It seems that we’ve been edging toward becoming a race of cyborgs for a number of years. Medical advances like replacement limbs and joints, cochlear implants, and artificial organs are already being used. Improving medical technology and our understanding of anatomy will continue to drive the human race toward immortality, according to scientist Ray Kurzweil. He believes that within 20 years, there will be no need for humans to face death at all. Nanotechnology will be applied to create artificial vital organs and even artificial blood cells.

Kurzweil and other scientists believe that by using nanotechnology, we can reprogram our bodies’ “stone-age software” to halt the aging process, then do away with death altogether. He puts forth some pretty interesting predictions, like saying that within 25 years we’ll be able to sprint 15 minutes without taking a breath or go scuba diving with no scuba gear. He also predicts that nanotechnology will greatly increase our mental capabilities, and virtual reality will become a ubiquitous everyday experience.

In Kurzweil’s perception of the future, we’ll all sport cybernetic limbs and organs, and rely on nanobots to keep us alive through traumatic injuries and illnesses. Some of his predictions may seem far-fetched right now, but current technology isn’t terribly far away from what he proposes. And he’s been right before about the evolution of technology, so who knows? Maybe two decades will be all we need to defeat the grim reaper once and for all.