Will you remember today

Do you remember where you were on September the 11th 2001 or as we now seem to call it 9/11? Probably most people in the western world and perhaps beyond do. Those iconic images of the planes crashing into the Twin Towers, the smoke billowing from the burning buildings and that awful shot of a man spiralling through the air to his death. It is unforgettable.

But do you remember where you were on the 26th of June 2000? In ten years will you remember where you were or what you were doing today? The interesting thing is that when the history of the 21st century is written the 26th of June 2000 and the 4th of September 2009 will appear much more significant for the future of human kind than 9/11. How many even remember the great massacres of the 20th century (apart from the Holocaust) never mind those of the past few hundred years.

So why are the 26th of June 2000 and yesterday so important. Well on June 26th 2000 the completion of the decoding of the human genome was announced. Admittedly it was a rough version and it was announced then to prevent a private company beating the public consortium to the post and copyrighting it. So much will flow from the decoding of the genome. Even in the last week some Trinity College scientists have announced that they have found some genes that are unique to humans. Over the next decades never mind centuries the ability to manipulate our genetic code will mean that many horrific fatal and debilitating diseases will be cured. But that is the most obvious benefit from the decoding of the human genome. The real achievements are probably beyond our imagination at the moment. Whatever happens there is no doubt it has allowed humans to transcend the laws of Darwinian evolution.

So what happened today? Well scientists in Bristol announced that they had managed to build a computer chip that uses light. It is in effect a ‘quantum computer’, a very primitive one. Quantum computing if or when fully developed will make our current computers look like hot air balloons compared to jet planes. Quantum computing could allow much of what we now believe to be science fiction to become reality. Computers that are millions of time faster and thousands of times cheaper could make many of our technological fantasies come through and transform the world.

When quantum computing and genetic science converge there will be a world that we cannot now imagine and it will be a better one. September 11th 2001 will be a footnote. If you cannot remember the 26th of June 2000 remember today so that you can tell your grandchildren.