Futuristic Inventions That Make Me Nervous
Technological advances can be fun (see Candy Crush, restaurant delivery apps.) They can also be really scary. For instance, DARPA, the Pentagon’s research team, has developed a bullet that can change direction mid-air to track its target. According to The Daily Dot, the EXACTO bullet is an electronic dart-like object that “a sniper team can control.. . . after firing to ensure accuracy.” Now, I’m a reasonable person and understand why this could be a highly effective way to hit a target. But I can’t help thinking about what it would feel like to be at the receiving end of a self-guided bullet. And that’s not the only recent technological innovation that’s keeping me up at night. Here are some other futuristic inventions that make me nervous:
1. Driverless Cars
Considering that most car accidents occur because of human error, driverless cars seem like a safe and effective solution. But what happens when there’s a computer malfunction? Can driverless cars make rational, quick decisions in a life or death situation? I’d rather rely on my brain and my body parts to operate a 3,000 pound moving vehicle.
Check out Google’s self-driving car test:
2. 3D Printers
My brain can’t comprehend 3D printing. Like, I think I blackout every time someone mentions it. If you have a 3D printer, you can effectively print makeup, shoes, clothes, toys, coffee mugs, camera lenses, acoustic guitars, 3D prints of your unborn child, iPhone cases, clocks, food (food!!), etc.. Oh, and guns. Because the world needs more unregistered guns.
This is Defense Distributed‘s printed gun:
3. Robot doctors
Robot doctors already exist, but aren’t yet fully independent. They’re doing a lot of great things and saving a lot of lives. But when I think of robot doctors, I think of mad scientist robots scooting all over the place, blasting people to smithereens. I guess that’s not how they work, though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD2zRH8Xxgc
4. Google Glass
Google Glass are wearable glasses that respond to touch and voice commands. They allow you to take pictures and videos without anyone noticing. Um, I prefer to not have that happen. App developers are excited about the prospect of a Glass app that can recognize a stranger’s face and pull up information about that person. What? Anyone you come across could have access to information about you? Is that legal?
But they take some really pretty videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1uyQZNg2vE
Times are a changin‘, folks.
Featured videos and image via Youtube and Business Insider
