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As machines become capable of doing most of the work people have performed for centuries, we are headed for a massive social reorganization.
Nanotech is at the point where it's possible to unleash invisible robots and new materials into the world that permanently alter life on Earth. With genetic engineering, we have taken evolution into our own hands, creating new species of plants and animals that never existed before. We're developing AIs that can predict future events, create lifelike simulations, and learn from their own mistakes. And space technology is advancing toward the point where visiting other planets and discovering alien life forms will no longer be the stuff of science fiction.
In The Five Forces That Change Everything, Steve Hoffman, venture capitalist and CEO of Founders Space, takes you on a journey to see what the most brilliant minds of our age are dreaming up. Hoffman reveals how new scientific breakthroughs and business ventures are poised to reshape our lives and turn science fiction into fact. From Silicon Valley biohackers boosting their IQs to scientists in Japan creating lifelike robots, and Chinese labs developing human-monkey chimeras, Hoffman gives an inside look at the limits of what's possible and the impact these developments will have.
Hoffman delves into the hard questions: Should we modify the genetic code of life to produce new crops, cures for cancer, and DNA-edited babies? Is it possible to preserve any privacy in a world with billions of surveillance devices, where every action we take is parsed, analyzed, and recorded in a database? What happens when AI reaches or exceeds the level of human intelligence? How would it feel to connect our brains directly to one another and exchange thoughts, memories, and emotions? And what does it mean to merge with our machines and establish a class of cyborgs?
Along the way, Hoffman shows how these innovations are part of the five fundamental forces driving humanity forward. Our creations not only have the power to enable humans to live longer, healthier, richer lives, but also the potential to permanently change-and even destroy-us. The decisions we make in the coming years will determine who and what the human race becomes.
About the author
Steve Hoffman, or Captain Hoff as he's called in Silicon Valley, is the CEO of Founders Space, one of the world's leading startup incubators. He's also an angel investor, limited partner at August Capital, serial entrepreneur, and author of several award-winning books, including
Make Elephants Fly and
Surviving a Startup. Hoffman was also the founder and chairman of the Producers Guild Silicon Valley Chapter, Board of Governors of the New Media Council, and founding member of the Academy of Television's Interactive Media Group.
Summary
The Five Forces reveals how technology is unleashing forces that will forever alter our lives, politics, and society. Learn more about nanotechnology, transhumanism, the future of space exploration and colonization, super human computers, and so much more!
Discover what lies in our future:
How will humans change as we merge with our machines, embracing transhumanism?What happens when intelligent algorithms make all the decisions?Should we connect our brains directly to the Internet?And are we entering an age of simulated realities? The Five Forces takes you on a journey to see what the most brilliant minds of our age are dreaming up. Hoffman reveals how new scientific breakthroughs and business ventures are poised to reshape our lives and turn science fiction into fact.
With scientists in Japan creating humanoid robots, Silicon Valley biohackers boosting their IQs, and Chinese labs developing human-monkey chimeras, Hoffman gives an inside look at the limits of what’s possible today and the impact these developments will have.
Mass ConnectivityWhat happens when brain chips connect our minds directly to the internet? Will we be able to boost our IQs, exchange memories, and communicate with our thoughts? Or will this turn into a nightmare, with corporations reading our minds, hackers overwriting our identities, and governments controlling our actions?
Bio ConvergenceNow that we can decode the building blocks of life and create new lifeforms that never existed before, what comes next? Will we conquer disease, resurrect extinct species, develop superior plants and animals, create DNA-edited babies, and even spawn other intelligent beings?
Human ExpansionismIs it our manifest destiny to colonize Mars and extend the human race beyond the limits of our solar system? How will technologies like space travel, new materials, and nanotech transform our civilization and open up new horizons we never imagined possible?
Deep AutomationAs our machines become capable enough to do every job better, faster, and cheaper, how will this affect society? Will we wind up delegating our most important decisions to data crunching algorithms? And does this mean our machines will end up running our economies, our corporations, and even our lives?
Intelligence ExplosionAs soon as we create a superintelligence that far surpasses human capabilities, what will happen to us? Will we be able to control our machines, or will they eventually control us? Are we headed for a paradise of plenty, where our technology eliminates hunger, disease, poverty, and war? Or will this be the end of our reign as the rulers of the planet?
