Cyber Drop

Yesterday, I was chatting with one of my mates online about some random stuff and social engineering. He was saying if I ever seen Swordfish movie and it is on the HBO. The chat started off that way and he suddenly asked me if I have seen Matrix first part movie and what do I think about it.

I did really not want to answer as "It is a great movie!" because that is not what I feel towards it. I could not continue chat as my cat been bugging me to talk with her for a while. So, I signed off that time but now I could really not stop myself from writing about what I feel towards Matrix and hence this post!

To me, Matrix is not just a movie! It tells us the reality that we the human beings are neither a part of a computer nor living in a world controlled by one computer. It has got something more to do with the Artificial Ethics, if you know what I mean! Machine-beings don't really have the moral standings while we, human beings do. Those sentient programs does not possess consciousness like humans. Having said that, can Matrix, the movie become real? Well, this an very old interview though (with Michio kaku) but spend some time reading it.

Source: G4TV

Michio Kaku, professor of theoretical physics explains why 'The Matrix' movies are or aren't accurate.


TechTV: In "The Matrix," the laws of physics can be violated, in virtual reality. In that world, machines have taken over, and we are slaves living in a computer-generated dreamworld. Is this a possibility?
Kaku: It's possible, but unlikely. First, our machines today have the intelligence and consciousness of a cockroach. Their insect brains cannot threaten us. However, in the future, they might become as intelligent as a dog or cat. But when they become as intelligent as a monkey, many decades from now, I think they might become a threat and we should implant a chip in their brains to shut them off if they become murderous.

TechTV: In "The Matrix," the humans freed of the Matrix live in a tiny outpost called Zion deep inside the earth. Is this possible?
Kaku: Only in tiny caves, not at the center. Contrary to Jules Verne, the earth is really solid. We know this by analyzing the shock waves of earthquakes as they pass through the center of the earth. Also, using Newton's theory of gravity, satellites can measure how solid the earth is. So Zion would have to be based in a small cave, not near the center of the earth.

TechTV: Can virtual reality give us the Matrix?
Kaku: There are huge problems. It's extremely difficult to hook a computer into the brain. The wiring of the spinal cord is basically unknown. At best, on cats, we've been able to hook into their optic nerves, to see what a cat can see. And in blind people, we can stimulate a handful of pixels in their brain, but that's about it. The brain is still a black box. At best, scientists have, in stroke victims who are paralyzed, placed an electrode in their brain and connected it to a laptop so the paralyzed can move the cursor on the screen by sheer thought.

TechTV: How much computer power would be necessary to create the Matrix?
Kaku: All the computers in the world could not create the Matrix. It takes a supercomputer to simulate even simple aspects of reality, let alone the reality of billions of sleeping humans. The aliens behind the Matrix would have to be centuries ahead of our technology. (But then, if they are that advanced, they wouldn't need humans as batteries. They could just get Eveready batteries at the store instead!)

TechTV: How long will it take for science to duplicate the virtual world of the Matrix?
Kaku: Centuries. At present, we can barely interphase electrodes with parts of the brain. At best, the human brain can be taught to mentally control the cursor of a PC screen by thinking. And our best computers can only create a virtual reality for simple games.

TechTV: In "The Matrix: Reloaded," what did the creator of the Matrix mean when he complained that "anomalies" crept into his computer program whenever he tried to create the Matrix?
Kaku: In physics and mathematics, often tiny defects creep into our calculations that sometimes destroys the entire program. In physics, whenever we try to create a "theory of everything," tiny anomalies occur in the calculation which destroy the theory. Likewise, the creator of the Matrix found tiny anomalies whenever he tried to create an artificial world.

TechTV: What are these anomalies?
Kaku: Neo himself. Neo is actually the sixth incarnation of these anomalies. Each time, tiny anomalies creep into the Matrix that allow for the creation of superhumans like Neo who oppose the Matrix. Each time, the creator of the Matrix has to destroy these anomalies, in the same way that "superstring theory" destroys the anomalies often found in a theory of everything.

TechTV: Why do the sentinels of the Matrix always talk about "causality?"
Kaku: In the movie, causality means predictability. Machines are predictable, but humans are not. That gives us the great advantage over machines, that we are unpredictable, creative, and can think of new ways to defeat the machines. That's why the humans win over the machines of the Matrix, because even "perfect" programs have anomalies, and unpredictable beings (us) are sometimes superior to predictable machines.

TechTV: As a scientist, did you like "The Matrix" movie?
Kaku: Yes, because sometimes it's better for us scientists to suspend the laws of physics and let our imaginations roam!

TechTV:The "X-Men" movies are very popular. They're based on the military conducting a manhunt for mutants, who are viewed as dangerous. Is there anything to fear?
Kaku: Not really. After all, we are all mutants. We are mutant apes. Mutations occur extremely slowly, over thousands of years, and most of them do not survive. So don't expect any mutant baby to be able to teleport across walls or flash laser beams any time soon!

TechTV: Are some of the X-Men's powers possible?
Kaku: Mutations are quite incremental, based on mutations of single genes, so don't expect anything abrupt like magnetic powers. However, in the future, we might be able to artificially create cyborgs with superpowers. For example, if someone ever discovers room temperature superconductors, we might be able to create vast magnetic fields at will, like Magneto. Or lasers can be miniaturized. The smallest laser ever built is a little bit bigger than a cell. Micro lasers may be placed in someone's eyes to give them the power of a Cyclops.

TechTV: Are some of the X-Men so fantastic they violate known physical laws?
Kaku: Yes, laws as we currently understand them. Jean Gray's telekinetic powers cannot be explained by any of the known four fundamental forces. Also, Storm's ability to control the weather would require vast amounts of energy. A simple thunderstorm can unleash the power of several hydrogen bombs. The human body simply cannot generate such power. Furthermore, we do not know of any way in which to walk through walls. That would require neutralizing the electrical forces of the atoms in a wall, and we don't have a clue as to how to do that.

At the end of the day, Does it matter if we are in matrix or in super-field or in 26 dimensions or in oscillating back and forth multiple universes?
Reality (measured values) is still the same :)