Scientists and sci-fi writers explore new tech potentials

BEIJING, May 2, (Xinhua): New technologies are maturing at a rapid pace that could facilitate many futuristic ideas, from underground cities to cyborgs, but scientists and science fiction writers hold differing perspectives on how these advancements might unfold in the future.

Leading sci-fi authors, including Hugo Award winner Liu Cixin, convened with a group of scientists on Tuesday to discuss the possible applications of cutting-edge technologies that are mushrooming amid the ongoing tech boom.

The underground city concept, which figures prominently in Liu’s short story “The Wandering Earth,” is currently enjoying renewed attention thanks to progress on deepEarth drilling.

“An inhabitable underground city may become a reality in the foreseeable future with the help of new technologies,” said Li Huili, an expert on deep-Earth exploration.

Last month, the drilling of a superdeep borehole in China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region exceeded the 10,000-meter mark, making it the deepest vertical well in Asia.

Li said thermal insulation “coats” are being developed to help testing instruments used in drilling survive the heat of the underground environment.

“Imagine covering a city with such a coat, so it can be built at a much greater depth. The underground heat, instead of being a problem, could be harnessed to provide energy for the city,” she said.

Liu concurred that building an underground city is no longer a mere fantasy. However, he noted that it is more likely to be built on the moon or Mars to shield human settlers from strong cosmic radiation.

Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology is another scientific frontier where the boundary between imagination and reality is becoming increasingly blurred. Last week, Chinese scientists unveiled in Beijing the NeuCyber Array BMI System, which allowed a monkey with its hands restrained to control an isolated robotic arm and grasp a strawberry through a soft filament electrode implanted in its brain.

A BCI is a communication system that converts brainwaves into instructions. Li Yuan, a BCI scientist, said the technology has demonstrated its superpower by allowing people with paralysis, for instance, to walk again with the help of mindcontrolled exoskeletons.

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OSLO: Three Chinese researchers arrived at China’s Yellow River Station in the Arctic on Monday to conduct a variety of scientific surveys across the region over the year.

Hu Zhengyi, head of the Yellow River Station, told Xinhua that the station expects to host over 50 researchers this year, who will engage in seasonal expeditions spanning four quarters.

Post-pandemic expeditions at the Yellow River Station have resumed gradually since last July, during which team members have carried out a range of operational surveys and scientific research projects in the fields of glaciology, terrestrial and marine ecology and space physics.

Chinese and Norwegian scientists have also jointly undertaken studies on environmental pollutants in the Arctic.