For the very first time scientists have been able to let living cells produce carbon-silicon bonds. This is a spectacular breakthrough invention!
You can read the details here in the science paper:
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/354/6315/1048
Whereas I do not wish to discuss the technical details of this invention, the technological prospects for development can be amazing, and I want to take you on a little journey of speculation.
For those Steemians, who can’t wait until the Singularity is there.
In his book "Singularity is near" Ray Kurzweil describes Genetics, Nanotechnology and Robotics (GNR) as the three pillars of developments that will lead to the technological singularity: A moment in time after which a runaway of technological progress will become so unpredictable, that we can’t fathom the changes it will bring to our civilisation.
This invention brings the Singularity nearer by being the first invention, which actually can become the building brick for integrating describes Genetics, Nanotechnology and Robotics.
The inventors genetically manipulated bacterial cells to express a modified cytochrome c (a heme-protein like hemoglobin, which transports oxygen in your blood) and thereby coaxed the catalytic activity of this enzyme into making stable silicon-carbene bonds.
The most obvious application is of course in chemical synthesis, where now you get a cheap method to make Si-C bonds. Organosilicon molecules have already found application in numerous nanotechnological applications. So it is without doubt that genetics and nanotechnology are hereby integrated.
This offers prospects for immobilisation of cells on silicon surface, which allows us to provide links between electronic circuitry and cells. Thus you can make biosensors which have both a biological sensing moiety and an electronic circuit part linked to a computerised system. The applications in the field of the internet-of-things (IoT) jump to my mind. We could endow the internet with olfactory sensors, so that it can detect toxic substances by smelling them.
Here we have our link to robotics.
Plus that cytochrome c itself is an electron transporting enzyme. Imagine neuronal cells genetically modified with these enzymes so as to facilitate the connection between brains and machines. Hook-up to the internet and become God-like, k’Elohim. We are not so far from becoming the Borg from the famous series Star Trek.
I hope you have liked my wild speculation on this spectacular breakthrough invention.
If you liked it, please upvote and/or resteem.
Great article. Thank you for sharing.
You're welcome. Thanks for upvoting.
I do not think trans-humanism is the answer because it will be not for everybody, just for the people with the money enough to pay for it. It will just serve to separate more the societies. Or do you really think that all this advance is for everybody? Seeing how the world is(and was) now is sufficient to realize that....
I totally agree with you. It was not my aim to solve all the problems related to the moral corruption based on exclusion in this world. I just think this technological advance will have major repercussions. My wild speculations are more long term foresights. I'd also prefer a world based on a mentality of all-inclusiveness and making technology available to everyone.
100% agree :) and ...
I think we only need to solve these problems and development will come on its own without the need for an ideology to move it. And also that we are not more advanced in science because of these same problems.
Very true. But this is the most difficult thing to achieve: to reach the mind *and the heart. To convince people to beyond greed.
You made me read this book!
Enjoy the read, it is really worthwhile.