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纵观我们的历史，我们已经经历了好几波海量连接的浪潮，而每一次这种浪潮的到来都永久地改变了人类的文明。最开始的时候是口语，但紧接着到来的是书面语言、活字印刷术、远程通信、电视以及互联网。我们现在正处在第七波海量连接浪潮的前端。
当这一波浪潮真的到来时，它可以让我们更简单地获取各种信息，并且在我们的日常生活中更充分地利用这些信息。在我们的大脑中植入芯片并且进入一个增强的现实中或许看起来很奇怪，甚至会让人感到害怕，但是自从我们的史前祖先首次学会使用石锤、木矛以及其他工具，我们就在不断强化我们的身体。制造能够扩展我们能力的机器正是我们用于构建先进文明的方式，而且我们绝不会放弃把我们的头脑与人类历史上最强大的工具——互联网连接在一起的机会。
让真正的、多重模式的海量连接成为可能的实际上正是设备性能的指数级增长。我们必须记住，在新的技术被大规模部署后会发生什么。早期的超级计算机可以填满一整栋建筑，而且它们的计算能力比我们今天戴在手腕上的手环还要弱好几个数量级。对人类基因的第一次测序花费了大约10亿美元和13年的时间才将将完成，但今天我们只需要花费不到1 500美元和数小时的时间就能完成基因测序。要不了多久，一种先进的脑机接口和增强现实系统将会变得比今天的一副蓝牙耳机还不起眼，在功能上却比我们现在已经拥有的任何设备都更加强大。
一旦我们的大脑被连接在一起，并且所有的感官都得到了强化，人类就将进入一种新的生存方式和发展阶段，在这个阶段，物理的实体和虚拟的对象将被融合为一个单一的现实。这不但会改变我们与这个世界进行互动的方式，而且会让我们生存在一个更高的层次上。想象一下，我们与其他人交流的不仅仅有各种信息，还有我们的思想和情绪，而这又将是一幅怎样的场景？
我们将不再被束缚在自己的身体内，这可以说是人类历史上第一次，我们可以知道，触动和窥探另一个人的意识以及用一种我们从来没有体验过的方式来分享生活会是一种什么样的感受。横亘在我们与其他人之间的在精神、身体以及数字状态上的鸿沟将会消失。正是在这一点上，海量连接将会实现人类数千年以来的梦想，我们将真正超越我们自身。
没有人知道这一切是否会在20年或者200年后到来，但我们知道这一切肯定会到来，所以还请耐心地准备好，在前方，我们将体验到的很可能是一趟更加狂野的旅程。
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[3] 硬编码是指将数据直接嵌入程序或者其他可执行对象的源代码中的软件开发方式，与从外部获取数据或在运行时生成数据不同，硬编码的数据通常表示某种不变的信息。——译者注
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[15] 在任何物体的表面裹上金属，如锡箔后，它就可以完全隔断电磁辐射。这种现象被称为电磁屏蔽。——译者注
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