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Tomorrowland
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Tomorrowland

Our Journey from Science Fiction to Science Fact

Steven Kotler
Amazon Publishing, 2015
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Editorial Rating

8

Recommendation

What makes a technological development “massively disruptive” in scale? People often think that progress moves in a linear fashion, but exponential change advances in an “eye-blink,” shattering preconceptions and making dominant paradigms obsolete. Journalist Steven Kotler surveys scientific breakthroughs in which speculative science fiction becomes fact, such exponential change that it transforms humankind and taps the bounty of space. In his first section, “The Future In Here,” he examines the present-day impact of science and technology. In the second part, “The Future Out There,” he covers the ways science and technology are changing the world at large. He anticipates a future where psychedelics help cure diseases. Fast, edgy and full-on geek, but not without caution, Kotler will whet your appetite for big, disruptive tech. getAbstract recommends his look forward to students, entrepreneurs and executives who think their views of the future could use enlightening disruption.

Summary

Plunging Ahead

Better technologies can enable easier living. Visionaries are breaking old paradigms, shifting “science fiction to science fact,” and rejecting common “wisdom” of what can and can’t be done. Radical innovators dream, think and act huge. For example, consider Peter Diamandis – founder and chairman of the X Prize Foundation, which hopes to encourage space-related innovation and eventual space travel. Where will today’s “massively disruptive” developments in fields such as space exploration, asteroid mining, life extension, genetics and robotics lead humankind? The possibilities include ways that technology could shape human evolution, so extreme possibilities could emerge. Previously fantastical technologies are becoming reality at an astonishing clip. Many are here already, reshaping human bodies, minds, environments and certainties at an exponential rate.

“The Future In Here”

US Army captain David Rozelle is a real-life bionic man and an example of tremendous advances in prosthetics. In 2003, he was wounded in the Iraq conflict, and medics amputated his foot at the ankle. His story of terrible injuries followed by rapid rehabilitation...

About the Author

Journalist and best-selling author Steven Kotler is director of research at the Flow Genome Project. His other nonfiction books include Abundance, Bold and The Rise of Superman.

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