I read a book a few years ago called ?The Age of Intelligent Machines?. It was written by Raymond Kurzweil, a respected futurist and computer scientist. The book methodically walks through what he believes the next major advances in technology will be, and how they will change our world. The most profound of these advances was the direct linking of computers to the brain. This allows the overwhelming advances in computer speeds which will take place in the future to take on a human form. In this way, computers will not fork away from human intelligence, as is portrayed in many science fiction works (The Matrix and Terminator for example). Kurzweil paints a positive view of the future with this technology. We won’t be in conflict with techology, as we are today. In his newest book, ?The Singularity is Near?, he shows that computer technology will not only enhance our abilities, but will eventually replace our biological brains completely. In this way, humanity will advance faster than the limitations of DNA and biological evolution.

This technology, according to trends that he has studied, is not far away. He predicts these advances to happen in the next 40-60 years. I read today that the first step of this process has been achieved: http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/060327_neuro_chips.html

neuro chip