The 21st Century

[wavinwayne]

As I look at the history of the 20th century, I am amazed at the advancement of so many technologies, especially with regard to computers, space flight, and flight in general.

What do you guys think will be some of the greatest advancements/achievements, and inventions of the 21st century? How many of you think we may have hit a plateau in many areas of advancement?

 

[GMBoy]

What about the latest technologies to extract oil from the ground? We can now reach oil that was unobtainable just 10-15 years ago with things like horizontal drilling and such. There are so many others - I gotta think about 'em...

 

[Pablo]

Is this for reals? (as we would say on the edge of the barrio)

http://www.3dicon.net/

 

[Tempest]

Quote:
How many of you think we may have hit a plateau in many areas of advancement?

Only because we are wasting our money in other areas rather than technological advancement, but that is a P topic.

Room temperature super conductors will eventually revolutionize the world, and would end our "energy crisis" that many people speak of nearly over night. I have no idea why more resources are not directed at this technology.

 

[Spitty]

Technology has been dependent on the exchange of information, Information exchange has taken a quantum leap in the last 20 years, technological advances will follow.
Personally I find this a little scary!

 

[Schmoe]

There so much we don't know that's already out there. I believe we will tap into E=MC2 somehow and have all the free energy we want. It's just a matter of time.

 

[Gary Allan]

Originally Posted By: Spitty
Technology has been dependent on the exchange of information, Information exchange has taken a quantum leap in the last 20 years, technological advances will follow.
Personally I find this a little scary!


Well, I don't think that I would base that notion on the MASSIVE advancement in information and communication technologies in the past 15+ years. I've seen little REAL emerging technology. Rare stuff becomes commonplace in refinement, stuff that was expensive due to R&D gets cheaper.

But I think the rate of advancement in new technologies can't be measured to the giant leap that something like the space race accomplished in (mostly) the short side of 10 years.

We're still using an over 100 year old designed reciprocating engine and don't look like we're coming up with a viable replacement anytime soon.

We process and store data more effectively and compactly, but I don't see this truly benefiting the species in any direct manner.

 

[Shannow]

I think that :
* we'll see cold fusion confirmed and repeatable (Don't see much of a use in power generation from low temperature stuff, but it will increase our knowledge).
* Dark matter will be abandoned as a theory.

 

[Warlord]

Someone will invent a working perpetual motion machine!

 

[Shannow]

I know the guy. I think that he's onto something.

 

[oilyriser]

Knowledge of the human genome will enable drugs to be invented that can control people's emotions, memory, and desires.

 

[Gary Allan]

Originally Posted By: oilyriser
Knowledge of the human genome will enable drugs to be invented that can control people's emotions, memory, and desires.


Yeah, more "fix it after it's broken". When genetic research figures out how to turn 30-60 into how it is now fro 25-30 ..then they'll have accomplished something.

Although a bit more on your notion here. The thought was that eventually there will be on need for therapists. You would merely go to your doctor who would be versed in psychiatric drugs and he/she would prescribe the right drug to fix your mental ills, great and small.

..but as physiology effects behavior ...behavior also effects physiology. Hence the counselor will still be alive and well in the future.

 

[Tempest]

If people would get their cranium out of their posterior, cloning has the potential to be one of the greatest advancements in human history. And it doesn't even have to be full body cloning. Need a new heart or eye? Kidney? Grow a new one. And no anti-rejection drugs needed for transplant since the genetics match.

 

[Gary Allan]

Well, someday we'll actually want to improve the human condition instead of making a profit off of it's shortcomings. At least I hope we get to that level of enlightenment. Broadening the useful lifespan of a human would be one thing that would help everything. Right now we're typically either developing or decaying with an almost equal span of productivity in the middle. Right now we appear to just extend the trailing edge of our least vital time. Design characteristics dictate your life expectancy, but even if you filter them out, the 40-60 span gets too progressively limiting in utility and durability. Then again, you may not be able to actually slow or stop the aging process when it's usually the result of "damage" to your chromosomes. I guess if you could make more durable chromosomes, that were filtered for defects, it might work. I think the enviroment is changing faster than we would normally adapt to it. We also allow genes to be passed on that would normally be filtered out in the process. That is, neither mutation or natural selection can do much here, imo.

 

[Shannow]

Tempest, stems cells from adult cells are perfectly permissible, and increasing proving their worth. No embryos, no rejection (no anti rejection drugs), no problems or arguments.

 

[Tempest]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
Tempest, stems cells from adult cells are perfectly permissible, and increasing proving their worth. No embryos, no rejection (no anti rejection drugs), no problems or arguments.

Good to know. I haven't been keeping a close eye on that issue. The big Fed passed a no cloning law here a while back.

 

[Gary Allan]

Originally Posted By: Tempest
The big Fed passed a no cloning law here a while back.

I'm sure there's a (envision hand gestures depicting "quote") "Doctor Evil" conducting experiments right now on some private island fortress. Perhaps the Boyz from Brazil.

 

[H2GURU]

I feel as though all the "low hanging fruit" has already been picked? No Cold War to spend money on and reap discoveries for the private sector. I think major progress will be slower in the future even with info-share.

 

[mechtech2]

H2G
URU - Well put. It is certainly exponentially more expensive to go on from this point, in R+D.
We should tap into the seas and oceans, for minerals and power [currents, thermals].

 

[oilyriser]

The human population will peak this century, and 30 years later, "grey dawn" will become global. Universal free access to drugs like Lipitor might help to control this.

The machine population is the thing to watch.

Mathematics continues its forward progress. Weird and wonderful things come from math.