Most technologically advanced nation? (1 Viewer)

[Scott L]

A co-worker I have says if USA is the present basis for a worldwide "timeline", then South Korea is in the year 2020. Of course, she is from South Korea.

Didn't argue with her or anything but now I'm curious as to which nation would really hold this description. I know Sweden is up there, but how do countries like South Korea & Japan compare?

 

[Holadem]

Criteria?

--
H

 

[Chris]

Having family who lived in South Korea, it is not a bad country to be in, pretty looks, nice roads, etc. But it's hard for me to say "oh, they are twenty years ahead" In what method?

Medical technology and availability is way better here then there. (Get Cancer over there and your odds are significantly worse then here; need a bone marrow transplant etc. and you're hosed)

Plus, seriously, the country just set a goal of being an equal to the living standard of Europe.. by 2030.

http://www.industryweek.com/ReadArti...rticleID=11406

So, how can they be 20 years ahead of the US.. in terms of what?

I know they are ahead of us in some areas, I'm sure, but I don't see a flock of people banging to leave the US to go live in South Korea

Anyong.

 

[Garrett Lundy]

I'd say the US trail Japan today in 'consumer-electronic technology per capita'.

 

[Tim Hoover]

I have a friend who is from Tehran, and he showed me some pictures of that city today. Futuristic and impressive would not do it justice...

 

[KevinGress]

I agree, we'd need know what criteria to use.

One thing to consider is that most likely just about every modern society is going to have 'pockets' of the most advanced 'stuff'. I wouldn't doubt that among certain populations that South Korea, Russia, Japan, etc. have more advanced technology than the vast number of people in the US, but if we're talking about a country as a whole, the US would be in elite company.

Given their sizes, Japan and Sweden would be two countries I would not be surprised to see top the list.

 

[andrew markworthy]

Technologically advanced would first of all mean that a country made a low contribution to the world's pollution levels and used energy efficiently. Sorry, guys, but the USA would be bottom of the class.

 

[ChristopherDAC]

I don't know that that's the set of criteria which is being proposed &mdash it seems to me that one can talk about technological capabilities, or proliferation of high technology, and efficiency/cleanliness doesn't come into the discussion at all. Even if it were, Australia would be below the US.
Incidentally, there's an interesting graph of standard-of-living vs. per-capita energy consumption: it starts off very steep, then has a knee where the European countries are mostly located, and then continues almost flat out to where the US and, beyond it, Australia fall. Less technologically-advanced countries, of course, have more environmental pollution per unit of energy generated, and in many cases [South-Southeast-East Asia, from India theough Indonesia to China, is full of cases] more pollution on an absolute scale than the countries where advanced industrial technologies are in use. This is one of the main problems with globalisation as it currently exists: production is being moved to areas where it cannot be done efficiently.

 

[andrew markworthy]

So would Canada, but that doesn't deny the point.

 

[Scott L]

So Andrew, if the US is at the bottom what's up top?

 

[andrew markworthy]

If I remember correctly, if you're talking about energy efficiency, it's something like Switzerland.

 

[Jason Kirkpatri]

Global dumping does not equal technologically advanced. Reducing hazerdous byproducts by re-examining the entire production process is advanced.

 

[Chu Gai]

How is energy efficiency measured?

 

[JeremyErwin]

useful consumption + wasteful consumption = total consumption

useful/total = energy efficiency.

 

[MikeH1]

Its a fact that South Korea, per capita, has the most broadband internet connections than anywhere in the world, which can be a measurement of tech advancement.

Article from late 2003:

http://www.clickz.com/stats/sectors/...le.php/3101791


I also found this article that dates from 2002

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2408923.stm

 

[MarkHastings]

Here's proof that Japan is breeding technology superior kids:
http://ebaumsworld.com/2006/02/kidgamer.html

 

[Christ Reynolds]

i saw that a while ago, he's playing GT4. i'm a pretty good GT4 driver, but sadly, i can't achieve what he can in that race. i hope it's faked

CJ

 

[ChristopherDAC]

If raw capability is the measure of "advancement" then responsible use doesn't come into it at all. Case in point: in the twentieth century, Germany has consistently had a high level of technical capability, and during the first half of the century that whole capability was dedicated to the project of making life a living Hell for the peoples of Germany and nearby nations.

I mean, it's certainly possible to measure "advancement" with a set of criteria which take into account the way technology is used, as well as what it is capable of, but it's hardly implied by the question.

 

[Jason Kirkpatri]

I would disagree with the implication that responsibility is not a factor. I do agree with the example, so don't get me wrong.

My opinion is that advancement in this light is the ability for capacity (as you mentioned) but not at the expense of the cardinal virtues. Historic Germany did not embrace these virtues, so I would not consider them advanced.

I don't know of a country that is represenative of being "advanced" while maintaining ethical ideals. As a planet, we're pretty pathetic when it comes to repsonsible capacity and production.