According to leading Google futurist, computer scientist and inventor, Ray Kurzweil, the next step in human evolution is nanobots which connect our brains directly to The Cloud. What could this mean for beauty therapists in 2030?
Speaking at a recent event organised by the Singularity University at Moffett Field in California, Ray Kurzweil predicts that by the 2030s, humans will be using nanobots, which are capable of tapping into our neocortex and connecting us directly to The Cloud. It’s sort of like having our smart phones implanted into our head and us being able to push buttons with thoughts. Kurzweil says that these clever brain robots could also expand our capacity for emotions and creativity… This got us thinking, what could a nanobot do for a beauty therapist’s brain?
Welcome to beauty therapy in 2030:
You would never forget a client’s name, ever
In 2030, if a regular client surprises you while you’re deciding on what cereal to buy at the supermarket, you won’t have to worry about mind blanks. The current 300 million modules in our neocortex would barely let us remember her name in the two seconds we’d have to recall the information, but in 2030, according to Ray Kurzweil, that number would be expanded to a billion. Access to The Cloud would let us remember a client’s name, her regular appointments, her children’s names, her address. Heck, it would even let us recall what her favourite songs are and where she does her dry-cleaning.
The staff roster will no longer be a headache
You love your team, you’d do anything for them, including letting them have time off to go bungie jumping in New Zealand. But it can be tricky keeping up with everyone’s request and, admittedly, there have been times when you have said yes and got yourself into a pickle. In 2030 with a nanobot in your head this would never happen. Ever. Nope, with a nanobot hooking you up, you’ll be able to manage your staff roster like you would if your brain was actually a highly-organised computer software program capable of juggling hundreds of requests at once.
You’ll be able to make clients laugh
You may even be able to sing to them; a capability that could come in handy with some clients on the wax table.“’We are going to add additional levels of abstraction and create more profound means of expression,” said Ray Kurzweil at the conference. “So we are going to be more musical, we are going to be funnier.” Handy.
You’ll know what your client is thinking
This is not strictly true but you will be able to mentally jot things down that your clients says, as she says them. This is handy, particularly if you are massaging or doing a pedicure and a pen and paper aren’t close-by. If a client tells you they like a nail polish colour, you’ll be able to remember for next time. If they say their son’s birthday is in April, you’ll have access to that information forever. If they have broken up with a guy, you can make a note to never let his name pass your lips again.
You’ll know nice clients from naughty ones
Unlike the 365 day bookings book, which looks like some sort of angst-ridden collective diary by the time 31 December comes around, in 2030, your brain will systematically collect and collate all your clients’ histories. So you can tell, at a glance, which client routinely misses appointments and the one who hasn’t missed her 2pm Tuesday manicure in three years.
You’ll be more God-like
Ray Kurzweil says this ability to expand our brains with the information held in The Cloud will make humans more ‘God-like’. We suppose that means we will be so emotionally superior, we won’t have Monday-itis, like, ever, or be so petty as to even think about complaining that our morning cafe latte was a bit on the weak side. It’s hard to know what this means for salon dynamics if everyone has a nanobot in their heads; a workplace full of god (or goddess) brains certainly gets you, um, thinking…
Have your say: What would you do with a nanobot in your brain?