[dramatic synthetic music] [deep tones] [narrator] Up until about 20 years ago tiny computers, smart phones, instant messaging and video conferencing were all fanciful science fiction inventions. Now they're so ubiquitous we hardly give them a second thought. Most of these technologies are good for mankind but as with everything it can be misused and turned into nefarious tech that can haunt us our entire lives. [dramatic synthesized music] [ominous music] [disconcerting music] In the past 50 years, technology has leaped forward from the transistor radio to cell phones and satellite communication. Weapons have advanced as well as surveillance systems. Today anyone can have their 15 minutes of fame just by streaming a video of themselves worldwide.
We get our news instantly, we can talk globally to anyone and we have medical inventions to make our lives better. But in the hands of scrupulous people these same technologies can be used to track our every move, motivate us to vote in a specific direction, invade our bodies and spy on us. We have become dependent on the technologies we take for granted and those technologies are poised to take over the world we live in and perhaps make us their minions. [ominous music] One of the most relevant theories is that artificial intelligence may one day take over the world.
An AI takeover is a hypothetical scenario in which artificial intelligence becomes the dominant form of intelligence on Earth. With computers or robots effectively taking the control of the planet away from the human species. Possible scenarios include replacement of the entire human work force, takeover by a super intelligent AI and the popular notion of a robot uprising. Some public figures such as Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk have advocated research into precautionary measures to ensure future super intelligent machines remain under human control. [ominous music] The AI control problem is the issue of how to build a super intelligent agent that will aid it's creators and avoid inadvertently building a super intelligence that will harm its creators.
Some scholars argue that solutions to the control problem might also find applications in existing non-super intelligent AI. Major approaches to the control problem include alignment, which aims to align AI goal systems with human values and capability control which aims to reduce an AI's systems capacity to harm humans or gain control. An example of capability control is to research whether a super intelligent AI could be successfully combined in an AI box.
According to Bostrom, such capability control proposals are not reliable or sufficient to solve the control problem in the long term but may potentially act as valuable supplements to alignment efforts. Physicist Stephen Hawking, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Space X founder Elon Musk have expressed concerns about the possibility that AI could develop to the point that humans could not control it. With Hawking theorizing that this could spell the end of the human race.
[disconcerting music] Stephen Hawking said in 2014 that success in creating AI would be the biggest event in human history. Unfortunately it might also be the last unless we learn how to avoid the risks. Hawking believed that in the coming decades, AI could offer incalculable benefits and risks.
Such as technology outsmarting financial markets, out inventing human researchers, out manipulating human leaders and developing weapons that we cannot even understand. In January 2015, Nick Bostrom joined Stephen Hawking, Max Tegmark, Elon Musk, Lord Martin Rees, Jan Tullin and numerous other AI researchers in signing the Future of Life Institute's open letter speaking to the potential risks and benefits associated with artificial intelligence. The signatories believe that research on how to make AI systems robust and beneficial is both important and timely.
And that there are concrete research directions that can be pursued today. [intense ominous music] [face paced dramatic music] An autonomous car is a vehicle that is capable of sensing its environment and navigating without human input and many such vehicles are being developed. But as of May 2017 automated cars permitted on public roads are not yet fully autonomous. They all require a human driver at the wheel who is ready at a moments notice to take control of the vehicle. Among one of the the main obstacles to widespread adoption of autonomous vehicles are concerns about the resulting loss of driving related jobs in the road transport industry. On March 18, 2018 the first human was killed by an autonomous vehicle in Arizona by an Uber self driving car.
Self driving cars combine a variety of sensors to perceive their surroundings, such as radar, lidar, sonar, gps, odometry and inertial measurement units. Advanced control systems interpret sensory information to identify appropriate navigation paths as well as obstacles and relevant signage. [tense music] Connected vehicle platoons and long distance trucking are seen as being at the forefront of adopting and implementing the technology. PC Magazine defines a self driving car as a computer controlled car that drives itself. The Union of Concerned Scientists states that self driving cars are cars or trucks in which human drivers are never required to take control to safely operate the vehicle.
Also known as autonomous or driverless cars. They combine sensors and software to control, navigate and drive the vehicle. [ominous music] Possible technological obstacles for automated cars are artificial intelligence is still not able to properly function in chaotic inner city environments. A car's computer could potentially be compromised as could a communication system between cars. A car could be hacked and turned into a weapon. Susceptibility of car sensing and navigation systems to different types of weather such as snow or deliberate interference, included jamming and spoofing.
Avoidance of large animals requires recognition and tracking and Volvo found that software suited to caribou, deer and elk, was ineffective with kangaroos. Autonomous cars may require very high quality specialized maps to operate properly. Were these maps may be out of date they would need to be able to fall back to reasonable behaviors.
[tense music] Competition for the radio spectrum desired for the cars communication is an issue. Field programmability for the systems will require careful evaluation of product development and the component supply chain and current road infrastructure may need changes for automated cars to function optimally. One may bring up the adage: "Just because you can do a thing doesn't mean that you should do a thing."
People are wary of self driving cars and often don't trust them. Due to this and technology factors, we may be a long way off from seeing a day when all cars are self driving. [upbeat music] In science fiction we often see the use of nanotechnology.
Tiny robots that can enter the body and repair cells or accomplish cures to a disease. But nano particles have been around since the 50's and recent advancements makes this something we will see more of today and in the future. There are several dangers with this kind of technology, though.
Nano particles are likely to be dangerous for three main reasons. Nano particles may damage the lungs. We know that the ultra fine particles from diesel machines, power plants and incinerators can cause considerable damage to human lungs. This is both because of their size as they can get deep into the lungs, and also because they carry other chemicals including metals and hydrocarbons in with them.
Nano particles can get into the body through the skin, lungs and digestive system. This may help create free radicals which can cause cell damage and damage to the DNA. There's also concern that once nano particles are in the bloodstream they'll be able to cross the blood-brain barrier. The human body has developed a tolerance to most naturally occurring elements and molecules that it has contact with. It has no natural immunity to new substances and is more likely to find them toxic. There's also the introduction of nano particles or technology that could be injected into person allowing other technologies to track them.
These particles can also be sprayed or introduced into the environment on the battle field to track whole armies, or attack them. The particles then may harm anyone in that environment. Though there are positive uses for nanotechnology such as in the medical field, the introduction of any foreign technology into the body can be very dangerous.
Vaccines with nanotechnology may attack a virus but also harm healthy cells within the body or may be used to track the individual who accepted the vaccine that can be triggered to make you get sick, even kill you. Nanotechnology is already a huge industry with billions of dollars being spent on research and development worldwide. There's still a great deal to learn about both the potential benefits and risks of the technology. Nevertheless, most experts agree that the use of nano technology in electronics, the pharmaceutical industry and in areas such as medical imaging is outstripping our understanding of the OHS risks.
Nano technology could lead to significant developments in medicine, manufacturing and computing. However it may also bring significant new health hazards. [disconcerting music] [tense music] Tracking American citizens has become a major issue in the past decade with the emergence of drones both in the military and corporate world. At almost any given time, wherever you are it is likely a camera is recording your movements, especially in a city. The combination of surveillance drones and facial recognition has made this much easier.
Even commercial toy drones have the ability to follow you simply by looking at you. Drones have been used to intentionally cause harm. It's the most dangerous because they're the bad actors that have nefarious intentions. Drones are being used for illicit activities which include but are not limited to transport of illegal drugs, dropping leaflets into NFL stadiums, dropping contraband such as drugs, cell phones, cigarettes and weapons into prison yards. And
in some cases carrying weapons. In one case a drone helped an inmate escape from a correctional facility. To further validate concerns the US military has identified a number of ways that commercial off the shelf drones have been weaponized with intentions to attack US war fighters or military bases over seas.
There are two other complications when it comes to addressing potential drone threats. First, there's a combination of 21 federal rules and regulations prohibiting the use of counter drone technology. The second issue is that, until recently, drones were not required to be registered and there is a large number of unregistered drones which make it extremely difficult to identify the drone pilot. This is especially important to identify friend from foe. Additionally there is no single counter drone technology that addresses all the various drone technologies. One obvious consideration is understanding the implications of taking down a drone while flying over people and the possible injury to those people.
Drones can also be used to spy on you and combined with other technologies such as listening devices and IR scanners, they can watch you and record your movements. Every new technology comes with the possibility of being used for undesirable or dangerous purposes. The future of drones will require a balance of enabling drones for good, countering drones for bad and a comprehensive air traffic management system that encompasses manned and unmanned aircraft.
[dramatic music] [upbeat music] Protesters in Hong Kong are taking extraordinary measures to protect their identities. That's because facial recognition technologies in China have been used to surveil and detain people suspected of crimes in the region. Having their faces being recognized by cameras could have devastating consequences for protesters. These protesters are using various techniques to throw off facial recognition cameras, including lasers that the cameras can't process or recognize.
Full coverage gas masks and ear wear. They have put up umbrellas around cameras to block them and even torn down facial recognition towers. Facial recognition is a polarizing topic and is sometimes seen as a problematic development in surveillance capitalism. People generally don't give permission or even know they're being tracked. They also don't know how their faces are being used. For example, when you walk into most retail stores there is a security camera there to ward off theft.
However, that camera could be doing much more than warding off theft. It could use your face for other databases so the store can market to you and build a behavior profile that links your in-store activity with your online activity. Think about how Amazon built its facial recognition technology. It curated photos of your online profiles and your shopping experiences as well as images from its Ring Doorbell security application and put together a profile of you. So is security worth giving up your privacy? The problem is that facial recognition software is calibrated to white men, therefore it misidentifies people of color and especially women of color at alarming rates. Increasing the risk that certain groups will be incorrectly associated with crimes.
Currently there are no transparent rules on how facial recognition data can be used and how it can be shared. In some cases it has been ruled as lawful. It's a lot to hand over your face to unlimited entities who have not figured out the rules for using that data. We may never reach the place where our faces determine our social standing, as is the case in Hong Kong but will it determine our credit ratings? Our job prospects? These are degrees of invasion that are still possible. It's time to protect your privacy like you were protesting against an authoritarian government. Think of it as if your life and the lives of your family and friends depends on it. Not to suggest you walk around
with masks on all day but be more diligent about what you post online. Share photos and videos of family and friends on a secure network, understand that when you buy personal assistant devices you're giving up intimate details about your self, your family and your friends, and you have no transparency on how those intimate details are being shared or used. Put covers on your device cameras and only uncover them when you're using the camera. You can't stop cameras from picking up your face and storing it but you can take control whenever possible. Businesses and organizations also have an obligation to their users and customers to protect their rights. Privacy is one of those fundamental rights, one that we should enjoy in our digital world as well as in our physical one.
Without the protection of those rights around technology like facial recognition, we may end up in a place both as businesses and individuals where there is no escape from surveillance and that sort of dystopia is not the world we want to live in. [upbeat music] There should be more regulation around facial recognition and both as individuals and organizations we should be fighting against improper usage of facial recognition. Get behind some of the facial recognition legislation that is being proposed. One example
is the Commercial Facial Recognition Privacy Act of 2019, proposed in Washington, DC. In which would prohibit commercial users of facial recognition technology from collecting and re-sharing data for identifying or tracking customers without their consent. Microsoft president Brad Smith has spoken out in support of the bill. In the meantime, in the absence of solid laws, opt for privacy and be transparent about the way you allow the use of your data. [upbeat music] [disconcerting music] Have you been chipped? Implementing chips in humans has privacy and security implications that go well beyond cameras in public places. Facial recognition, tracking of our locations, our driving habits, our spending histories and even beyond ownership of your data.
This topic touches upon your hand, your heart, your brain and the rest of your body. Literally. This new development is set to give a very different meaning to hacking the body or bio hacking. While cyber experts continue to worry about protecting critical infrastructure and mitigating security risks that could harm the economy or cause a loss of life. Implanted chips also effect health but add in new dimensions that conflict with people's religious beliefs. RFID microchips embedded under the skin with a procedure that's already cheap and available, provide a digital interface to the real world, centered about the holders identity, credit card information, bus pass, library card and many other sources of information you currently carry in your purse or wallet.
And it can instead be stored on an RFID chip under your skin. [disconcerting sounds] However getting chipped could be a way to control you. When guns are paired to the chips in their owners, revolutionary heroes can no longer break into their oppressors arsenal to turn their firepower against them.
Putting so much importance on a device only available to those that seek it out requires keeping close tabs on its availability and affordability. If the advantages effectively disadvantage those who choose not to participate, gaps between classes may widen. In a world controlled entirely by chips within your skin, its possible that hackers and evil doers could scan and replicate the data on your chips onto their own, effectively replacing your physical presence which is notably different from just stealing digital credentials. Every Hollywood movie has taught us that implanted microchips are primarily for big brother, governments and corporations to continuously track our every whereabouts.
This is a real concern that needs to be handled with privacy controls and good security practices from the get go. In a world where you purchase food with a chip in your hand, it's not hard to think that some people might prefer to use a card in their wallet instead. However, it's also not hard to imagine a world in which the benefits of a microchip mandate its usage. Basically requiring everyone to receive a microchip, or starve, lose their job, etcetera.
[ominous music] One of the benefits of a microchip is it's invisible to those who don't know about it. Making it harder for thieves and adversaries to steal your information. However this advantage is a double edged sword when you consider that people could potentially be oblivious to microchips, implanted by others in themselves while sleeping or unconscious.
[tense upbeat music] Biblical apocalyptics claim it could be the mark of the beast indicating the beginning of revelations. There is currently no government agency that oversees or controls neuro-electric interface enhancements, with the closest body being the FDA due to its broad jurisdiction over medical devices. The long term health risks of implanting microchips in humans is relatively unknown. On one hand human micro chipping has been green lighted around the world by various authoritative bodies, including the FDA in America.
[tense upbeat music] [upbeat tribal drum beat] It may seem we live in a science fiction world, after all we have a space station in orbit. We've been to the moon and new advanced satellites bring us information from around the planet. But that world could turn out to be a dystopian empire where the population is controlled and herded in line. At the conclusion of the June 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. President George H. W. Bush and the leaders of
177 other nations signed a document known as agenda 21. At the time it was seen as a perfectly sensible planning paper. A non-binding statement of intent aimed at dealing with sustainability on an increasingly crowded planet. But in the 22 years since that day, at the hands of groups like the John Birch society, Agent 21 has been transformed in much of the American public's mind into a secret plot to impose a totalitarian world government. A nefarious effort to crush freedom in the name of environmentalism.
Some say Agenda 21 will lead to a new Dark Ages of pain and misery yet unknown to mankind. It is a comprehensive plan of utopian environmentalism, social engineering and global political control. The most dangerous threat to America's sovereignty yet and technology will make it possible. It will make our nation a vassal of the UN, result in the destruction of our lives, force rural areas, populations to be decimated and lead to having 90% of the population murdered. The end these critics all agree will be the imposition of a collectivist world government.
Several politicians are aware of the agenda with state and local authorities passing legislation to ban it. The list of fears include one-world currency, one religion if any, one military, no private property, no family units, mandatory vaccines, microchips for everyone, social credit systems, 5G monitoring and the government raising your children and controlling all the schools. People would not be able to own cars or businesses as everything will be managed either by corporations or governments. [upbeat disconcerting music] In an Agenda 21 world you would have to be micro chipped so the technology could track you. What you buy and where you go would depend on your compliance with the agenda. Technology would track your every move with facial recognition, microchips, drones and other sophisticated tracing science.
All of the technology needed to do this is already in play now with more new technologies being developed every year. We are all moving toward a one-world government faster than previously predicted. The increasing use of drones for commercial purposes has become one of the biggest emerging threats to the future of airplane safety according to Allianz Global Corporate and Specialty. The expected rise in the use of drones or unmanned aerial vehicles for a host of different applications may leave operators exposed to a whole new set of risks including third party damage or injury and liability. One of the biggest risks, it said, was from radio frequency interference resulting in loss of control and in worse case scenario, fatalities.
Other problems include invasion or privacy, aerial surveillance and data collection. Privacy advocates contend that with drones, the government will be able to engage in widespread pervasive surveillance because drones are cheaper to operate than their manned counterparts. Drones are being used by law enforcement and border control surveillance teams in case of essential supplies, however, drones are not being used exclusively by good guys. In case of natural disasters, search and rescue teams employ them to gather information, or to drop essential supplies.
However, drones are not being used exclusively by good guys. Bad guys are leveraging drones to achieve their malicious objectives, being easy to control, drones can be used to perform different attacks. The reliance on wireless communications make drones vulnerable to various attacks. These attacks can have
drastic effects including commercial and non-commercial losses. In this context there is a lack of proper understanding on how hackers perform their attacks and hijack a drone in order to intercept it or even crash it. In fact, drones can also be compromised for malicious purposes hence there is a need to detect them and prevent them from causing any damage. With a drone you could be followed anywhere and tracked, military drones are already being deployed on the battlefield for surveillance. It would be a simple
step to bring them home and use them to track citizens. In August of 2018 a drone led assassination attempt was foiled when two drones wrapped with explosives were used to assassinate the Venezuelan President. They were shot down by snipers, injuring eight soldiers and one civilian. Actually, drones are being used by insurgents and terrorists alike.
Drones were used by ISIS to drop bombs and to film propaganda videos in conflict zones such as the targeting of Iraq and Syrian military personnel. Being quiet and performing at altitude, you would never know if you were being observed by a drone. Justification for surveillance of citizens are in court cases now around the country. [tense somber music] [upbeat high pitched music] Many futuristic weapons are already being used on the battlefield today. The military is always poised for advanced weapons systems and developing new weapons yearly. The XM-25 grenade launcher is equipped with a laser range finder and on board computer. It packs a
magazine of four 25mm projectiles and programs them to detonate as they pass by their targets. That feature will allow soldiers to strike enemies who are taking cover. By 2012 the army has armed every infantry squad and special forces unit with at least one of the big guns.
In August a lucky soldier got to pull the trigger and fire off an HEAB high explosive air burst round at the Aberdeen testing ground in Maryland. Those projectiles pack quiet a punch. They were purposely 300% more effective than normal ammo and will be able to strike targets as far as 2300 feet away. Remotely operated weapons are showing up everywhere. Israel is building an automated kill zone.
An American firm, Moore Industries, offers turret that can aim and fire two automatic shotguns. Some robots have been defusing bombs for years but none have seen combat. According to Lieutenant General Rick Lynch who believes that 122 men could have been spared if combat robots had been working. There was a set of armed robots sent to Iraq. They never fired a shot, however. They weren't
allowed to. No one could guarantee that the robots wouldn't go berserk and mow down friendly troops or otherwise malfunction even though they have lots of safeguards. Considering how much firepower they pack, safeguards are really important. The MARS system can be equipped with four grenade launchers and a machine gun that packs 400 rounds of 7.62 caliber ammunition.
But it's manufacturers like to point out its less lethal capabilities. Instead of mowing people down, it can stick to the fine print of the first law of robotics and fire tear gas canisters, smoke grenades, smoke bombs and perhaps even tasers upcoming 40mm people zapper projectile. Three were deployed in Iraq last year. The active denial system fires a beam of millimeter wave radiation. It makes
people feel like their skin is burning without causing any permanent damage. Though promising as a nonlethal weapon, the pain rate has some serious limits. On a rainy day water droplets will disperse the beam and it may feel warm and refreshing instead of frightening, on a hot day the cooling system might give out. The problems don't stop there. Ratheon's baby is bulky and despite repeated requests to send it into battle, shipments of the energy weapon have been delayed.
The military is looking for a strong lighter weapon. [laid back music] If troops spot someone suspicious approaching them, they can use the long range acoustic device to send a warning message. It fires narrow beams of sound waves that can be heard clearly from about 1000 feet away. Crank up the power and it can emit a warning tone so loud that anyone in its path would have no choice but to cover their ears and run.
The manufacturer doesn't like to call these devices weapons even though they've been used to repel pirates. Cops used them to harass protesters at the G20 summit in Pittsburgh. Drones are arguably the most controversial weapon in the war on terror. By some accounts they
are deeply feared by the Taliban. They've taken out Al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders and their sound when flying low is a constant annoyance and reminder of their menace. But they also kill a lot of civilians. They are, however, far more cost effective than supersonic fighter jets. Predators can pack two Hell Fire missiles. Their big brothers, Reapers, can hold four Hell Fires and up to two 500 pound bombs. Flash bang grenades were designed to stun people but they have a pretty bad safety record.
The little bombs have dismembered at least one soldier and caused hearing loss in others. To remedy that problem, Mark Grubelich and his colleagues at Sandia National Laboratory built the improved flash bang grenade. It hurls flaming aluminum particles into the air causing a bright flash without an accompanying shock wave. Even the angriest mobs would probably think twice about trying to pass a taser shock wave barrier. It's the less
lethal equivalent of a claymore mine. Push the big red button and it will fire 24 electrified probes at the same time in a single direction. After learning about an experimental weapon that can make people feel seasick, Limor Fried and Phil Torrone more decided to build their own. They did it for less than $250 dollars and wrote step by step instructions so anyone can make one at home. It can cause a nauseating light show with 36 pulsating LED's. Now if you're worried that someones about to attack you, but not completely sure of their intent, it's a good idea to give them a warning before pulling the trigger.
Green laser pointers are a great way to extend that courtesy. The marines like to call them ocular interruption devices. Shine one in someone's face and your target should immediately get the message that it's time to back off. The LA9P made by B. E. Meyers can warn people from up to 2 and a half miles away.
It fires a 250 milliwatt beam. That's roughly one fourth the strength smallest anti-aircraft lasers. Even so, you've got to be careful when handling the thing. Over a few months
in Iraq, a dozen soldiers were wounded in dazzler friendly fire. Several troops may have been injured while monkeying around with laser target disintegrators which are substantially more powerful than the less lethal devices. And behold the Laser Avenger. A cannon that can be used to take down incoming enemy aircraft. Boeing was able to shoot a drone down out of the sky with a Hummer mounted laser even though it's not particularly high powered. It cooked the remote control aircraft using a somewhat feeble one-kilowatt beam.
More recently, the company shot down another UAV using a low-powered laser paired with its mobile active targeting resource for integrated experiments or matrix system during a test in White Sands, New Mexico. Northrop Grumman is hard at work on a 100 kilowatt laser weapon which could do far more damage but it's not quiet ready for prime time. It's fully operational but looks like a refrigerator. Boeing announced in December that the Avenger has been used to destroy 50 different improvised explosive devices during tests at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. [upbeat music] [disconcerting music] Science fiction has always been a median for futuristic imagination. And while different colored aliens and
intergalactic travel are yet to be discovered, there is an array of technologies that are no longer figments of the imagination thanks to the world of science fiction. Some of the creative inventions that have appeared in family favorite movies like Back to the Future and Total Recall are now at the forefront of modern technology. While exploring space, characters such as Captain Kirk and Spock would come across alien life who spoke a different language. To understand the galactic foreigners the Star Trek characters used a device that immediately translated the aliens' unusual language. Star Trek's Universal Communicator was first seen on screen as Spock tampered with it in order to communicate with a non-biological entity. Although the idea in Star Trek was to communicate with intelligent alien life, a device capable of breaking down language barriers would revolutionize real time communication.
Now products such as SourceNex Pocket Talk and Skype's new voice translation services are capable of providing instantaneous translation between languages. Flawless real-time communication is far off but the technological advancements over the last decade mean this feat is within reach. The idea behind beaming someone up was that a person could be broken down into an energy form and then converted back into matter at their destination. Transporting people this way on Star Trek's USS Enterprise had been around since the very beginning of the series, debuting in the pilot episode. Scientists haven't figured out how to transport humans yet but they can teleport balls of energy known as photons. In this case teleportation is based on a phenomenon know as quantum entanglement.
This refers to a condition in quantum mechanics where two entangled particles may be very far from one another yet remain connected so that actions performed on one effect the other regardless of distance. The information exchange between the two photons occurs at least 10,000 times faster than the speed of light. Not long into the first Star Wars movie, Obi-Wan Kenobi receives a holographic message. By definition, a hologram is a 3D image created from the interference of light beams from a laser onto a 2D surfaces and can only be seen in one angle. In 2018, researchers from Brigham Young University in Utah created a real hologram. Their technique called volumetric display works like an Etch-a-Sketch toy but uses particles at high speeds.
With lasers, researchers can trap particles and move them into a designated shape while another set of lasers emit red, green and blue light into the particle and create an image. But so far this can only happen on extremely small scales. After losing his hand Luke Skywalker receives a bionic version that has all the functions of a normal hand. This scenario is now more feasible than the previous one.
Researchers from the Georgia University of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia have been developing a way for amputees to control each of their prosthetic fingers using an ultra sonic sensor. In the movie Skywalker's prosthesis uses electromagnetic sensors attached to his muscles. The sensors can be switched into different modes and are controlled by the flexing or contracting of his muscles. The prosthesis created by the Georgia Tech researchers, however, uses machine learning and ultra sound signals to detect fine finger by finger movement. Orbiting Earth in 2001 a Space Odyssey is Space Station V, a large establishment located in low Earth orbit where astronauts can bounce around in micro gravity. Does this sound familiar? The Space Station V provided inspiration for the International Space Station which has been orbiting the Earth since 1998 and currently accommodates up to 6 astronauts at a time.
Although Space Station V appears much more luxurious the ISS has accomplished much more science. The ISS has been fundamental in microgravity research since the start of its construction in 1998. Tablets are wonderful hand held computers that can be controlled at the press of a finger. These handy devices are used by people across the globe and even further upwards in the International Space Station. Apple claims to have invented the tablet with the release of its iPad.
However, Samsung made an extremely interesting case in court that Apple was wrong. Stanley Kubrick and Sir Arthur C. Clarke did it by including the device in the in the movie "2001: A Space Odyssey" released in 1968. In the film, Dr. David Bowman and Dr. Frank Poole watch news updates from
their flat screen computers which they called news pads. Samsung claimed that these news pads were the original tablet featured in a film over 40 years before the first iPad arrived in 2010. [curious music] We may even be closer to an actual warp drive for space travel. An ion thruster or ion drive is a form of electric propulsion used for space craft propulsion.
It creates thrust by accelerating ions using electricity. This engine was used on Deep Space One and the Dawn NASA spacecraft. A plasma propulsion engine is a type of electric propulsion that generates thrust from a quasi-neutral plasma.
While most plasma engines are still confined to the laboratory, some have been actively flying and used on missions. As of 2011, NASA partnered with the aerospace company Busek and launched the first Hall Effect thruster, aboard the TacSat-2 satellite. The thruster was the satellite's main propulsion system. Actual warp drive is still far into the future, but as more of these advanced propulsion systems are developed, the idea is not only feasible but now we know it can actually be done.
[dramatic sounds] Shrouded in mystery, the existence of a secret space program is a closely guarded secret. But information from government whistle blowers, intelligence operatives, and former astronauts have been surfacing for decades. In 2020, America launched the Space Force, a new branch of the US Military. Along with the Air Force the new Space Force will be in charge of all military needs in outer space. Many question the need for such a program.
We already had the Space Command department of the Air Force. Some speculate the need may be a fear of extra terrestrial invasion or influence on the planet. [eery sounds] Technology already exists for the new space force to take over. For example, the X37B Space Plane is now in use. Much like the old space shuttles, the X37B can be tasked with several secret missions.
Though it is unmanned, or so we are told. The strange thing about this space plane, is that its mission is top secret. No one apart from a tiny handful of top military experts know what the aircraft is tasked to do. What we do know is that the aircraft, also known as an orbital test vehicle, will deploy a satellite into orbit and also test power beaming technology.
The small plane is unmanned, which means there are no astronauts on board the vehicle. It is controlled remotely from Earth. It is able to fly back down to Earth and land on a runway like a standard airplane. Meaning it can be re-launched over and over. The pentagon, a top military building where America's most senior military officials work, has revealed very few details about the aircraft's missions in the past. Although it is often referred to as a spy plane, the US Air Force has never confirmed if the rocket is monitoring other countries or satellites.
Some experts have previously said it would be difficult to monitor other satellites. It should be noted also that China has a secret space vehicle but little is known about it. We may never know what the secret mission really is. But the secret space program goes much deeper than just one spy plane.
Rumors have persisted for decades that the USA has such a program. Allegedly it began after the Roswell incident, when America came into possession of alien technology. There are those who claim we have already been to the moon in the 1950's and the NASA program was only for public consumption.
Whistle blowers have said we have time travel technology, we've been to Mars and there is even a base on the moon and Mars. Further down the rabbit hole, is rumors that we actually fought a war with aliens, and the secret space program is in place to protect us from them. With Russian inspector satellites largely believed to be orbital weapons platforms and China now beginning to field its own maneuverable unmanned orbital platforms that can also be used to disrupt our nation's satellite capabilities, it's clear today the United States is finding ways to fight future wars in space.
At least as far as non-classified programs go. [dramatic music] Despite harsh statements made by both Russian and Chinese government officials regarding America's space force. Each of those nations has already maintained space based branches of their own for years. In fact, even America once had a secretive Department of Defense space program complete with its own military astronauts. A 3.3 billion California based space port meant for secretive space shuttle launches into polar orbit and more.
The Endeavor was called the manned space flight engineer program, and although it hasn't gotten much attention in the years since, the pentagon invested billions of dollars into it throughout the 1970's and 80's. A secret group of 32 men was selected from the U.S. Air Force and trained as astronauts completely independent of their peers at NASA. The specialized training revolved around deploying classified payloads and conducting other secretive activities in orbit using America's space shuttle as the primary orbital platform. In fact, at one time, the DOD intended to fly more shuttle flights per year than NASA. [laid back music] Black Star is the reported codename of a secret United States orbital space plane system.
The possible existence of the Black Star program was reported in March of 2006 by Aviation Week and Space Technology magazine. The magazine reported that the program had been under way since at least the early 1990's and that the impetus for Black Star was to allow the United States government to retain orbital reconnaissance capabilities jeopardized following the 1986 Challenger disaster. The article also said the United States Air Force Space Command was unaware of Black Star. Suggesting it was operated by an intelligence agency or some other secret space program. Aviation Week speculated that such a space craft could also have offensive military capabilities. A concept colloquially known as the space bomber.
The magazine also stated that it was likely that Black Star would be moth balled, although it is unclear whether this is due to a cost or failure of the program. [dramatic music] A secret space program was revealed to the worldwide public following allegations against Gary McKinnon for hacking the US Defense programs in 2002. In an interview televised on the BBC, McKinnon stated that he was able to get into the military's network simply by using a computer code familiar to computer administrators. In his interview with the BBC he also stated of the disclosure project that "They are some very credible relied upon people all saying yes. There is UFO technology.
There's anti-gravity, there's free energy and it's extra terrestrial in origin and they've captured space craft and reverse engineered it." He said he investigated a NASA photographic expert's claim that at the Johnson Space Center's building 8, images were regularly cleaned of evidence of UFO craft and he confirmed this comparing the raw originals with the processed images. He stated to have viewed a detailed image of something not man made and cigar shaped, floating above the northern hemisphere and assuming his viewing would be undisrupted owing to the hour, he did not think of capturing the image because he was bedazzled and therefore did not think of securing it with a screen capture function in the software at the point his connection was interrupted. McKinnon described the cigar shaped space craft in rudimentary terms but with some notable features that paralleled other witnesses description of an existing cylindrical space craft. [tense music] One of the most interesting things about this was a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet he came across with 20-30 names of government officials that was titled "Non-terrestrial officers". What's more intriguing, according to reports McKinnon also discovered an unusual list of US Navy vessels.
But cross checking against the active list of surface ships and submarines, McKinnon could not find those names on the current US Navy roster. What does this mean? The list of non-terrestrial officers is alleged by many UFO researchers to be the names of US Navy and Air Force officers who are serving on ships off the Earth. That's to say they are assigned to interplanetary vessels.
Additionally, the names of the ships that he found are actually the names of interplanetary spaceships currently in service. [tense music] Is it possible we have an active interplanetary space force already being utilized for the protection of the Earth? We certainly have the technology to build and maintain such a force. The key would be in the billions allocated to the dark military budget in the USA. With enough money, you could build several fleets and the black budget has plenty. [ominous music] Technology has the power to do many things and changing the world is one of them. We're privileged to live in a time where science and technology can assist us, make our lives easier and rethink the ways we go about our daily lives.
The technology we're already exposed and accustomed to has paved the way for us to innovate further and this list of current and future technologies certainly have the potential to change our lives even more. We may even be closer to that flying car you were promised as a child. They do exist today.
However, with all innovations it will depend on what we do with them. They can either enhance our lives and make the world a better place to live or we may find ourselves in a dystopian future where we are ruled and controlled by the very technologies we rely on. That is up to us and how we manage an ever changing world with advanced technology. [ominous music]
2023-06-07