Predictions of the future! (1 Viewer)

[Jack Briggs]

Wasn't that Gerard K. O'Neill? You know, he or the L5 space-city fame?

 

[Ashley Seymour]

Jack,

O'Neill, yes. Where did I get that Keiper? Probably from another astronomer. I just did a google search on O'Neill a few months ago to see what he wrote since. That article in Penthouse really helped open my mind to looking at space exploration and travel in a different light.

Now Jack, what was the name of that redhead that also appeared in the magazine? Candy Bottoms, or something like that?

 

[Ross Williams]

A few of my predictions for the somewhat near future (50 years or less):

A cell phone implanted in your head. Never be out of touch again.

The only idenity you'll need to carry is your fingerprint. All legal and monetary transactions carried out this way. Perhaps a chip implant instead.

Life spans will double as all organs will be able to be replaced with manufactured ones. Someday you'll even be able to download your brain onto a computer giving you a limitless "life".

 

[Rob_J]

I have no doubt that technology will continue to improve to levels we can not even begin to predict, but at the same time, I don't think people will want to sit in a room by themselves connected to a network and relying on that as their only means of social interaction. What happens if there's a power failure? What happens when the system crashes?

Also, I believe technology will continue to improve our way of life, rather than change it.

The biggest issue I have with these predictions of technology doubling itself every so often (who's law is that again?) is that it won't last forever. Something will stop it, or at least slow it down.

Scientists have been saying for years that our planet is over-due for a plague of a very large magnitude... something like what the middle ages saw. Even with technology, I don't think we would be able to prevent such a catastrophe from happening. Especially in urban areas. Technological advances will definitely slow down when this happens.

 

[Ashley Seymour]

Rob_J

Scientists have been saying for years that our planet is over-due for a plague of a very large magnitude... something like what the middle ages saw. Even with technology, I don't think we would be able to prevent such a catastrophe from happening. Especially in urban areas. Technological advances will definitely slow down when this happens.

Plagues have occured when we did not have even a rudimentary understanding of germ and virus theory. Ancient peoples noticed that when you had pigs and rats around you had disease. So they outlawed pigs, and cleaned up areas that harbored rats.

Since diseases are spread by human contact, it seems like a strong case for more virtual contacts vs real.

If you had 2.5 billion people in the US and a plague ravaged and killed 90% of the population you would be back down to today's population level and even a major slowing of technological advance would still be at much higher levels than we have today.

We have not even touched on when machines acquire human attributes, are considered to have human rights and in many cases become symbiotic with carbon based life forms.

 

[Travis D]

Why don't we just plug everyone into a "Matrix" of sorts and just get it over with.
Honestly though, the thought of implantation of chipbased devices creeps the hell outta me. I don't like being "tagged" or "marked" with anything. It feels to 1984ish. Not to mention the cataloging of humans has never meant anything good. Sure, Credit Cards, Social Security, Driver's Licenses, Addresses, phone numbers are all ways of cataloging, but having them branded on me just seems wrong.
Also, as soon as they can put GPS devices in them, you know they will. And with security as loose as it is, anyone could track your possition. You could either be located in the woods where you got lost or assasinated by a space laser. My god, I'm too paranoid for a 17 year old.
Make it stop! :::goes to weep in a corner:::
Guess I have a thing for the over-dramatic, eh?

 

[Josh_Hill]

I firmly believe that the world will end up being a Matrix, if it isnt already. Wait, did I already type this? DEJA VU!! Ahhhhh....

 

[Mike Lenthol]

I don’t get it though, what is the ultimate goal of all these 'improvements' ? If you ask me we are moving back, not forward, in a sense