Web was |
| applications running on individual personal computers | | | | also written about by Kevin Kelly in Wired Magazine in |
| and devices, applications will operate on the Net and | | | | August 2005 and also published on KurzweilAI. |
| be accessible to anyone, creating a loose Internet | | | | ". . . we are on the edge of change comparable to the |
| Operating System. | | | | rise of human life on Earth. The precise cause of this |
| Ultimately, the Web of our future will most likely | | | | change is the imminent creation by technology of |
| abandon standard two dimensional and even three | | | | entities with greater than human intelligence. |
| dimensional displays and instead be projected right | | | | This planet-sized computer is comparable in complexity |
| onto our corneas, skipping the middle man, so to speak. | | | | to a human brain. Both the brain and the Web have |
| FutureWeb is Closer Than We Think | | | | hundreds of billions of neurons (or Web pages). Each |
| Already demonstrated in the lab is the ability to cause | | | | biological neuron sprouts synaptic links to thousands of |
| a computer to react to thought alone. Duke University | | | | other neurons, while each Web page branches into |
| neuroscientist Miguel Nicolelis works in the field of BMI | | | | dozens of hyperlinks. That adds up to a trillion |
| (brain-machine interface). In an experiment involving a | | | | "synapses" between the static pages on the Web. |
| monkey, a computer and a monitor, Nicolelis and his | | | | The human brain has about 100 times that number, but |
| team successfully caused the monkey to | | | | brains are not doubling in size every few years. The |
| communicate with and control a robotic arm through its | | | | Machine (the Web of the future) is." |
| brain's neural signals alone. | | | | An online search will yield many examples of bizarre |
| The monkey's brain activity and signals were first | | | | concepts that existed only in science fiction later |
| monitored with numerous electrodes inside its scalp | | | | becoming reality. The Web is something that Earth has |
| while it manipulated a joystick. The scientists taught the | | | | never seen before. It not only has the potential to |
| monkey to move the joystick with its arms to | | | | connect everyone, but it can also extend every brain |
| accomplish movement on the monitor. Nicolelis' team | | | | and grow exponentially. It may take a lot longer than |
| then took the joystick away, but continued everything | | | | anyone thinks, but eventually the Web of our future will |
| else the same way. Since the monkey's brain was | | | | be immensely different and much more powerful than |
| hooked up to the computer, each time it had the | | | | anyone can possibly imagine today. |
| thought of moving its arms, the desired affect actually | | | | |