I’ve been a science fiction fan since the 1950s, when I was in grade school. Even though the first word of the genre’s name is “science,” for years I’ve really considered a lot of the so called science to be scientific fantasy. What’s interesting is how much of that which I have considered to be fantastic has turned out to be true.

Take, for example, some of the devices from the first Star Trek series. Back in the 1960s I thought that the idea of a small flip open communications device was simply absurd. As I write this I’ve got a small flip open communications device sitting on the couch next to me. Then there was the tricorder, a device that can the insides of a living person. I’ll admit that the machinery of CAT scans and PET scans are a bit larger than a tricorder, but they do observe the inside of people, something that was nothing short of incredible in the 1960s.

Science fiction has evolved since it’s “golden age.” If the old science fiction was about space operas, the new cutting edge sci-fi is cyber-punk. As it’s name denotes, cyber-punk tends to be about virtual worlds and a cyber-enhanced humanity. To many, this too is simply science fantasy. However such a judgement may be premature and short sighted.

One of the most remarkable scientific achievements in the last decade has been the creation of interfaces between wetware and hardware. This, I would have called fantasy were it not true. But it is true. Recent developments in neural implants let mechanical ears and eyes feed their signals directly into the brain. At the other end of the spectrum signals directly from the brain are being used to control artificial limbs.

So with direct input and output from the brain already a reality, what can we expect in the future? It seems logical that one of the first steps would be enhanced sensory input. For example, a fighter pilot might be able to directly sense the position of the enemy, along with the condition of his aircraft. Another logical step forward would be direct access to information technology. What could we be if our own memories were enhanced with all the knowledge of humanity instantly available in huge data repositories? Finally, if we can hook two people to a database, why not hook them up directly to each other?

Of course with great opportunity comes great risk. When our memories are not our own, what will our beliefs be? When these enhancements become available those who have them will have a significant advantage over the “ordinary” people who do not. There would also be a strong attraction in organizations such as mega-churches to create a true oneness by way of shared consciousness. Enter the Borg.

This is just one of many very real possibilities. The transhuman being of tomorrow could turn out to be something entirely different from the species that has brought us to the present. Whether this is for better or for worse, only the future will tell.