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Future perfect?
Mar. 16th, 2004 01:26 pmThis Article from "the first democratically edited book" on the Beeb website makes for interesting and amusing reading at times, why? Flying car syndrome.
This meaning that people seem to have a universally bright vision of the future, of what technology can do and what it will be able to do and where it will take us. There is very little, if any, black marks in this book - most of the visions are all 'brave new world', saving one article I found about banana dying out due to breeding seedless crops.
Progression; development. It's all assumed to be for the benefit of the world; the worlds munitions output and development of such items as the machine gun have hardly been helpful developments in the safety of the world.
But I'm not saying we should go back to stone houses and dig out the old flint clubs once again, we just need to unblinker our eyes and see everything rather than the happy shiny world we want it to be. Movies and CGI can paint all the unreality they want, but certain facets of technology that people adamantly seem to believe will be developed aren't going to change.
Take cars. The fundamentals for a car haven't really changed for a car haven't changed in fifty years; a metal box with four wheels. You steer with another wheel, change gears, accelerate and decelerate with the same old pedals.
Why don't we have flying cars? Do you seriously trust some of the people out there on the road to drive something that can fly? Given the rush hour congestion what sort of horrific accidents are going to happen if every car can fly? How do you define roads when people will just fly where they want?
It ain't happening.
The future isn't bright, the futures is just today tomorrow; things will be invented, we will alter certain elements of our life and yes things will be developed that will change the world, but these can be for the worse as well as the better.
News today contains 90% or more stories of doom and gloom, I don't see why the Beeb's decided that this world in 16 odd years is going to have suddenly cleaned everything up and wowed us all into a cosmic harmony.
Think about it, what’s significantly changed in the world since 1988? I'll be surprised if the first thing you say isn't "the internet" how long does it even take you to think of something else?
Are we reaching a plateau of development, or are we just heading towards the cliff when something snaps?
You might wish that you could fly like a bird instead of walking.
Maybe the birds wish they could walk instead of hopping.
This meaning that people seem to have a universally bright vision of the future, of what technology can do and what it will be able to do and where it will take us. There is very little, if any, black marks in this book - most of the visions are all 'brave new world', saving one article I found about banana dying out due to breeding seedless crops.
Progression; development. It's all assumed to be for the benefit of the world; the worlds munitions output and development of such items as the machine gun have hardly been helpful developments in the safety of the world.
But I'm not saying we should go back to stone houses and dig out the old flint clubs once again, we just need to unblinker our eyes and see everything rather than the happy shiny world we want it to be. Movies and CGI can paint all the unreality they want, but certain facets of technology that people adamantly seem to believe will be developed aren't going to change.
Take cars. The fundamentals for a car haven't really changed for a car haven't changed in fifty years; a metal box with four wheels. You steer with another wheel, change gears, accelerate and decelerate with the same old pedals.
Why don't we have flying cars? Do you seriously trust some of the people out there on the road to drive something that can fly? Given the rush hour congestion what sort of horrific accidents are going to happen if every car can fly? How do you define roads when people will just fly where they want?
It ain't happening.
The future isn't bright, the futures is just today tomorrow; things will be invented, we will alter certain elements of our life and yes things will be developed that will change the world, but these can be for the worse as well as the better.
News today contains 90% or more stories of doom and gloom, I don't see why the Beeb's decided that this world in 16 odd years is going to have suddenly cleaned everything up and wowed us all into a cosmic harmony.
Think about it, what’s significantly changed in the world since 1988? I'll be surprised if the first thing you say isn't "the internet" how long does it even take you to think of something else?
Are we reaching a plateau of development, or are we just heading towards the cliff when something snaps?
You might wish that you could fly like a bird instead of walking.
Maybe the birds wish they could walk instead of hopping.
