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KILLER ROBOTS, DNA TAMPERING and PEEPING CYBORGS: the future looks bright!

Americans optimistic about technology despite being afraid of EVERYTHING

Coming advances in technology have a majority of Americans optimistic about the future, yet nervous about looming technologies, a survey has found.

According to a Pew Research study, 59 per cent of those polled believe that technological change will make people's lives in the future "mostly better" compared to just 30 per cent who predict the future will be "mostly worse."

The study noted that men have a more favorable outlook on the future, where 67 per cent believe it will be mostly better, compared to 51 per cent of women. Men and women who possess university degrees were also particularly optimistic about our technological future, with 66 per cent believing the future will be mostly better.

Despite the favorable overall outlook, however, Americans are leery of specific emerging technologies. The study found that 66 per cent were not in favor of parents altering the DNA of their children to improve physical and mental traits, and 65 per cent were against the idea of lifelike robots serving as caregivers to the sick and elderly.

A further 53 per cent think that a rise in brain implant devices would be for the worse, and just 26 per cent would want to implant a device in their brain to enhance memory and mental performance. 63 per cent would consider the use of drone aircraft over US skies a change for the worse.

Just 48 per cent of Americans favor self-driving cars, though the study found that personal flying craft and other transportation advances were among the most eagerly-anticipated technology advances.

Similarly, 80 per cent of Americans are looking forward to the development of synthetic organs for transplant patients in the next 50 years, but just 20 per cent of those polled would be interested in eating lab-grown meat.

Among the areas where the study found the public to be most skeptical were the ability of science to influence the weather, as just 19 per cent believe weather control will become a reality in the next 50 years.

More likely, according to the American public, is the advent of long term space colonies (33 per cent believe this will happen), teleportation devices (39 per cent), and machines that can create art at the same skill level as humans (51 per cent). ®

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