On September 12 Dr. Michiu Kaku visited Rollins College for a presentation on the future in the next twenty years. Dr. Kaku is a famed theoretical physicist and the co-founder of the string-theory. Dr. Kaku also appears on several episodes on the Science Channel and has his own radio station on XM Radio.

His presentation predicted the next 20 years of the world in technology, science, and society.

Senior Zach Fisk, said that the future will have “flying cars,” and “robots that can perform surgery and medical-like stuff.”

While Dr. Kaku would not agree with the flying cars prediction, he would most likely agree with the idea of robots performing medical tasks.  The idea behind flying cars was thrown down because the fuel efficiency is very low, the safety is not great, and the chance that flying cars will be accepted by society in the future is low.  However, robots in medicine will come in the near future.  Dr. Kaku states that robots will be performing surgeries more efficient and accurate than current human surgeons.

Robots will not only be surgeons but they will also be doctors.  In the future, robots will be able to perform thousands of tests.

How will the robots be able to treat deadly diseases such as cancer? Dr. Kaku says that the new use of nanotechnology and nanoparticles will help diagnose and fight diseases.

Senior Stephanie Byorkman, hoped that “a cure for cancer will be found” in the near future.

As for cancer, robots will be able to provide a nanotech-tablet to the patient that will be able to navigate its way using antibodies and release a chemical under certain conditions of the disease.  It may sound complicated, but it is predicted and already researched to be more effective as treatments for diseases.

Even if for some reason the nanotech-chip does not work, what about regenerative tissue?  Researchers are currently studying induced pluripotent stem cells, which are cells that have been induced to act similarly to stem cells, yet are still not stem cells. The cells leave out the ethical issues that stem cells have of destroying possible human life from an embryo.  For patients with stage three Alzheimer’s, their brain cells can be grown in a lab, and later placed in the brain of the patient. The cells will eventually even be able to grow at one’s home using specialized 3D printers that use one’s own cells to create therapeutic cells. The 3D printers will also be able to produce personalized organs for transplants.

The rooms of high school students will be completely different than those of today.  Instead of having painted walls, students will have digitalized walls—where they can access their documents, games, or other applications through voice-command and hand movements.

Senior Meghan Grey, said that “a hovering car will be made” in the future, and that flying cars are part of the future, yet Dr. Kaku says that self-driving cars will be possible, and even mind-controlled cars.