Tomorrowland : our journey from science fiction to science fact / Steven Kotler.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kotler, Steven, 1967-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Science--Forecasting--Popular works.

Science.

Science in literature.

Science--Forecasting.

Genre:

Popular works.

Physical Description:

xvii, 284 pages ; 21 cm

Place of Publication:

Boston : New Harvest, [2015]

Summary:

New York Times best-selling author Steven Kotler has written extensively about those pivotal moments when science fiction became science fact - and fundamentally reshaped the world. Now he gathers the best of his best, updated and expanded upon, to guide readers on a mind-bending tour of the far frontier, and how these advances are radically transforming our lives. From the ways science and technology are fundamentally altering our bodies and our world (the world's first bionic soldier, the future of evolution) to those explosive collisions between science and culture (life extension and bioweapons), we're crossing moral and ethical lines we've never faced before. As Kotler writes, "Life is tricky sport - and that's the emotional core of the story, the real reason we can't put Pandora back in the box. When you strip everything else away, technology is nothing more than the promise of an easier tomorrow. It's the promise of hope. And how do you stop hope?" Join Kotler in this fascinating exploration of our incredible next: a deep dive into those future technologies happening now - and what it means to be a part of this brave new world. Book jacket.

Contents:

Part 1 The Future In Here

Bionic Man: The World's First Bionic Man 3

The Genius Who Sticks Around Forever: The Science of Mind Uploading 23

Extreme States: The Biology of Spirituality 33

Evolution's Next Stage: The Future of Evolution 49

Vision Quest: The World's First Artificial

Vision Implant 61

Part 2 The Future Out There

Reengineering the Everglades: The World's First Terraforming Project 81

Buckaroo Banzai: The Arrival of Flying Cars 97

Meltdown or Mother Lode: The Possibilities of Nuclear Energy 107

Space Diving: The Future of Sport 125

Building a Better Mosquito: The World's First Genetically Engineered Creature 131

The Great Galactic Gold Rush: The Birth of the Asteroid Mining Industry 141

Part 3 The Future Uncertain

The Psychedelic Renaissance: The Radical World of Psychedelic Medicine 155

Sympathy for the Devil: The Troubled Science of Life Extension 183

The Final Frontier: The Politics of Stem Cells 201

Hacking the President's DNA: The Consequences of Playing God 219

The God of Sperm: The Controversial Future of Birth 247.

Notes:

Includes index.

ISBN:

9780544456211

0544456211

OCLC:

908394968