Ray Kurzweil

Description: Inventor & futurist Ray Kurzweil illustrates the exponential evolution of technology, predicting a sharp rise in computing capability, robotics & life expectancy within the next 15 years. He outlines the shocking ways we'll use technology to augment our own capabilities, forever blurring the lines between human & machine. A prolific inventor, Kurzweil developed the first Optical Character Recognition (OCR) system, the first text-to-speech reader for the blind, one of the first speech-recognition systems, & numerous electronic instruments. He's written several books exploring the social impact of technology, including The Age of Spiritual Machines & The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology. (Recorded February 2005 in Monterey, CA. Duration: 23:41)