Sci Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible (2009–…): Season 2, Episode 9 - Cyborg Army - full transcript

I'M ABOUT TO FUSE TOGETHER FLESH AND BLOOD

WITH MACHINES AND COMPUTERS.

PREPARE FOR A WHITE-KNUCKLED RIDE

AS I BUILD THE ULTIMATE CYBORG ARMY.

ON THIS MISSION,

I'M BACK IN UNIFORM FOR THE FIRST TIME

SINCE I WAS IN THE ARMY IN 1968,

AND I DISCOVER THE
SECRET TO LIMITLESS ENERGY.

WOW, LOOK AT THAT!

LET ME TAKE YOU ON A JOURNEY

TO THE SINISTER SIDE OF SCIENCE FICTION.



[ SCREAMING ]

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE.

I'M DR. MICHIO KAKU.

I'M A THEORETICAL PHYSICIST
AND A SCIENCE-FICTION FAN.

JOIN ME AS I SHOW YOU
HOW TO MAKE SCI-FI SCIENCE.

FROM THE BORG TO "ROBOCOP,"

SCIENCE FICTION IS FULL OF MAN-MACHINES.

WITH THEIR CYBERNETIC
ENERGY AND THEIR SUPER VISION,

THEY'RE MORE THAN A
MATCH FOR ANY ADVERSARY.

SCI-FI FANTASY? I DON'T THINK SO.

I THINK WE'RE CLOSER TO A
CYBORG ARMY THAN YOU REALIZE.

[ CHEERING ]

IT'S GREAT NEWS FOR SCI-FI FANS.

SO, LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION...



WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CYBORG
CHARACTER FROM SCIENCE FICTION?

TERMINATOR.

TERMINATOR!

BORG. BORG!

ROBOCOP!

NO ONE FOR SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN?

[ LAUGHTER ]

THE FANS MIGHT NOT AGREE
ON THEIR FAVORITE CYBORG,

BUT THEY'RE ALL SURE

OF WHAT A MAN-MACHINE SHOULD BE CAPABLE OF.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

NUCLEAR POWER SYSTEM. MM-HMM.

ENHANCED EVERYTHING. SUCH AS?

UH, LIKE, SUPER SIGHT, SPEED, STRENGTH.

HIVE MIND.

A HIVE MIND.

YOU'VE BEEN ASSIMILATED, RIGHT?

[ LAUGHTER ]

CYBORGS ARE THE PERFECT
FUSION OF MAN AND MACHINE.

MY DESIGN WILL DO BATTLE
WITH EVIL CYBORGS AND ALIENS.

TO ACCOMPLISH MY GOAL,

FIRST I HAVE TO UPGRADE THE HUMAN BODY

TO CREATE AN INVINCIBLE ARMY OF WARRIORS.

SECOND, CONNECT THEM TO A HIVE MIND

SO THEY CAN COORDINATE A COMMON
STRATEGY AGAINST AN ADVERSARY.

THIRD, SUPPLY THEM WITH
VAST AMOUNTS OF ENERGY

TO POWER THEM WHEREVER THEY GO.

FIRST UP...

MY WARRIORS NEED ENHANCED
GRIP, GRAB, AND GRASP.

I WANT THEM TO PACK A PUNCH

AND CONTROL AN ARSENAL OF WEAPONS.

ANY SELF-RESPECTING CYBORG

HAS AT LEAST ONE ARM
ATTACHED TO A PROSTHETIC DEVICE.

MY GOAL IS TO CREATE AN ADVANCED
ELECTROMECHANICAL MACHINE...

FULL OF MICROCHIPS,
SENSORS, AND TINY MOTORS

WHICH WILL GIVE A CYBORG SUPERIOR STRENGTH

AND MANUAL DEXTERITY FAR
BEYOND THAT OF ANY HUMAN.

MY FIRST BIG CHALLENGE IS
TO WORK OUT HOW THE BRAIN

COULD CONTROL ALL THIS COMPLEX MACHINERY.

THIS IS ETHAN PAYTON, A MODERN-DAY WARRIOR.

ETHAN WAS A SERGEANT IN THE U.S. ARMY.

ROBBED OF HIS LEFT FOREARM IN BATTLE,

HE'S THE FIRST PERSON IN THE U.S.

TO TEST OUT THIS PROTOTYPE.

IT'S TRULY CUTTING-EDGE.

HIS BRAIN IS SENDING SIGNALS
DIRECTLY TO SOMETHING

THAT IS NOT PART OF HIS BODY.

ETHAN'S THOUGHTS ALONE

ARE CONTROLLING A HIGHLY
COMPLEX PIECE OF MACHINERY.

INSIDE THE HAND ITSELF,

THERE ARE OVER 700
DIFFERENT PIECES AND PARTS.

THE MUSCLES THAT CONTROL
ETHAN'S BIOLOGICAL ARM

ARE STILL WORKING.

UNDERNEATH THIS PLASTIC PART,

THERE'S AN ELECTRODE
THAT RESTS ON TO THE SKIN,

AND IT READS THE SIGNAL
COMING OFF OF THE MUSCLE.

FROM THERE,

IT'S ON TO A MICROPROCESSOR
WHICH MOVES HIS ARM.

THE HAND IS ONE OF THE
MOST COMPLEX MECHANISMS

IN OUR BODIES.

ETHAN'S BRAIN IS NOW WIRED

INTO AN INTRICATE, MECHANICAL VERSION.

THERE'S PROBABLY SOMEWHERE
IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

OF 2,000 TO 2,500 DIFFERENT
PIECES AND PARTS.

IT'S AN AMAZING INVENTION,

BUT MY CYBORGS WILL HAVE
MORE THAN JUST MANUAL DEXTERITY.

THEY'LL NEED TO CONTROL PHASERS,

ROCKET LAUNCHERS, AND PLASMA-CUTTERS.

I THINK I'M ONTO SOMETHING HERE.

I CAN IMAGINE ONE DAY

THIS TECHNOLOGY WILL BE BETTER
THAN THE ARMS WE ARE BORN WITH.

I GET SHUDDERS THINKING
THAT IF THINGS HAD TURNED OUT

A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY,

THAT COULD HAVE BEEN
ME WITH THE BIONIC ARM.

YOU SEE, BACK IN THE LATE 1960s,

I WAS A YOUNG G.I. IN THE
UNITED STATES INFANTRY.

I STILL REMEMBER IT...

THOUSANDS WERE BEING
WOUNDED ON THE BATTLEFIELD,

AND I COULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF THEM.

BACK THEN, THEY SIMPLY GAVE YOU
A WHEELCHAIR AND A WOODEN LEG.

TODAY, WE CAN GIVE THEM
THE PROMISE OF BIONIC LIMBS.

THAT'S HOW FAR WE'VE COME IN 40 YEARS.

JUST IMAGINE WHERE WE'LL BE IN 100.

WE'VE SEEN IT'S ALREADY POSSIBLE

TO SEND SIGNALS TO ARTIFICIAL LIMBS.

IT'S PROOF OF PRINCIPAL.

I BELIEVE THIS TECHNOLOGY
WILL ADVANCE TO THE POINT

WHERE CYBORG SOLDIERS WILL
NOT ONLY HAVE SUPER-STRONG ARMS,

THEY'LL BE ABLE TO INTEGRATE
POWERFUL TOOLS AND WEAPONS

INTO THEIR PROSTHETICS.

TALK ABOUT QUICK-DRAW.

WITH GUNS LITERALLY MELDED
TO THEIR NERVE-ENDINGS,

THEY'LL ALWAYS BE ONE
STEP AHEAD OF THE ENEMY.

BRUTE FORCE ALONE WON'T
MAKE CYBORGS INVINCIBLE.

FOR THAT, THEY NEED A
COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS.

COMING UP...

TRAVEL TEAM, MOVING ON THE ASSAULT.

...I TRY OUT THE LATEST

IN BATTLEFIELD COMMUNICATIONS...

WOW!

...AND TEST GROUND-BREAKING TECHNOLOGY

THAT COULD PLUG MY CYBORGS
INTO A GALACTIC POWERGRID.

THIS COULD BE BIG... REAL BIG.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

THE CYBORG...

THE MOST SINISTER AND FRIGHTENING CREATION

IN ALL OF SCIENCE FICTION,

A NIGHTMARISH SYNTHESIS OF MAN AND MACHINE,

WHICH HAS SCARED THE
COLLECTIVE PANTS OFF AUDIENCES

FOR HALF A CENTURY.

I WANT TO BUILD A CYBORG

THAT'S ON THE SIDE OF JUSTICE AND FREEDOM,

TO BATTLE EVIL CYBORGS AND ALIENS.

THE MOST IMPRESSIVE
ABILITY OF SCI-FI CYBORGS

IS THAT THEY CAN ACT IN UNISON.

THEIR BRAINS ARE LINKED TOGETHER.

I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN IN A TIME WARP.

THE LAST TIME I WORE
ARMY FATIGUES LIKE THIS

WAS BACK IN 1968.

YOU SEE, THIS IS FORT BENNING, GEORGIA,

THE LARGEST INFANTRY
CENTER IN THE UNITED STATES,

WHERE I DID MY BASIC TRAINING.

BUT I HAVEN'T COME HERE JUST TO DO DRILL.

I'M LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION

FOR HOW TO BUILD A
COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS.

SO I'M CHECKING OUT THE LATEST
IN COMBAT COMMUNICATIONS.

IT'S CALLED "LAND WARRIOR."

Qualls: THIS WAS A SYSTEM
THAT IS IN COMBAT RIGHT NOW.

WITH THIS COMES THE HEAD-MOUNTED DISPLAY

WHICH WOULD ALLOW YOU TO VIEW

WHERE EVERYBODY IS ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

AND WHAT WILL I SEE IN THE SCREEN?

YOUR ROUTES, YOUR OVERLAYS, MAPS,

PICTURES OF WANTED PERSONNEL.

THROUGH THIS EYEPIECE,

LAND WARRIOR ALLOWS SOLDIERS TO SEE

WHERE THEY AND THEIR
BUDDIES ARE AT ANY ONE TIME.

IT MEANS THE SOLDIER IS NO LONGER ALONE.

HE'S LINKED UP.

BUT I WANT TO SEE HOW I
CAN ADAPT THIS FOR MY DESIGN.

SO WE'RE GOING TO THE
URBAN TRAINING CENTER...

A WHOLE VILLAGE CREATED TO
PREPARE SOLDIERS FOR COMBAT.

SO, WHEN I WAS HERE, EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE,

SOMEBODY WOULD DROP BECAUSE OF THE HEAT.

HOPEFULLY, NONE OF US DO THAT TODAY.

[ LAUGHS ]

AND HERE'S OUR MISSION...

WE THINK THERE ARE HOSTILE FORCES

IN THE BUILDINGS UP AHEAD.

TO FIND OUT FOR SURE,

WE'RE GONNA SEND OUT TWO
RECONNAISSANCE SQUADS.

SO, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO
NOW IS WE'RE GONNA MOVE OUT,

AND WE'RE GONNA ASSAULT AND SECURE

THESE TWO BUILDINGS THAT WE HAVE HERE.

OKAY, SIR, AS YOU LOOK
ON YOUR DISPLAY THERE,

THE CHEVRON SHAPE... THAT'S GONNA BE YOU.

AND IF YOU'LL LOOK ON TO THE LEFT,

THERE'S A ROUND CIRCLE,
BLUE ICON WITH AN ARROW...

THAT'S GONNA BE ME.

AND YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO
SEE ME AS I MOVE INTO POSITION.

OKAY, LET'S GO.

THE COMPUTER AND GPS IN
THE SERGEANT'S BACKPACK

SYNC UP WITH SATELLITES TO
SHOW EVERYONE HIS POSITION.

SO, I CAN SEE THE WHOLE
BATTLEFIELD LAID OUT.

THERE HE GOES. YOU CAN SEE HIM MOVING.

THE BLUE CIRCLE IS MOVING
TOWARD THE BUILDING.

HE LAYS DOWN MARKERS
USING HIS BELT-MOUNTED MOUSE.

THE RED CROSS...

THE GREEN DOT REPRESENTS ENEMY ACTIVITY.

HE CAN INDICATE BUILDINGS HE'S MADE SAFE

AND THE POSITIONS OF ENEMY FORCES.

DELTA TEAM, THIS IS ALPHA
TEAM. BUILDING'S SECURE.

THE TECHNOLOGY MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE.

ONCE, A SOLDIER WAS
ALONE ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

NOW HE'S PART OF A NETWORK.

IT'S NOT COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS,

BUT IT'S A GREAT START.

I CAN IMAGINE THAT THIS EYEPIECE

WILL BE PLACED AS A
CONTACT LENS INSIDE THE EYE,

AND YOU'LL TELEPATHICALLY
CONTROL THE MOUSE.

50 YEARS FROM NOW,

I BELIEVE WE'LL BE ABLE TO
RECEIVE AND TRANSMIT THOUGHTS.

MY CYBORGS WILL HAVE IMMEDIATE ACCESS

TO THEIR FELLOW WARRIORS' BRAINS,

AND THEY'LL SHARE A
COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS.

I'LL ALSO INTEGRATE X-RAY VISION,

THERMAL VISION,

AND SUPER-SIGHT TECHNOLOGY
INTO MY CYBORG'S EYES.

THAT WAY,

THEIR INTELLIGENCE-GATHERING CAPABILITIES

WILL BE SECOND TO NONE.

BUT ALL THIS TECHNOLOGY

IS GONNA REQUIRE VAST AMOUNTS OF ENERGY.

NANOBATTERIES ARE GETTING MORE POWERFUL,

LASTING LONGER, AND CHARGING FASTER...

BUT THEY NEED TO BE CHANGED.

IT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

I'LL NEED SOMETHING SO ADVANCED,

IT'LL BE STRAIGHT OUT OF SCIENCE FICTION.

THESE CYBORGS ARE GONNA
NEED A LOT OF ENERGY.

NOW, THE TYPE OF ENERGY THEY WOULD NEED?

POSSIBLY NUCLEAR BATTERIES.

IF YOU LOOK AT HUMANS,
WE ARE BASICALLY BATTERIES.

WE POWER OURSELVES.

SO, IDEALLY, A CYBORG WOULD
BE POWERED BIOLOGICALLY.

IF WE COULD SOMEHOW USE BIOELECTRIC POWER

TO CONSTANTLY RECHARGE A BATTERY...

MAYBE THAT COULD BE THE CASE.

CONTINUOUS POWER... THAT'S THE KEY.

IT'LL TAKE MORE THAN
JUST BATTERIES, THOUGH.

I NEED A WAY TO SUPPLY MY CYBORG ARMY

WITH A CONSTANT STREAM OF ENERGY,

BECAUSE AFTER ALL... OF WHAT USE IS AN ARMY

IF YOU RUN OUT OF POWER ON THE BATTLEFIELD?

[ ELECTRICITY BUZZING ]

YOU KNOW, EVER SINCE I WAS A CHILD,

I'VE BEEN FASCINATED BY BUILDING A CYBORG.

AND EVERY YEAR, WE GET CLOSER TO THAT GOAL.

BUT THERE'S STILL A PROBLEM,
AND THAT IS... ENERGY.

ALL THE SENSORS, MICROPROCESSORS, MOTORS,

AND LEVERS CONSUME VAST AMOUNTS OF POWER.

WHERE IS THAT ENERGY GONNA COME FROM?

THE OBVIOUS SOLUTION IS BATTERIES,

BUT BATTERIES... HA! THEY'RE CLUMSY,

AND THEY'RE SHORT-LIVED.

WHO WANTS TO HAVE TO CHANGE BATTERIES

IN THE MIDDLE OF A FIRE-FIGHT?

WE NEED A BETTER SOLUTION.

NATURE ALREADY TRANSFERS ENERGY WIRELESSLY.

IT'S CALLED LIGHTNING.

I'M ON MY WAY TO VISIT KATIE HALL,

WHO HAS SET UP A DEMO FOR ME.

IF IT WORKS,

IT COULD BE THE BEGINNING
OF A COMPLETE REVOLUTION.

ELECTRIC ENERGY IS GONNA TRAVEL

FROM THE BOTTOM TO THE TOP PLATE,

LIGHTING THESE LAMPS
WITHOUT THE USE OF WIRES.

YOU'LL SEE THERE'S NOTHING

IN BETWEEN THE SOURCE AND THE DEVICE COIL,

WHICH IS UP HERE.

THERE'S NO CONNECTION, RIGHT?

THERE'S NOTHING IN
BETWEEN. IT'S JUST FREE SPACE.

AND NOW, WHEN I TURN ON THE POWER SUPPLY...

[ CLICK, MACHINERY BEEPING ]

...YOU'LL SEE THAT I'M ABLE

TO TRANSFER THE POWER WIRELESSLY

BETWEEN THESE TWO COILS
AND LIGHT THESE LIGHTS.

THIS IS REAL, MAKE-OR-BREAK TIME FOR KATIE.

WOW, LOOK AT THAT!

POWER... POWER BEING BEAMED,

BEAMED FROM THE BOTTOM TO THE TOP, RIGHT?

IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE MAGIC,

BUT IT'S ACTUALLY A PHENOMENON

CALLED ELECTROMAGNETIC RESONANCE.

THE SOURCE COIL ON THE BOTTOM

IS CREATING A MAGNETIC
FIELD AT A CERTAIN FREQUENCY,

AND THE TOP COIL IS ACTUALLY TUNED

TO THE EXACT SAME FREQUENCY.

[ ELECTRICITY CRACKLES ]

A FIELD OF ENERGY IS HELD

AROUND THE POWER COIL

BECAUSE IT'S TUNED TO THE SAME FREQUENCY.

THE PLATE IT'S POWERING
COUPLES WITH THAT FIELD.

THEY VIBRATE IN SYNC.

ENERGY TRANSFERS FROM ONE COIL TO ANOTHER.

THIS IS GREAT TECHNOLOGY.

I CAN SEE HOW I COULD USE IT
TO BEAM ENERGY TO MY CYBORGS

OUT ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A
WIRELESS FUTURE, HUH? RIGHT.

THIS COULD BE BIG... REAL BIG.

[ ELECTRICITY CRACKLES ]

WHEN I FIRST HEARD THERE'S A GROUP

TRYING TO BEAM ENERGY ACROSS SPACE,

I SAID TO MYSELF, "GIVE ME A BREAK."

PEOPLE HAVE TRIED TO DO
THAT FOR 100 YEARS AND FAILED.

THERE'S A PROBLEM OF POWER LOSSES,

LOW EFFICIENCY, AND, OF
COURSE, HEALTH EFFECTS.

BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS GROUP
MAY BE ONTO SOMETHING.

WITH LIMITLESS ENERGY BEAMED
TO THEM FROM THEIR MOTHERSHIP,

MY CYBORGS WON'T NEED PIT-STOPS.

THAT'S A HUGE TACTICAL ADVANTAGE

IN THE HEAT OF BATTLE.

I'M REALLY GETTING
SOMEWHERE WITH MY DESIGN,

BUT AS ANY "STAR TREK" FAN KNOWS,

CYBORGS HAVE A SECRET WEAPON.

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE.

YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED.

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE.

IN SCIENCE FICTION, TO
CREATE A TRUE CYBORG,

YOU HAVE TO FUSE MIND WITH MACHINE,

FLESH WITH STEEL.

AND WHAT'S MORE, IN SCI-FI,

HUMANS ARE TURNED INTO
CYBORGS IN AN INSTANT.

SOUNDS IMPOSSIBLE?

WELL, IT'S NOT SUCH A FAR-OUT
IDEA AS YOU MIGHT THINK.

[ ELECTRICITY CRACKLES ]

TO FIND OUT MORE, GO TO...

SO FAR, I'VE GIVEN MY CYBORG
ARMY SUPER STRENGTH,

A HIVE MIND, AND WIRELESS ENERGY.

BUT THERE'S STILL ONE
LAST ENGINEERING OBSTACLE

THAT I HAVE TO OVERCOME...

INSTANT ASSIMILATION.

MY CYBORG ARMY NEEDS TO
TURN RAW HUMAN RECRUITS

INTO FEARSOME MAN-MACHINES IN SECONDS.

HERE'S THE PROBLEM... HOW
TO MERGE MIND WITH MACHINE.

ON ONE HAND, WE HAVE HARDWARE...

THE WORLD OF SILICONE AND
STEEL, WIRE AND TRANSISTORS.

AND ON THE OTHER HAND, WETWARE...

THE WORLD OF NEURONS AND CELLS.

MERGING THE TWO SOUNDS IMPOSSIBLE,

BUT I'M HERE TO SEE A MAN
WHO MAY HAVE THE ANSWER.

THIS GUY ISN'T WORKING FOR THE BORG,

BUT HE MIGHT HOLD THE KEY TO
FAST-TURN-AROUND ASSIMILATION.

WILLIAM SHIH MANIPULATES MOLECULES IN WAYS

THAT, ONE DAY, COULD
RADICALLY ALTER THE HUMAN BODY.

THIS IS A MOLECULAR
STRUCTURE MADE OUT OF DNA.

HOW BIG IS THIS THING RIGHT THERE?

THE DIMENSIONS ARE ONLY ABOUT ON THE ORDER

OF 1,000 TIMES SMALLER THAN
THE WIDTH OF A HUMAN HAIR.

SO, THAT'S ABOUT... OH, I DON'T KNOW...

ABOUT 100 ATOMS ACROSS, RIGHT? RIGHT.

THAT'S INCREDIBLE.

THESE IMAGES ARE MAGNIFIED A MILLION TIMES.

WILLIAM CAN MANIPULATE THE HUMAN BODY

AT THE LOWEST POSSIBLE LEVEL.

THIS OPENS UP ALL SORTS OF POSSIBILITIES.

AND WHAT CAN YOU DO AT THAT SCALE?

WE PROGRAM THE SHORT PIECES OF DNA

TO GRAB THE LONG PIECES
OF DNA AT TWO POINTS

AND THEN PINCH THOSE TWO POINTS TOGETHER.

WHAT KIND OF SHAPE IS THIS?

IN THIS CASE, WE'RE JUST MAKING A BRICK...

A SQUARE-SHAPED BRICK.

WITH THIS BUILDING BLOCK,

YOU CAN, IN THEORY, CONSTRUCT ANYTHING.

YOU COULD BE LIKE A MECHANIC...

CREATE TOOLS, HAMMERS, SAWS, LEVERS,

AND GEARS OUT OF THAT, RIGHT?

EXACTLY. RIGHT.

WITH THEM,

WE'LL BE ABLE TO MAKE MICROSCOPIC MACHINES

THAT CAN ADAPT AND IMPROVE OUR BODIES.

I THINK THE NEXT FRONTIER
FOR THESE KINDS OF METHODS

IS ENHANCING CAPABILITIES.

ANYTHING MIGHT BE POSSIBLE.

WHAT IF WE WANTED TO SEND
PEOPLE OUT INTO OUTER SPACE

AND HAVE THEM SURVIVE
MASSIVE DOSES OF RADIATION?

SO ONE CAN IMAGINE
GENERATING LITTLE DEVICES

THAT ARE INSIDE OF THE CELL

THAT ARE VERY GOOD AT
STITCHING THE DNA BACK TOGETHER

AFTER IT'S BEEN CUT APART.

WOW! THIS IS INCREDIBLE STUFF!

I MEAN, JUST THINK ABOUT IT...

MOLECULAR MACHINES THAT
ALLOW YOU TO CUT, SPLICE,

JOIN OTHER MOLECULES.

THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS.

AND THIS COULD BE JUST WHAT I NEED.

OF COURSE, IT COULDN'T TURN A HUMAN BEING

INTO A CYBORG IN A SECOND.

BUT THIS TECHNOLOGY DOES POINT THE WAY

TO HOW I COULD ONE DAY

FAST-TRACK MY PUNY HUMAN VOLUNTEERS

INTO FORMIDABLE CYBORG WARRIORS.

WHEN I WAS A CHILD,

I STILL REMEMBER THAT ALL THE KIDS

WOULD SWIPE OUR MOTHERS' BED SHEETS,

PUT A BIG "S" ON IT,

WRAP IT AROUND OUR NECKS,

AND JUMP OFF TABLES
THINKING WE WERE SUPERMAN.

WELL, IN THE FUTURE,

YOU WON'T HAVE TO BE FROM
KRYPTON TO HAVE SUPER POWERS.

WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING CALLED BIOMECHANICS...

THE SCIENCE OF CYBORGS.

IT'S THE FINAL PART OF MY DESIGN.

BUT DON'T WORRY...

MY CYBORG SOLDIERS WILL
RETAIN THEIR INDEPENDENCE,

INITIATIVE, AND FREE WILL.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE EVER
DREAMED OF BECOMING A SUPERMAN?

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

WELL, THE REVOLUTION IN
ROBOTICS, BIOMECHANICS,

BIOTECHNOLOGY WILL GIVE US THE ABILITY

TO CREATE SUPER INDIVIDUALS

THAT ARE STRONGER, MORE
POWERFUL THAN NORMAL.

THAT'S JUST THE BEGINNING

OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA SEE WITH CYBORGS.

SO, HERE'S MY BLUEPRINT.

WE'RE GONNA CREATE MATERIALS
THAT ARE SUPER STRONG

AND ENHANCE THE PHYSICAL
STRENGTH OF THE BODY.

I'M GONNA GIVE EACH OF MY SOLDIERS

AN INCREDIBLE ADAPTABLE ARM.

THEY'LL BE ABLE TO OPERATE
ANY DEVICE, TOOL, OR WEAPON.

STEP TWO... SENSORS.

WHY SHOULD SUPERMAN HAVE SUPER VISION,

TELESCOPIC VISION,
X-RAY VISION, AND WE NOT?

MY CYBORGS WILL HAVE
ENHANCED SIGHT SO POWERFUL

THEY'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THROUGH WALLS.

THE NEXT IS THE HIVE MIND.

WE FEAR THE HIVE MIND

BECAUSE IT MEANS YOU'VE BEEN ASSIMILATED.

EVERYONE BECOMES SLAVE
OF THE BORG COLLECTIVE.

BUT, HEY, HAVING A HIVE MIND IS
ACTUALLY RATHER ADVANTAGEOUS.

I'LL NETWORK MY TROOPS.

THEY'LL HAVE ACCESS TO
EACH OTHER'S EVERY THOUGHT

AND BE STRONGER ACTING TOGETHER AS ONE.

BUT ALL THIS HARDWARE IS USELESS

WITHOUT A POWER SOURCE.

I'LL USE WIRELESS ENERGY-TRANSFER

TO MAKE SURE MY FOOT SOLDIERS

NEVER NEED TO RECHARGE OR CHANGE BATTERIES.

WHO WANTS TO BE IN THE MIDDLE
OF A FIRE-FIGHT AND... OOPS!

"I JUST RAN OUT OF POWER.
WHERE'S MY BATTERY?"

NOW, HOW TO MELD ALL OF
THIS WITH THE HUMAN BODY?

THE ANSWER IS NANOTECHNOLOGY.

SO, ANYTHING YOU CAN DO
WITH A TOOLBOX THAT'S LARGE,

WE'LL DO WITH A TOOLBOX
THAT IS THE SIZE OF MOLECULES.

UPLOAD MY SOLDIERS' NEW ENHANCEMENTS

DIRECTLY INTO THEIR CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM.

HARDWARE AND WETWARE WILL FUNCTION AS ONE,

DEFENDING US FROM ENEMY THREATS.

THAT'S HOW I'LL BUILD MY CYBORG ARMY.

SO, THERE YOU HAVE IT. WHO WANTS TO ENLIST?

[ CHEERING ]

I THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT.

I LOOK FORWARD TO BECOMING
ONE AT SOME POINT IN TIME.

Woman: THE IMPORTANT THING IS BEING CAREFUL

WITH HOW YOU USE THAT AND
WHAT THAT'S GONNA DO TO HUMANITY.

SO YOU GOT TO ASK BIG QUESTIONS

BEFORE YOU BUILD SOMETHING THAT STRONG.

I MEAN, IT'S AN AMAZING CONCEPT.

I MEAN, ALL YOUR LIFE

YOU'RE IMAGINING HAVING THESE
SUPER POWERS AND WHATNOT...

BUT IT'S A LITTLE SCARY.

US BEING ABLE TO EVOLVE

PAST NORMAL HUMAN STANDARDS IS BRILLIANT,

AND I REALLY JUST LOVE
THAT IDEA AND THAT CONCEPT.

SO IT'S REALLY JUST FANTASTIC.