DNA nanobots: is brain-boosting technology in our futures?

Connecting our brains to computers is not such a head-scratching concept for futurist Ray Kurzweil, who has been involved in developing artificial intelligence set to outpace our own by 2029.

Instead of undermining our human side (see most Sci-Fi portrayals), Kurzweil argues that cyborg technologies will result in a deepening of emotions and characteristics of higher complexity.

“We’re going to be funnier…sexier…better at expressing loving sentiment”, he postulated at Singularity University.

How? Nanobots – tiny robots from DNA strands bobbing around our brain capillaries to enhance our logical and emotional capabilities.

Imagine accessing a billion clever, charismatic things to say to your boss in two seconds, experiencing your favourite [insert band of choice] song with heightened enjoyment, or being able to back up your thoughts and memories rendering [insert most hated subject] exams a fearful prospect no longer.

Kurzweil even argues that, rather than reducing the diversity of behaviour as some fear, linking ourselves to the cloud would make humans more unique by allowing us to expand and restructure our thinking.

"We’re going to add more levels to the hierarchy of brain modules and create deeper levels of expression”.

Considering our ancestors once got as excited about the latest stone axe as we do today about a new version of iOS, perhaps the day we’ll be charging up our brains as much as our iPhones is not that far away.

Curious about the future and impact of  technology ? Check out what these  futurists  have to say.