We will soon see a new generation of wearable devices such as bracelets, watches, and clothing that use external sensors to perform electrocardiograms and measure our temperature, blood oxygenation, and other vital signs. These will later be replaced by less obtrusive sensors in skin patches, tattoos and eventually microchips embedded in our bodies. As well, we will have cameras and heat, gas, and sound sensors in our bathrooms, kitchens, and living rooms that constantly monitor our health and lifestyle.Of course, the government will NEVER use technology to monitor our lifestyles. That would be tyranny, and Obama said that would never happen.
“Unfortunately, you’ve grown up hearing voices that incessantly warn of government as nothing more than some separate, sinister entity that’s at the root of all our problems,”Obama told the audience at the Ohio State commencement ceremony. “They’ll warn that tyranny is always lurking just around the corner. You should reject these voices.” Calling on the students to dispense with “individual ambition,” Obama attempted to align his big government agenda with the vision of the founding fathers, lamenting the fact that less and less Americans trust the state.
Simpler yet, look for chemosensors that will be integrated into cellphones in order to analyze the users health non-invasively. For example, think of the advances in measuring blood sugar for diabetics - there’s already been work on chemosensors that are sensitive to specific chemicals in the exhaled breath that are produced by certain diseases, including cancer. The phone provides the needed intelligence and communications gateway.
It is already possible to attach instruments to a standard smartphone that rival Doctor McCoy’s scanners, like the Wello: https://azoi.com/
Before long these technologies will surpass what was envisioned on Star Trek just as mobile devices have already surpassed the capability of Captain Kirk’s flip-phone communicator.