Utopia Essay, Research Paper
Is Utopia Possible? The answer to that depends on what your vision of Utopia is. In Gonzalo’s world everything would be provided by nature, people would be innocent and uneducated and there would be no such thing as violence because there would be no access to weapons or alcohol. Gonzalo’s vision is a nice thought but I feel he has underestimated the human’s need for material objects.
My belief is that Humanity will reach Utopia by acquiring powerful technological abilities, while human characteristics remain essentially the same. Nanotechnology is the most revolutionary of currently conceived future technological abilities. Nanotechnology is simply molecular manufacturing. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter, so nanomachines would exist at an infinite scale. All matter (gases, liquids, and solid objects) is composed of molecules, and molecules are just specific combinations of atoms. Molecular assemblers, microscopic machines, would build molecules by putting atoms together. Just give this machine any type of matter, such as water, and it can rearrange the atoms to make anything else, such as an apple, or gold. These nanomachines can even make copies of themselves, so that once one is built, Humanity can have all the nanomachines it wants. Every home could have a machine, consisting of a very large quantity of these microscopic nanomachines, to provide for all material needs. For example, if you want a glass of orange juice simply tell the machine and it can use water from a water line connection to make a glass filled with orange juice. When you are finished drinking the juice, just put the glass in the machine, and the machine will turn the glass back into clean water and send the water down the drain.
People will never have to shop again. New clothes, caviar, lobster, no problem, just tell the machine to make whatever is wanted. These nanomachines will build miniature supercomputers, and robots of any desired size. People will not have to work because these robots, computers and machines, will be able to perform any task that need
Material poverty will be eliminated. Money, a medium of exchange for material goods and services, will become obsolete, because every individual can have all of their material needs and desires fulfilled by this unlimited production capability. Taxes are no longer necessary. Nanomachines can patrol the human body killing viruses, deleting any cancerous growths, and renewing damaged cells so that one never gets sick.
Pollution will not result from this molecular manufacturing process, and these nanomachines can be unleashed to clean up any preexisting pollution. There is no need to harvest trees, or other natural resources, because nanomachines can make anything desired. Animals will not have to be raised for slaughter to feed humans or provide clothes, because nanomachines can make anything desired. This unlimited production system just needs matter and energy to function These machines can make solar panels and energy storage devices so efficient that the energy from the sun will be the only power ever needed. The only other thing needed to run the machines is some type of matter, which can be air, water, dirt, or anything else that is plentiful.
Fantastic engineering feats are possible, such as see-through domes over cities to eliminate weather concerns, and an extensive water piping system to eliminate drought and floods. Extraordinary amusement parks and entertainment centers could be built with this technology. Space exploration and colonization would be easily feasible with this technology. Whole planets can be encased in a protective see-through shield and a vacation paradise or living space can be created on them.
n sum, through some combination of machines, robots, computers, and/or other technologies, Humanity will have the ability to provide for all material needs and desires, and Humanity can thereby make and/or create any environment desired. Humanity will be able to build perfect places.