日前一位美国科学家大胆预言，随着纳米技术的发展和对人类身体机能的更深入了解，仅20年后人类便可实现长生不老的梦想。
“金刚不坏之身”不是空想
现年61岁的美国科学家雷·库日韦尔之前曾成功预测过一些新技术的诞生。他表示，人类对基因和电脑技术的了解可谓日新月异，借助这些高尖端科技成果，未来人类修成“金刚不坏之身”绝对不会是空想。
库日韦尔称，理论上说按照人类不断加快的认知速度，20年后便可利用基因技术更换人们身上大部分的重要器官。他进一步指出，虽然他的理论看起来似乎有些遥不可及，但现在人造胰腺和神经植入都已成为现实。
未来人类强健如“终结者”
库日韦尔把他的理论称为“加速返回定律”。他在英国《太阳报》上撰文道：“现在其他很多科学家和我都相信，大概过20年后，我们就能拥有新的技术手段去改编人类古老的身体软件，这样我们就能暂停并逆转衰老。纳米技术能让我们永生。”
“最终，纳米机器人就可以替代血细胞，并以高于血细胞几千倍的效率工作，”库日韦尔说。他预计，在25年内，人们就可以连续15分钟不换气全速奔跑，或者无氧潜水4小时。
他还透露，那些还没换上仿生心脏的心脏病患者，可以很悠闲地开车去医生那里做个小手术，因为患者体内的纳米机器人可以维持他们的生命；基因技术会大大提高人类的智能，以致我们能在几分钟内就写好一本书。
库日韦尔还表示：“如果我们想进入虚拟现实模式，纳米机器人就会关闭我们的脑部信号，然后带我们去任何我们想去的地方……因此我们可以期待半机械人世界的出现，人们将拥有人造肢体和器官。”
如果库日韦尔的预言能够成真，那么未来的人类就如影片《终结者》中的无敌机器人一般勇猛强健，拥有再生超常能力。英国媒体称，虽然很多人都认为库日韦尔的预言极其疯狂，而他本人也是一个得了妄想症的“疯子”，但他其实是麻省理工学院的高材生，甚至还发明了第一部盲人阅读机；在他不做预言家的日子里，库日韦尔其实就是一名严谨的科学家。
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Nine M’sian firms make it to Forbes’ Best under a Billion
SINGAPORE: Nine Malaysian companies made it to the Forbes Asia’s Best under a Billion list this year compared with eight companies last year, according to Forbes Asia.
Glove maker Hartalega Holdings Bhd, which made it to the list for the first time, was also profiled in the September issue of Forbes Asia.
Other Malaysian companies that made it to the list are CBS Technology Bhd, Coastal Contracts Bhd, Hai-O Enterprise Bhd, KKB Engineering Bhd, Latexx Partners Bhd, Mudajaya Group Bhd, My E.G Services Bhd and Willowglen MSC Bhd.
CBS Technology specialises in RFID (radio frequency identification), e-security and e-procurement services; Coastal Contracts is involved in marine services and vessels while Hai-O is a multi-level marketer of herbal care products.
Besides steel fabrication, KKB manufactures steel pipes and LPG cylinders as well as hot-dip galvanising. Latexx manufactures rubber gloves, Mudajaya is involved in civil engineering and construction services, My E.G is an e-government service provider and Willowglen is a computer-based control system provider.
According to Forbes Asia, more companies are making their maiden appearance on Forbes Asia’s Best under a Billion list this year.
“In all, 151 firms are new on the list, compared with 136 last year, while 49 are returnees. Firms in information technology, healthcare and electronics sectors accounted for close to half of the 200 companies on the list,” Forbes said in a statement yesterday.
The annual Best under a Billion list picks the top-performing 200 firms from close to 13,000 publicly listed Asia-Pacific companies with actively traded shares and sales between US$5mil and US$1bil.
Forbes Asia said the selection of the final 200 was based on earnings growth, sales growth and shareholders’ return on equity in the past 12 months and over three years.
This year, China and Hong Kong have once again outdone the rest of Asia-Pacific with the most number of small and midsize firms represented on the list.
“This is the third consecutive year that both economies have dominated the list with 71 firms making the cut, down from 78 last year,” it said.
India is in the second place with 39 entries, 19 more than last year, thus making it the biggest gainer while South Korea is in the third position with 20 companies, followed by Taiwan with 19 and Australia with 13. Malaysia tied with Thailand for the sixth most number of entries.
The 200 winning companies will be honoured at an award ceremony and dinner in Hong Kong on Nov 23.
Glove maker Hartalega Holdings Bhd, which made it to the list for the first time, was also profiled in the September issue of Forbes Asia.
Other Malaysian companies that made it to the list are CBS Technology Bhd, Coastal Contracts Bhd, Hai-O Enterprise Bhd, KKB Engineering Bhd, Latexx Partners Bhd, Mudajaya Group Bhd, My E.G Services Bhd and Willowglen MSC Bhd.
CBS Technology specialises in RFID (radio frequency identification), e-security and e-procurement services; Coastal Contracts is involved in marine services and vessels while Hai-O is a multi-level marketer of herbal care products.
Besides steel fabrication, KKB manufactures steel pipes and LPG cylinders as well as hot-dip galvanising. Latexx manufactures rubber gloves, Mudajaya is involved in civil engineering and construction services, My E.G is an e-government service provider and Willowglen is a computer-based control system provider.
According to Forbes Asia, more companies are making their maiden appearance on Forbes Asia’s Best under a Billion list this year.
“In all, 151 firms are new on the list, compared with 136 last year, while 49 are returnees. Firms in information technology, healthcare and electronics sectors accounted for close to half of the 200 companies on the list,” Forbes said in a statement yesterday.
The annual Best under a Billion list picks the top-performing 200 firms from close to 13,000 publicly listed Asia-Pacific companies with actively traded shares and sales between US$5mil and US$1bil.
Forbes Asia said the selection of the final 200 was based on earnings growth, sales growth and shareholders’ return on equity in the past 12 months and over three years.
This year, China and Hong Kong have once again outdone the rest of Asia-Pacific with the most number of small and midsize firms represented on the list.
“This is the third consecutive year that both economies have dominated the list with 71 firms making the cut, down from 78 last year,” it said.
India is in the second place with 39 entries, 19 more than last year, thus making it the biggest gainer while South Korea is in the third position with 20 companies, followed by Taiwan with 19 and Australia with 13. Malaysia tied with Thailand for the sixth most number of entries.
The 200 winning companies will be honoured at an award ceremony and dinner in Hong Kong on Nov 23.
Steamships’ stunning results
CONGLOMERATE Steam-ships Trading Co Ltd has had a stunning 75.5% increase in after-tax profit in the half-year to June, to a record K65.9 million, up from K38.2 million.The company's half-year results released to the Australian Stock Exchange showed that total revenues in the six months to 30 June this year had risen by 66% to K366.5 million from K220.8 million the previous year.Directors said: "Hotels, property and shipping divisions have had a solid six months to date, due to strong demand for their services."Divisional accounts showed that shipping and transport was the group's top profit spinner, contributing K32.7 million to group profit, followed by hotels with K14.5 million and property and investment with K14.3 million.Steamships directors said demand for hotel accommodation remained strong and that the Gateway and Ela Beach expansion projects in Port Moresby had been delayed by four months but were nearing completion."The 160-room Grand Papua Hotel development continues on schedule for completion next year," they said.The shipping operations also had a good half-year with high usage rates for vessels and good cost containment.Two newly-purchased barges and two tug boats have been fully commissioned starting last month.Other segments that did well included the stevedoring business and industrial and residential properties in Lae and Port Moresby.The directors said the manufacturing division had a poor start to the year but should see an improvement in the second-half due to consolidation of the Lae facility and an alternate distribution supply chain."The solid performance of the PNG economy, with its continuing stable exchange rate and low interest rates, has meant that the group has, as in previous years, been able to continue to invest with confidence in new projects and assets," they said, adding that long term investments would "grow the company".They said the second-half should see further improvement in earnings as current economic conditions persist "and the LNG project gains traction".
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