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Topic: the FUTURE (Read 6744 times)
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Ivan Ivanov
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Internet Piracy
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Recently a friend of mine sent me link to a futurologist site, that had loads of crazy predictions.
For example they said that by the year 2012 we (they didn't really specify who "we" are) will have a private police force, or by some other year we'll make an AI that will get a university degree.
They really put some effort into making it seem like their predictions were serious and had some merit, but after reading them trough, it's quite obvious that they are pulling it from the deepest darkest chasms of their behinds.
In other words anyone could make such predictions.
So I thought, why not?
Why not make such predictions that is.
What do you think will happen in THE FUTURE?
Will we have buildings so tall that the bottom floors will be in constant darkness?
Will we have laser guns, plasma torpedoes, and other weapons with many lights flashing in nice patterns?
Will we have flying cars in rediculous shapes that signalize that this is, without any doubt, THE FUTURE?
Will we ever leave this planet?
Will we have computers that we can talk to?
Or maybe we'll be undone by our own creation a'la Matrix or Terminator?
How do you see the future society?
Star Trekkie Communists?
Melnormish Capitalists?
Crimson Corporation Capitalists?
When do you think all those things will take place?
'Real soon' or a couple of generations from now?
Are you a "can't wait till it happens" optimist, or a "I hope I'll be long gone before any of this" pessimist.
In short, share with us your vision of THE FUTURE.
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Your bruises are reminders of naivete and trust
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Lukipela
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The Ancient One
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I believe that about 50+ years from now, when the oil reserves have run out and no viable replacement has been found, we have receded to small isolated communities.
Travel is no longer possible, except with old trains that can no longer be repaired when they break down. While nuclear, solar, water and wind power could still be harnessed in theory, the production facilities for such power cannot be maintained, due to lack of spare parts and transportation possibilities. We recede back to a world where no electricity exists. All major cities are abandoned when food can no longer be transported, and stand as eerie dead monuments to a long gone world. A large part of the worlds inhabitants have starved to death, and the rest are spread out evenly. Due to massive deforestation and toxins escaping from now dormant plants, a large part of the biosphere is wiped out. Some technological trinkets remain, but as the years pass, fewer and fewer retain functionality.
Eventually, as a few generations have passed, smaller kingdoms start forming once again, and proceed to do battle over the precious famring land that is left. Eventually an Ice Age comes around, wiping out everyone that isn't living near the equator. The people near the equator are forced to do battle with exiles from other areas in order to defend their food and living space, and are their numbers are reduced to a fraction of the earlier.
We sit around in mud huts and eat bananas til the sun goes supernova. Any attempt at regaining civilisation fails miserably. In part because technology has become taboo in stories passed between generations, and in part because the previous civilisations finished off all easily aqquirable resources.
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What's up doc?
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GeomanNL
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I love YaBB 1G - SP1!
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I predict there will be ups and downs. There will be 15 billion people in about 50 years from now, and 14 billion of them will be living in extreme poverty, while 1 billion are extremely wealthy, leading to some extreme civil unrest, civil wars, and several cases of bloody genocide. In about 100 years from now, there will be 40 billion people, engaged in a world wide conflict which leads to about 39 billion deaths. In about 200 years from now, after a meteor impact, a giant flood, and the eruption of a super-volcano, world population will be reduced to about 100 million. In about 500 years from now, there will be a colony on Ceres which houses more people than earth (about 20 million). In about 2,000 years from now, a new messiah will lead people to a new star. In about 100,000 years from now, mankind will have spread across the galaxy.
(btw., this is just a bad joke)
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« Last Edit: March 08, 2006, 12:22:32 pm by GeomanNL »
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prevision
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As if your species is still going to be alive in 50 years.
Apparently internet is a evolving a little quicker than your brain.
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GeomanNL
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I love YaBB 1G - SP1!
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Is that Z ? Long time no see, how're you doing ?
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guesst
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Ancient Shofixti Warrior
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Headlines from the year 2515:
In the year 2515 mankind stands on the brink of enlightment. The formula for a delicious low-fat butter spread is ALMOST perfected.
In the year 2515 the pope give birth to twins and through the miracle of hologramatic projections the entire world is onhand to witness the blessed event.
In the year 2515 the first orbital solar collector is launched providing earth with a nearly unlimited energy suply. When asked why we didn't do this before XCel energy replied, "Do you know how hard it is to get 100,000 miles of extension cord.
In the year 2515 an orbital space station cataloging debris that has been orbiting the earth discovers what apears to be an ancient solar collector. Markings identify it as Mayan in orgin. It is theroised that Mayan civilization fell when someone tripped over the extension cord and unplugged the ancient satalite. The resulting fall of 100,000 miles of extension cord left what is now known as crater lake in Arazona. XCel is reportely examining these claims but assures the public that the same thing will not happen to us because the other side of the extension cord is plugged in at New York.
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Arne
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Yak!
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IF possible, the technological singularity will come and eat us, then it'll proceed by eating all the energy in our galaxy (by using Dyson spheres)... and our galaxy will become something similar to dark matter. Then it will have awesome space battles with other singularities by using neatly designed starfighters... well maybe not, it's a singularity and thus probably identical with other 'alien' ones...?
If the technological singularity doesn't come, most things will just gradually improve, atleast for some 10-15 years, after that it's hard to tell what might happen. For example, most or all (old) scifi writers missed the internet thing entrirely.
I would guess that at some point something radical happens with genetics, cybenetics and AI. Possibly we could become wise immortal networked cyborgs within 150 years. Computer viruses might become a HUGE problem as AI improves. Better not have any buffer overflows on the 'telepathy' (network) link. Religion and superstition (in present forms) might disappear as as people would have the ability to download and understand scientific work (most people now can't even understand the 3-door game problem or name the planets in order). Money and money related crimes might disappear as robots can generate most of the basic necessities things for free.
But all that is just my brain fart. Like I said easlier, after 10-15 years I have no idea.
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« Last Edit: March 08, 2006, 05:55:58 pm by Arne »
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Deus Siddis
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the FUTURE
« Reply #8 on: March 08, 2006, 09:46:49 pm » |
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Forget flying cars, people who thought they were the future are stupid. Instead there will be flying houses, which will eventually be phased out and replaced by flying castles, with built in rail guns and energy-to-matter converters that can transform sunlight into ice cream. Toilets go extinct do to over fishing, and diapers become fashionable, in the centers of congested cities, where it would be too hard to take a brief excursion to the woods.
After the development of superluminal travel, it is discovered that we are the most intelligent life in the galaxy, which explains why there were never any actual visits from extra-terrestrials, despite many centuries of low budget television devoted to the subject. Realizing how unique and special human life is in the milky way, mankind enters an unending age of peace, resulting in the stagnation of all useful technological development. Without new gadgets to offer an alternative, people are forced to find fullfillment through social interface, and some poor souls are sucked into long term relationships, 9/10 of which exist entirely on the Final Fantasy MMCCCLXVII massively mulitplayer online environment.
After a trillion years, mankind is forced to the uneasy conclusion, that despite eons of religious and scientific predictions, there really is no end of the world. Starcraft 2 is finally released.
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JonoPorter
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Don't mess with the US.
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Here are a few realistic predictions:
Neural feedback technology will improve to the pointer where people who have lost limbs will be able to get prosthetics that have a sense of touch and temperature.
The first automated driving system will be approved for use by some federal agency. Then a bug in the software or a fault in the hardware will cause a large amount of loss of life, causing the recall of the cars and a ban on the technology. (Either by law or how people now try to stop nuclear research because its “dangerous”)
New computer monitors will be able to display images in 3D. (Think about the difference between a computer’s monitor and a window to the outdoors.)
The first nuclear fusion reactor that produces energy comes online.
Here are a few less serious predictions:
Gas-Electric hybrid cars will be declared environmentally unfriendly, because of the large amount of battery acid they contain.
Some one will make and sell a dishwasher safe keyboard that can also work underwater.
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guesst
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Ancient Shofixti Warrior
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Aren't you supposed to be studying?
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Ivan Ivanov
*Smell* controller
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Internet Piracy
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We sit around in mud huts and eat bananas til the sun goes supernova. Any attempt at
regaining civilisation fails miserably. In part because technology has become taboo
in stories passed between generations, and in part because the previous
civilisations finished off all easily aqquirable resources.
Wow... I had to put on my sunglasses because the shine of your optimism has nearly
blinded me.
But all in all I think that even if you're wrong, you're still right.
That is, assuming we somehow do get of this planet, and this star system, we're just
pushing away the inevetible.
We might evade a planetary scale disaster, but will we be able to escape a
galactic-scale one?
And even if, and that is a very big if, the universe won't be so hospitable to us
forever.
Either it will dissolve into nothingness, or it will implode back into a single
point, either way we're screwed...
As for my vision of the nearest future, I think I'm with Arne on this one.
For some time things will continue to improve slightly, but whatever happens next is
unpredictable.
The technology we think has a future, may come to a dead end, while the one that has
come to a dead end may suddenly reach a turning point.
If you look at all the past predictions, almost all miss the most important
technologies, while claiming the les significant ones will progress to a ridiculous
point.
There was an episode of a silly sit-com that illustrated this fairly well. The main
character went back in time to the 60's - 70's. He didn't really hide that he was
from the future, so most people tought he was a looney, but one guy asked:
"So, you're from the future?"
"Yeah."
"So, what's it like? Will we have giant star-bases, space-ships and a colony on mars?"
"Uh... no. But we'll have computers small enough to put on our desks, and we'll use
them to play games and stuff!"
"You're crazy!"
Neural feedback technology will improve to the pointer
How to spot someone who spends too much time programming... 
i also predict a new breed of marijuana that will be undetected my conventional means, and only a colonoscopy can determine whether you have or have not been smokin the reefer.
Necessity is the mother of invention.
Someone will make a device to do a colonoscopy in 5 minutes in any conditions.
"Drop your panties sir William, I cannot wait 'till lunchtime" won't be something you here only from Hungarians that don't now English.
Oh and music will become bland and boring and operetic metal will become the new "emo".
You're late on that one, it has already happened.
That's why I'm forced to stay away from my favourite band's forum.
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Your bruises are reminders of naivete and trust
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