10 Aug 2015

Rise of the machines

From Nine To Noon, 10:10 am on 10 August 2015

James Burke science historianJust over 40 years ago James Burke predicted the rise of personal computers would lead to a future where the whole world was interconnected.

Today he's predicting an even bigger technological revolution, he thinks the rise of machines called "personal nanofactories" is going to change the world from one where people compete for scarce resources to one of near infinite abundance. What's more he says this is all going to happen in the next 50 years.

James Burke talks to Lynn Freeman.

James Burke is a science historian and he's currently writing a book about where science will take us in the coming decades.

He's also the creator of a hugely popular TV show called Connections which was broadcast in the 1970s and explored the links between topics as diverse as marine navigation and classical composers.