Applications of current virtual reality technology are mostly limited to stimulating two senses – sight and hearing. Most virtual reality environments are limited to creating visual simulations of a real or imagined world projected through a computer screen, special displays or in another similar medium. Additional sensory stimulations could be in the form of sound, easily achieved with plug-ins such as speakers or headphones. Sound has even moved into the realm of the three-dimensional, which is quite easily achieved with the addition of speakers above and below the user. Latest developments, however, have successfully simulated the tactile sense through force feedback. This has proven to be not only very entertaining for computer gamers, but also very useful in the medical field. Simulating the sense of touch through a wired glove or a multi-directional treadmill allows users to interact more deeply with a virtual environment. This has proven to be very helpful in the flight simulation of pilots or combat training of army men.

With the concurrent simulations of the three senses of sight, sound and touch, one gets easily immersed into a simulated environment without much effort or imagination required. The development of advanced computer software, head mounted displays, accelerated hardware and enhanced graphics have made virtual worlds more real, thus opening doors for a wider variety of applications. Perhaps in the not so far future, full body immersion and telepresence could very well be a part of our reality.

Next up for virtual reality: simulating smell and taste. To lend a simulation of the best quality, all five senses have to be replicated. However, smell and taste is proving to be quite a challenge. There have been some recent attempts to stimulating the olfactory sense, as it was found out to be useful in the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder particularly in war veterans. In fact, strong fumes such as burning rubber and gasoline fumes have been replicated very realistically. However, copying delicate and complex aromas such as flowers or food products could be restrictively expensive. Thus, the use of virtual reality in fields such as the perfume or food industry has limited viability.

Though we still do not know the full potentials and limits of this amazing technology, one thing is for sure: virtual reality aims to duplicate reality as close as possible. Could the line between the real and the simulated be blurred? Could people not want to live their homes anymore as they have become so caught up in their perfect virtual worlds? These are the questions some critics are posing regarding the possible negative societal impacts of virtual reality. But whether these predictions will come true in the future remains to be seen.

Mankind has always been fascinated by the concept of immortality since the beginning of time. The great religions of the world - Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Islam – all share the common belief in an immortal soul. One of the earliest known works of fiction, The Epic of Gilgamesh, tells the story of a hero seeking immortality. Even modern literature is not exempt from this recurring theme. The ubiquitous Harry Potter series shares the story of a villain seeking immortality through objects considered as elixirs of life. Perhaps it is human nature (or the fear of death) that makes man strive to be immortal. Although as of this writing, physical human immortality is not considered achievable, it does not stop man from speculating and debating that perhaps someday it will be.

Futurists most specifically have been fascinated by immortality. Futurology is the philosophy, science and the art of proposing and hypothesizing possible and preferable futures for society. Practitioners seek to understand and predict the future through an analysis of current patterns, trends and events. From forecasting business cycles, fashion trends, ecological calamities or the transformation of humanity, futurists have indeed come up with some logical and intriguing predictions of what the future could be like – a future that includes immortality.

One leading futurist is Ray Kurzweil. A leading inventor and prolific author, Kurzweil was fascinated by the future early on as a child, and then dedicated his life to developing methods to accurately forecast the future. He gained renowned, acceptance and credibility due to his first book, The Age of Intelligent Machines, wherein he accurately predicted the collapse of the Soviet Union due to technologies such as cellular phones and fax machines that allowed persons far from each other to communicate. Thus, the flow of ideas could no longer be contained within the iron curtain, disempowering the authoritarian government and weakening state control. Kurzweil also predicted the rapidly increasing intelligence of machines – and was once again proven correct when chess World Champion Garry Kasparov was defeated by computer software – IBM’s Deep Blue.

One of Kurzweil’s most popular and controversial predictions is his theory that in the next half-century, medical technology will become so advanced that it will radically extend people’s lifespan and improve quality of life to the point of immortality. The 21^st century has brought major advances to the field of medicine that has already started to lengthen the human lifespan. Ultimately, scientists will discover means to slow, halt and reverse the aging process, cure terminal diseases and heal injuries currently irreparable – thus leading to physical immortality.

Considering the exponential growth of technology in recent years, Kurzweil’s predictions are very much plausible. The world has seen a host of new technologies that have become available long before people expected. With the developments in medical nanotechnology allowing microscopic machines to repair all types of damage at the cellular level, the fatal effects of many illnesses and diseases could be defied. Furthermore, progress in the realm of computers has been monumental. We have all seen how computers have become cheaper, more numerous and more powerful in recent years. Artificial intelligence (AI) is not far behind. Predicted to dominate the world in the coming years, Kurzweil believes that artificial intelligence can control the universe and perhaps prevent it from dying.

The goal of this project is to obtain knowledge about genetics and to be able to treat the 4,000 currently known genetic disorders as well as other diseases and conditions that could arise in the future. To understand a person’s genetic make-up, the project also studied non-human organisms such as the common bacteria E. coli, the fruit fly and the laboratory mouse. The mapping out of the human gene is vital to developments in medicine, surgery and health care.

After ten years and billions of dollars, genetic researchers finally announced the completion of their project. The Human Genome Project has already produced scientific breakthroughs that have provided valuable information to medical researchers. Scientists have already identified genes linked to kidney disease, high-blood pressure, dwarfism, Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis and some forms of cancer. It is now just a matter of time before the great secrets of the tiny genome could be fully revealed; leading to what could be a better quality of life and longer lifespan for us humans.

The Human Genome Project is set to uncover the mystery of the genome. A genome is the master blueprint that contains all the information needed to produce a particular individual in every detail – from eye color and behavior to how well an individual’s body metabolizes food and fights off infection. A genome is the sum total of all DNA, which is made up of four chemical blocks called bases. These bases are repeated billions of times through a genome. The key to life’s diversity lies in the very order of these chemical bases, as it determines whether an organism is human or another species. DNA sequences in all organisms are similar and comparison between human and nonhuman genomes have isolated similar genes associated with diseases, conditions and traits present in humans.

Unlocking the secrets of the genome is vital to understanding human evolution, creating new drugs, treatments and preventive measures for genetically-linked diseases and possibly constructing a way to artificially produce human protein. Rapid progress in genome science has given us a glimpse of what life could be like beyond the 21^st century. Revolutionary developments stemming from the Human Genome Project could lead to a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, colon cancer, breast cancer and immunodeficiency syndromes. Disease surveillance could make diagnosis and treatment possible. Gene therapy could replace defective genes with healthy ones and disorders that plague us today could be prevented.

The pursuit of science and progress also leads to questions of ethics. Unlike a fingerprint which can be used only for identification, a DNA profile provides intimate aspects of a person such as his family history, predisposition to certain behavior and susceptibility to disease. This information could lead to a discrimination against a person based on genetics, for which there is no legal protection against.

Who should have access to a person’s genetic information? Would it be fair to allow insurance companies, employers, school, adoption agencies, the courts and the military to these data? What protections are there to guarantee the privacy of a person’s genetic profile?

More importantly, is the public prepared for this magnitude of information? A person’s past, present and future could be revealed in a drop of blood or a lock of hair. Where will this new knowledge take us?

In biology, cloning is the process of creating a new multicellular organism through copies of DNA fragments. It is a form of asexual reproduction wherein fertilization does not take place in the creation of an organism genetically identical to another.

Animal Cloning

Dolly the sheep was the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell. Though not the first organism to be cloned (the first being a tadpole in 1952).

Dolly gained worldwide renown and scientific significance for proving that a specific organ cell (an udder cell in this case) could develop into a whole new individual.

The process of reproductive cloning, used to produce a genetically identical organism, involves the transfer of a nucleus from a donor cell to an egg with no nucleus. As the egg begins to divide normally, it is then transferred to the womb of a surrogate mother.

Reproductive cloning technology results in an organism that has the same nuclear DNA as an existing animal, but not an identical clone.

Cloning extinct and endangered species has been the dream of many nostalgic scientists. Dramatized by Jurassic Park, genetic researchers have made several attempts at extracting DNA from frozen extinct animals, such as the woolly mammoth. There has been some successful cloning from endangered species in recent years.

Using a cow as a surrogate mother, an Asian gaur, a large bovine animal, was successfully cloned in 2001. This was followed by the cloning of African wildcats a few years later. The technique of using surrogate mothers of another species as host has sparked hope in the cloning of species already extinct.

In fact, a “Frozen Zoo” has been set up at the San Diego Zoo to store frozen tissue of today’s endangered species.

Still, the cloning of extinct species faces some scientific and ethical considerations. Many conservationists oppose cloning of endangered species for ethical and practical considerations. They believe – and rightly so – that the key to keeping endangered species alive is through preserving their habitat and preventing hunting and poaching. Cloning would only be a short-term solution to the vast problem of environmental degradation.

Human Cloning

The much celebrated success of Dolly, whom Science magazine hailed as the breakthrough of 1997, also generated scientific and ethical concerns about its possible aftermath – one of which is human cloning. Human cloning is the production of an identical human from one previously existing. Contrary to popular myths, human cloning does not produce a carbon copy of an individual nor would a grown person magically reappear.

Human cloning is of two types: therapeutic and reproductive. Therapeutic cloning involves the cloning of cells for the purpose of medicine or research. This does not create another human being but is used to harvest stem cells for research to treat presently incurable diseases such as Alzheimer’s and cancer.

Reproductive cloning, on the other hand, involves the creation of a cloned human. The latter is considered illegal and has not been performed. The first successful human clone was created in 1998. A human leg cell was transplanted into a cow’s egg but was destroyed days after, before the embryo could come to full term.

The effects of human cloning in the future are both beneficial and dangerous. Concerns have been raised from the future possibility of being able to harvest organs from clones or growing a human organ in another animal for transplant. Human cloning is very controversial and many demand for it to be discontinued.

Ethical Issues of Human Cloning

The technological advancements of animal cloning and stem cell research have also raised some profound religious, legal and ethical issues. The Catholic Church and traditionalist religions oppose all forms of cloning while many believe that a human clone should not be used to save the life of another.

As of the present, the development of cloning has raised more questions than answers. Is it “playing with nature?” Does the creation of stem cells for research to save lives justify the killing of a human embryo? How should cloning research be regulated? Do the benefits of human cloning prevail over the destruction of dignity?

Debates on these and other issues have been long withstanding and no consensus has been reached. Ultimately, the answers – and the future of cloning – will depend on the opinion of today’s generation. We decide.

Woody Allen

Achieving immortality is one of scientists greatest and most elusive goals. Alchemists have tried to concoct the elixir of life and conquistadores have searched for the fountain of youth. Modern science has conducted experiments on how to prolong and preserve human life since the 1930s. And now, scientists have finally started to make significant breakthroughs.

The aging process is indeed one of the most complex and mysterious progressions of the human body and defying it has been one of science’s greatest ambitions.

Most of the research has been geared towards a better understanding of the cellular processes and mechanisms that cause gray hair, wrinkles and creaking bones – the signs of aging. Recent experiments on extending human life have shown great promise and who knows? We just might be able to live longer than nature intended.

Extreme optimists believe that human lifespan can be extended indefinitely. One such believer and researcher is Cambridge biomedical gerontologist Aubrey de Gray.

By promoting a new approach to postponing aging, de Gray believes that a longer lifespan (and possibly immortality) lies in combating the loss and damage of our body’s cells. Stem cell therapy could replace organs damaged by cell degeneration, while potential cancer cells could be killed off through a genetic vaccine.

Radical ideas indeed, but de Gray predicts that his ideas will be commonplace a mere 20 years from now.

But don’t knock our current progress as modern medicine has made remarkable achievements in extending our lifespan, curing diseases and reversing the aging process. The field of reparative medicine is coming close to building the bionic man.

Body replacements have gone a long way since the bionic ear and cochlear implants of the 1970s. Today, bionic counterparts can replace ailing major organs such as kidneys, lungs, brains and heart. Artificial hearts can extend the lifespan of heart failure patients while a bionic brain could replace cells damaged by the debilitating Alzheimer’s disease.

The field of nanotechnology has shows some remarkable achievements too. Some scientists believe Cancer could very well become a thing of the past with the development of new nanotherapies. The tiny size of nanoparticles is just right to effectively target the harmful cells without killing off the healthy ones, thus providing a safe and non-invasive alternative to conventional cancer treatments.

In the near future, science might just make it possible to live forever.

But a question more people are asking is: Why would I want to? If a pill holds the key to your own immortality, would you take it?

Questions on defying death and halting the aging process have launched a heated debate among scientists, ethicists and policymakers. Considering the high cost of therapies, only the rich would have the opportunity to live longer and stay younger while the poor die off. This poses some serious sociological concerns.

Psychologists also wonder how long a person can live a worthwhile and fruitful life before going insane. Conservatives believe that the quest for immortality is tampering with the laws and intent of nature.

But for those who dream of living forever, It just might be possible.

]]> http://www.vr.net/2008/08/want-to-live-forever-well-it-just-might-be-possible/feed/ http://www.vr.net/2008/08/so-what-will-the-cars-of-the-future-be-like/ http://www.vr.net/2008/08/so-what-will-the-cars-of-the-future-be-like/#comments Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:44:40 +0000 vrnet http://www.vr.net/?p=65 Air-powered cars, battery-operated cars, flying cars and cars that run on biogas - these are all cars of the future.

Cars have definitely come a long way since the first automobiles of the 1700s. The concept of cars began as a dream - to have a “horseless carriage” that runs on its own power source at a speed faster than horse power.

The dreams of Karl Benz and Henry Ford have definitely come a long way since the steam-powered vehicles of yesteryears.

Today, cars come in all shapes in sizes and are outfitted with all the latest gizmos and gadgets – everything including the kitchen sink.

In many ways, the cars of the future are here today. A quick peek at the latest auto shows will reveal a glimpse into the latest automobiles that could be ruling our highways in the near future. The future trends are not a surprise and in fact have slowly been integrated into some of today’s high-end cars. For sure, the cars of the future will not only be enhanced with the coolest features for navigation, communication and entertainment, but will be made safer, more energy-efficient and less polluting.

Hybrid cars

One trend that we see – and hope that is here to stay – is that cars are making the transition from major pollutant to environment hero. Today’s breed of hybrid cars will be made better, as they combine fuel efficiency and lower emissions with an overall improved performance. Hydrogen cars are in the early stages of development and will eventually be harnessed to run on water and sustainable energy resources.

With rising gas and oil prices, the development of other alternative fuels is welcome news. Other sources of energy being tapped are alcohol fuel, compressed air, water and even garbage! The latest breed of cars run on alternative fuel that increase energy savings and make them more eco-friendly. From the affordable to the high-end, car manufacturers such as Volkwagen, Toyota and Lexus are creating their own line of green cars that won’t harm the environment.

Okay, now lets fast forward to 2050, what could be the cars of the future be like?

Could we be zipping around on air in an automobile-cum-airplane a la the Jetsons? Or hover above the ground and zoom off into the sky?

If you haven’t noticed, most of the gadgets that children of the 1980s watched in the morning cartoons or read in comic and sci-fi books are now here. Flat screen TVs, a personal communication device and even your very own nano-sized jukebox are now a normal part of life. Plasma screens and iPods, cell phones and laptops – these technologies were inconceivable just a mere two decades ago. But one thing is missing – what about my flying car?

Also known as a roadable aircraft, a flying car can travel on roads as well as fly on air.

But fret not, at the rate that technological advances are going, zipping in a VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) flying car will not be far away.

Most definitely, you are not going to find a vertical-landing, skybrake-equipped, turbofan-powered flying car at your nearest dealer. The children of the 21^st century still have to wait quite a while before blasting off into the night sky with their very own flying car. But for certain, it won’t take long for the cars of the future to make the leap from the pages of science fiction into the real world.

]]> http://www.vr.net/2008/08/so-what-will-the-cars-of-the-future-be-like/feed/ http://www.vr.net/2008/08/nanotechnology-the-benefits-and-risks/ http://www.vr.net/2008/08/nanotechnology-the-benefits-and-risks/#comments Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:41:29 +0000 vrnet http://www.vr.net/?p=63 How small is a nano? It is one-billionth of a meter, or twenty times smaller than the width of a human hair. Still difficult to imagine? Visualize a nano the way National Geographic puts it, a nanometer to a meter is comparable to a marble with the size of the earth.

So what is nanotechnology? It’s the application of science that encompasses all types of work which manipulates objects that are less than 1,000 nanometers, or an easier phrase to remember is “science of the miniature.”

A dull definition maybe, and definitely not science fiction, but this incredible technology has the ability to alter all our lives in ways that beggar belief. Though you might have seen the latest movie about microscopic robots taking over the world or read about the potential health problems associated with nanoproducts, be aware that nanotechnology is not a scary new development. In fact, it has been around for centuries.

Unwittingly, medieval church artists are one of the first to utilize the potentials of nanotechnology. They have discovered that by pounding gold into nanoparticles, it would take on a bright red color which these artisans used in stained glass windows.

At the turn of the 20^th century, the tires of early automobiles were coated with carbon black to reduce thermal damage and prolong their life. Also one of nanotechnology’s initial and most popular applications, carbon black is the product of the incomplete combustion of coal. So as you can see it’s not a novel or terrifying technology after all. But what is all the fuss about?

The recent hype regarding this race to miniaturization is because for the first time we have begun to understand how nanotechnology works and interacts in the physical world. Not only have we manipulated nanotechnology (which, as mentioned above has been done perhaps unwittingly in centuries past), we have seen the vast potential and huge promise of this tiny technology.

Interestingly, though most people know little or nothing about nanotechnology and virtually all of us have a form of nanotechnology-influenced product in our closet or kitchen pantry.

The application of nanotechnology in consumer products is growing, and accounted for over $50 billion in sales in 2006. However, nanotechnology still faces its biggest obstacle – public trust.

Due to the limited knowledge and skeptical public perception about nanotechnology, consumers are hesitant to respond to early products. Government and industries have to work to build consumer trust in nano-products so consumers can reach for that invisible sunscreen or water-proof pair of pants with confidence.

Benefits and Risks of Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology indeed has the potential to be truly revolutionary. Just as plastics transformed our lives in the 1960s, nanotechnology will become an indispensable part of our lives in just a few years. It will make quality of life better and lengthen our lifespans through its application in medicine. It can provide solutions to everyday problems by creating better cosmetics, communication devices and ordinary consumer products.

One promising and exciting application of nanotechnology is in oncology. Undoubtedly, the biggest challenge to the prevention of cancer today is early diagnosis. However, with the latest technological advances, nanoparticles can be used together with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to obtain a clearer picture of a suspected cancerous tumor. In cancer therapy, nanomaterials have made selectively attacking cancer cells while saving healthy tissues easier. The application of nano-sized drugs targeting solely cancer cells maximize the therapeutic benefits of the treatment while reducing the risks of patients succumbing to the ill-effects of drugs. Also in the promising stages of development are microscopic nano-machines that are capable of being inserted inside the body to repair cancerous cells.

However, just like most technological revolutions in the past, nanotechnology is met with much skepticism and controversy. People react with concern to the potentially adverse effects of nanotechnology to the environment and their very own health. And indeed, these kinds of concerns are justified.

Because of the newness of this technology, scientists and industries do not have the appropriate governmental and legislative guidelines to keep them in check. Can the public be assured of reliable information? Who takes the blame for the negative effects of nanotechnology? Have adequate safety measures been set up to ensure the protection of people who come in contact with nanoproducts and nano-waste?

The scientific world is still at the early stages of understanding nanotechnology and much more still needs to be done to improve on this novel technology and minimize its negative effects. As always, science should work hand in hand with ethics, for what good is progress at the expense of our lives.

]]> http://www.vr.net/2008/08/nanotechnology-the-benefits-and-risks/feed/ http://www.vr.net/2008/08/the-impact-of-global-warming-its-effects-on-you-and-your-children/ http://www.vr.net/2008/08/the-impact-of-global-warming-its-effects-on-you-and-your-children/#comments Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:40:27 +0000 vrnet http://www.vr.net/?p=61 The signs are obvious. Strange and unprecedented things are happening. The tsunami in the Indian Ocean. Hurricane Katrina, severe floods and heatwaves. Are these mere coincidences? Or a sign of global warming?

Take a look around, the polar icecaps are melting. Storms and hurricanes are increasing in intensity. Spring comes much earlier. It doesn’t matter whether you’re Asian, African or American, a polar bear, pandas or lizard – all the organisms on earth are starting to feel the effects of the changes in climate.

And there are more startling facts. In the first few years of this millennium, the average temperature in the Artic – including parts of Canada, Russia and Alaska – have risen to twice the global average.[1] The Artic region may experience its first ice-free summer by 2040. You can now easily count the 27 glaciers in Montana’s Glacier National Park, which numbered 150 a century ago. The renowned snow on Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro is melting – and could possibly just live on in photographs by 2020. Coral reefs are rapidly dying off due to the rising temperature of oceans. More than a million species are on the verge of extinction.

Still not disturbed? Have you not noticed the recent escalation of extreme weather conditions? Tropical storms, wildfires, hurricanes, tsunamis, strong typhoons – all of which are caused in one way or another by the climate changes brought about by global warming.The melting of glaciers and polar ice caps could result in shortage of fresh running water. Droughts, fires and heatwaves – as well as hurricanes and floods – could become a commonplace event in the years to come.

Global warming is simply the phenomenon of rise in temperature felt worldwide. It is caused by the “greenhouse effect” or the increased inability of atmospheric gases to release heat back to space. This has in turn caused the planet to become much too warm.

The sad truth is – global warming is caused by us. Scientists have reached a consensus concluding that most of the planetary climate changes that we are experiencing today are anthropogenic, or human-caused. Industrialization and deforestation have caused rampant pollution, which we have blatantly disregarded for centuries. Since the Industrial Revolution of the 1800s, man has been exploiting the earth’s reserve of fossil fuel indiscriminately, thus releasing a harmful amount of gas into the air. We are emitting to the atmosphere more carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and greenhouse gases than the plants and seas can absorb – thus trapping most of the heat on the earth’s surface.

Global Warming and You

NASA climatologists report that 2005 was the hottest year in a century. It was also the year of Hurricane Katrina, the disastrous storm that tore the city of New Orleans. The Center for Health and Global Environment at Harvard Medical School also reported an increase in the number of Americans who suffer from allergies and asthma, whose symptoms could be triggered by allergens brought about by global warming. Thus, the effects of this disastrous phenomenon are not only felt by a region or a group of people. All of us are affected. Now – more than ever – we are feeling the effects of global warming. Thus, now is also the time to do something about it.

Does man have the right to have a child, regardless of the method used in conception? Is a cloned child different from a naturally-born one?

Is a clone a human being too? Do we have the right to harvest organs from them?

How should cloning and its research be regulated? Who regulates such?

Is cloning playing God or manipulating nature?

Cloning: ethical issues pondered

By definition, cloning in biology refers to the process of creating a genetically identical copy of an organism. It is actually a phenomenon that naturally occurs in nature – a good example of this is bacteria or identical twins. For many years, genetic researchers have been cloning agricultural produce such as carrots. It is only in recent decades that cloning of animals, and even humans, has been attempted.

A tadpole in 1954, Dolly the Sheep in 1997. The endangered gaur, a large bovine animal, was successfully cloned using a cow as a surrogate mother in 2001. Attempts to clone animals have been met with limited success. The clone usually dies prematurely and is often unhealthy. Animals could be cloned to reproduce a beloved dead pet, to recover extinct species or to preserve endangered ones. Cloning livestock animals could have some commercial value too. Still, these reasons are met with a barrage of ethical questions and concerns.

Due to the possibilities brought about by the successful attempts at animal cloning, scientists have been looking at the possibility of reproducing humans through this method. Now, more than ever, human cloning is the subject of heated arguments and controversial debates, raising many issues of ethics, morals and science.

Human Cloning

Human cloning is the process of artificially creating a human being genetically identical to another. There are four ways to produce a human clone.

Embryonic cloning is the process of artificially replicating how identical twins are produced naturally by inducing a fertilized embryo to duplicate.

Reproductive cloning is the method of producing a human being genetically identical to another. This has been done with animals, and newborns often carry genetic deformities, leading scientists to hesitate applying this process to humans.

Therapeutic cloning involves the extraction of a stem cell from a pre-embryo with the purpose of generating a whole organ or tissue. The embryo dies but the organ or tissue will be transplanted to a sick person, thus eliminating the need for donors and immunosuppressive drugs.

Replacement cloning, currently existing only in theory, involves replacing a damaged or failing body part through cloning.

Why would anybody want to clone a person?

A heartbroken family might want to bring back a dead loved one. A childless couple may want to explore cloning as an option to adoption or other fertilization methods. A sick man would have a clone to replace his failing organs. Valid reasons maybe, but are they ethical?

Opinions regarding human cloning greatly vary. Religious groups and traditionalists believe that the embryo is already alive because it is conceived – and harvesting stem cells from it is tantamount to killing a life. Many opine that it is wrong to kill a life, even at pre-embryonic stage, to save another. However, others believe that an embryo is not yet a person prior to gestation, as it is still incapable of memory, awareness and thought. Thus, to prohibit cloning and stem cell research would be to hinder science, progress and the possibility of improving quality of life and lengthening the human lifespan. The scientific world, as well as the general public, has yet to reach a consensus on the ethical issues of cloning.

But just because it is possible does not mean that it is right.

But could these amazing technologies make the transition to the real world? Well, since nothing is impossible, they just might. Here’s a look at the two of the best and most incredible technologies that will hopefully be a part of our future:

Space Elevators

Could you be hoisted to the high heavens and back in an elevator? Could seeing the stars and the planets finally be possible for the average person? In what could be a relatively cheap and minimally risk-free way of going to outer space, space elevators are touted as the next medium of choice in space travel.

Man has been exploring the universe in a rocket since the advent of the space age decades ago. Though they have been successfully zooming us to the heavens, rockets can only go so fast – and are severely limited by the power generated from the chemical explosion that propels them. If outer space is to be the next tourist destination, what we need is a space elevator.

The concept of space elevators is not new. In fact, Russian scientists have been dreaming of this concept for decades. So how does it work?

By hoisting a cable from an anchor on earth to a counterweight in space, electrically powered cars could run through the cable, carrying cargo and people to and from space in an inexpensive and efficient way. Which allow for wide-scale space exploration and travel.

The biggest obstacle to building a space elevator is in finding a material strong enough for this daunting venture. But with the discovery of carbon nanotubes (narrow cylindrical molecules made of carbon atoms) this crazy concept just might work.

We could soon be traveling in zero gravity towards the Moon or Mars. Space is the frontier of the future, the next vacation hotspot.

Weather Control

For centuries, man has always dreamt of controlling the weather. Historically, rain dances, magical incantations and religious practices are employed by different civilizations in an attempt to influence the rain to fall or the sun to shine.

Science, on the other hand, has employed more technological means. One early example of a device for weather control is the lightning rod. Cloud seeding is also used to trigger and produce rain.

Technology to manipulate the weather has advanced so much in recent years.

Scientists are in the development stages of attempting to weaken cyclones and reducing the devastating effects of hurricanes through artificial means. In fact, the Chinese government has planned to shoot down threatening rain clouds with the use of rocket launchers for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

But one thing we learned from science: Never say never. Technology has proven time and time again that what could be impossible through today’s means just might happen in the future. Thoughts and pipe dreams know no bounds. Today’s crazy idea is tomorrow’s must-have gadget. What we know for sure – the future is only limited by our imagination.

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