The number 666 has special meaning in the Bible. The book of Revelations mentions it as the identifier known as the Mark of the Beast, an evil anti-god power known as the Anti-Christ.
Revelations 13:16-18 (NIV) “16 It (the beast) also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666."
Controlled Commerce
The implication of the Bible verse above is that a system exists that can control all commerce based on whether a person has the right identifier (ID) in the form of a mark on the forehead or hand. On a global scale, such control would have been utterly impossible across human history.
Does the technology exist to control commerce on a global scale, such that "they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark"? Until recently, the answer was a resounding NO. But that is all changing. Key technological advances in the following areas are seriously worth watching, because they could usher in an era of electronic commerce on a global scale, that will be both wonderful and empowering and utterly subject to domination. What are the technologies?
- Cashless Society: Billions of people use credit and debit cards every day to buy items. In parts of the word, large cities are being compelled to a cashless system where even street vendors are required to only accept credit cards. One has to wonder why? On the up side, it reduces the burden of handling cash, reduces counterfeits, enforces legal taxation and eliminates some black markets. On the down side, it gives governments the ability to monitor and potentially control all transactions.
- Super Computers: Todays super computers are working on the peta-scale. The Summit super computer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory operates at 200 petaflops. That is 200,000,000,000,000,000 math operations per second. The next generation will potentially be a thousand times faster and be the first generation of computers with more neural connections than the human brain. They will operate on the exa-scale (1018 floating point math operations per second).
- Quantum Computers: As fast as super computers are today, quantum computers will be able to perform some tasks in weeks that would take our fastest super computers centuries. While quantum computers can not do all of the tasks of a traditional computer, they can be connected to normal computers for quite literally a quantum leap in computing capabilities.
- RFI Chips: RFI chips are in more and more applications. Most common today are RFI chips in our cars to connect toll booth in state highways to our credit cards. These chips receive a signal when approaching a toll gate, and respond with identification of the vehicle. RFI chips are now being implanted into humans to serve as ID tags in lieu of company badges. These chips are often implanted under the skin in one's hand. This lets the person pass the company security check, log into one's computer, bill appropriate charges to one's department (e.g., copier services) and even pay for one's lunch in the company cafeteria. Unlike traditional work badges, these chips can not be lost, forgotten at home, or easily given to someone else. RFI chips are appearing in more and more product labels. This already has resulted in stores that require no interaction with sales associates. Stores with 100% of products with RFI chips can be entered, and product just taken. In this case, an RFI chip on a card in the possession of the customer is linked to the chips of the products taken, and the customer is billed when they take the products from the store.
- Digital Currency: Bitcoin, Ethereum and many other digital currencies are being used on a global scale. In an instant, non-traditional digital currency can be used to transact business across the Internet with little or no cost of transaction and no complex and fluctuating exchange rates.
- Global WiFi: Global coverage of the Internet is going through major upgrades at the time of this writing. Thousands of inter-connected satellites are providing highspeed global Internet services. Even the most remote locations can now have reliable Internet connectivity.
- Artificial Intelligence: To quote, Ray Kurtzweil, the singularity is near. Artificial intelligence uses large amounts of data to develop decision algorithms that imitate human learning. It's used in more and more applications from speech recognition on one's phone to searching for tumors in x-rays. These algorithms are so good that they now outperform humans on a regular basis. Kurtzweil's singularity refers to the event when artificial intelligence exceeds human intelligence, which is approaching rapidly if it hasn't already happened. When it truly does happen, computers will design better and better computers, software will write better and better software without human frailty (fatigue, hunger, passion, bias) in the mix. Influencers like Bill Gates and Elon Musk have spoken publicly on how AI poses an "existential threat" to man kind. In normal language, that means that IA could make humans become extinct. This author does not believe that will happen, because humans are remarkably useful machines that can be exploited via the next technology listed, brain computer interfacing.
- Brain Computer Interface: Every sense in your body sends small electronic signal signals to your brain through your nervous system. This includes everything: sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch. This is also true for thoughts, everything from fantasies to memories are all based on electronic signals passed through the brain. In return, your brain sends signal back through your nervous system to control your motor responses, everything from chewing food, to kicking a ball, to breathing. In the last few years, major leaps have been made to mapping these signals. The day is rapidly approaching when brains (human and otherwise) will be connected to computers and every imaginable sensation will be detected, interpreted and analyzed. Several companies are making great headway in this technical area including Elon Musk's company Neural Link. In many cases, the application of this technology will be wonderful and mark a major leap in mankind. One will only have to think about a topic, and the entire repository of the Internet will be available. No typing on a computer or looking at a screen. People will be able to share every imaginable experience, sensation and all knowledge. Surgeons will be able to see, hear, smell and touch in their minds the patients being treated by first responders, and even "take over" the first responder's body to perform emergency surgery. This connectivity will benefit every category of existence from scientific exploration to the execution of warfare. Furthermore, the human body will be monitored in amazing new detail. Appetites and nutrition level will be monitored and controlled, and in little time human health and well being will be at its maximum potential. And when not working, entertainment will now be full body emersion in a reality that is more than todays sight and sound based virtual reality, it will engage every sense and emotion. All of this will only cost the price of an implant in the brain that connects one's brain to the Internet.
The implication of the prophecy of 666 are substantial and on the verge of being technically feasible for the first time in human history.
Useful Information
The following are links to articles and information related to the topics above.