A Mature Discussion on Where Technology and the world is going

Hey guys, let's keep this mature and reasonable, it could get interesting. If you think about how much technology has changed and how society and lifestyles have changed in just the last 50 years, it is crazy, even the last 10 years with nano technology and biotechnology. I read a lot about computers, tech, and do a lot of work and studying in the field related to biotech and genetics. It amazes me where it's at. with the microsoft video someone posted, i thought it was just amazing where computers are going, being able to touch and drag and having a virtual desktop, and how cameras and mp3 players could be detected without any cords or wires, all lasers, just amazing to transfer data by lasers you cant see. well it got me thinking, how much tech and society has changed in the last 10 years, 50 years, or even 500 years, where is it going to be in 10 years, 50 years, and so on?

my answer would be a lot related to genetics and biotech. i work in that field right now, and having a cure to cancer, diabetes, aids, downs syndrome, height, everything actually just by manipulating a gene before you are born or even after you have had the disorder is right around the corner. what if people lived to 200 because of the elimination of chronic diseases? ive read hundreds of articles about this in my medical soc class.

what about economics, will china be the next super power? probably so in 50 years or so, the way things are going, not biased at all.

what about technology? will we all have little storage devices we can pick up and use for everything, movies, tv shows, shopping, computers, etc? whats next after computers or space? If we can create particles and bind them for molecular growth, how soon will we be able to create water or gasoline? what about being able to create anythingby pulling atoms out of the air, this idea started 10 years ago before nanotech really set on.

i saw an article about computers soon being able to work without cords or wires, it would all be lasers, and would work faster. will other hardware and appliances all one day exist without wires? that would be a whole new world, being able to plug in anywhere with anything. electricity theft a new crime? how about if cars are on electricity and charge while driving? crazy 

This should be an interesting thread, keep it like that

I know one thing for sure, It's all thanks to capitalism.

I think that the internet will grow much bigger.

Hey guys, let's keep this mature and reasonable.

ncderek

Ha.

time machines.....Apocalypse33

bring it on.. lol 

I can't wait for the air-powered cars!!! They actually have some in developement right now!!! They actually have a generator that runs on compressed air too!!!

BTW my source is that "future cars" special they had on discovery. 

I can't wait for the air-powered cars!!! They actually have some in developement right now!!! They actually have a generator that runs on compressed air too!!!

BTW my source is that "future cars" special they had on discovery. 

LostProphetFLCL

Seriously man, have you heard of this car that runs on water? (That 70s Show) 8)

This is something i have discussed before, and we all came to the conclusion that the growth of technology isnt really as big as you think. Sure, what we have today is amazing compared to 10 years ago, but it comes in bursts. What you said about all the data transfer methods is correct, but its all the same kind of technology..... wifi, infared, bluetooth etc. They are each kind of related to each other.

What im trying to get at is at around 80 or so years ago, we had an enormous burst of new technology, with America leading the way (cars, cinema, the first skyscrapers etc), in our age we have computers, the internet, the growing popularity of mobile phones and everything being connectible.

So if you look at this way, it would seem that great strides are made over long periods of time. Sure you can say that its amazing compared too 10 years ago, but its also amazing compared to 20, 30 ,40 and 80 years ago

[QUOTE="LostProphetFLCL"]

I can't wait for the air-powered cars!!! They actually have some in developement right now!!! They actually have a generator that runs on compressed air too!!!

BTW my source is that "future cars" special they had on discovery.

Sajo7

Seriously man, have you heard of this car that runs on water? (That 70s Show) 8)

Too bad that water isn't a viable fuel as you simply don't get enough power from it. If they could find some way to improve that concept, it would be awesome! 

Well, in the next few years they will have the new battery cars ready, and they are way more efficient then anything we have seen.mark4091

Battery cars? what are they? All cars already have batterys in them

[QUOTE="mark4091"]Well, in the next few years they will have the new battery cars ready, and they are way more efficient then anything we have seen.getsmelifted

Battery cars? what are they? All cars already have batterys in them

I think he means electric cars.... 

another interesting concept is fusion energy, weve already played around with it and found it possible, so that could possibly eliminate the fear of our sun dying, because of course it will someday, but if we find a way to contain it and make it usable, then thats pretty neat.

to reply, yes there wont be any huge changes any time soon, things will jsut get better, but how much better? im not asking it, thats kind of the topic 

[QUOTE="getsmelifted"]

[QUOTE="mark4091"]Well, in the next few years they will have the new battery cars ready, and they are way more efficient then anything we have seen.LostProphetFLCL

Battery cars? what are they? All cars already have batterys in them

I think he means electric cars.... 

Ok. Then i would have to point out that electric cars have been ready for years, but they are so slow it means that you cant go on the motorway. Electricity just cant power a car the way petrol can. Its not combustible. Solar energy has the same problem

The advances in biology are most frightening. I am not sure how much progress we will now make in physics. Possibly very little, but those previous acheivments are still being realized in biology. Once the technology gets good enough, we'll become masters of neurology and able to control how we feel extremely easily with chemicals. Brave New World kinda stuff eventually.quiglythegreat

I will fight and resist that sort of thing....

Anyways, I can't wait to see them develope nano-technology!!! The thought of being able to have little machines in your body that could unclog arteries and repair your body from the inside is amazing!!!! 

[QUOTE="quiglythegreat"]The advances in biology are most frightening. I am not sure how much progress we will now make in physics. Possibly very little, but those previous acheivments are still being realized in biology. Once the technology gets good enough, we'll become masters of neurology and able to control how we feel extremely easily with chemicals. Brave New World kinda stuff eventually.LostProphetFLCL

I will fight and resist that sort of thing....

Anyways, I can't wait to see them develope nano-technology!!! The thought of being able to have little machines in your body that could unclog arteries and repair your body from the inside is amazing!!!!

[QUOTE="LostProphetFLCL"][QUOTE="getsmelifted"]

[QUOTE="mark4091"]Well, in the next few years they will have the new battery cars ready, and they are way more efficient then anything we have seen.getsmelifted

Battery cars? what are they? All cars already have batterys in them

I think he means electric cars....

Ok. Then i would have to point out that electric cars have been ready for years, but they are so slow it means that you cant go on the motorway. Electricity just cant power a car the way petrol can. Its not combustible. Solar energy has the same problem

Things will advance though.

There is good research going on to help develope new, more efficient solar panels. After all, the sun IS the greatest source of energy we have. The problem is capturing that energy... 

[QUOTE="mark4091"]Well, in the next few years they will have the new battery cars ready, and they are way more efficient then anything we have seen.getsmelifted

Battery cars? what are they? All cars already have batterys in them

they have a giant battery simmiliar to one you would see in a laptop, but it works with the fuel (which will probably be bio diesel by that time, which is really efficient on it's own), I'm not exactly sure how, I read that they are trying to have them out in the next few years.

The advances in biology are most frightening. I am not sure how much progress we will now make in physics. Possibly very little, but those previous acheivments are still being realized in biology. Once the technology gets good enough, we'll become masters of neurology and able to control how we feel extremely easily with chemicals. Brave New World kinda stuff eventually.quiglythegreat

We are doing that extremely well already. On one hand you have the medication (legal) pills. They combat depression, paranoia, anxiety etc. On the other hand you have recreational (illegal) drugs. Ecstasy, blow, dope. They help you fell happy euphoric, giggly etc. I think we are already doing a pretty good Job with chemical mood alteration

[QUOTE="quiglythegreat"]The advances in biology are most frightening. I am not sure how much progress we will now make in physics. Possibly very little, but those previous acheivments are still being realized in biology. Once the technology gets good enough, we'll become masters of neurology and able to control how we feel extremely easily with chemicals. Brave New World kinda stuff eventually.getsmelifted

We are doing that extremely well already. On one hand you have the medication (legal) pills. They combat depression, paranoia, anxiety etc. On the other hand you have recreational (illegal) drugs. Ecstasy, blow, dope. They help you fell happy euphoric, giggly etc. I think we are already doing a pretty good Job with chemical mood alteration

No, contrary to what companies might want you to think, we do not have anything that combats depression effectively..... 

[QUOTE="quiglythegreat"]The advances in biology are most frightening. I am not sure how much progress we will now make in physics. Possibly very little, but those previous acheivments are still being realized in biology. Once the technology gets good enough, we'll become masters of neurology and able to control how we feel extremely easily with chemicals. Brave New World kinda stuff eventually.getsmelifted

We are doing that extremely well already. On one hand you have the medication (legal) pills. They combat depression, paranoia, anxiety etc. On the other hand you have recreational (illegal) drugs. Ecstasy, blow, dope. They help you fell happy euphoric, giggly etc. I think we are already doing a pretty good Job with chemical mood alteration

[QUOTE="ncderek"]

Hey guys, let's keep this mature and reasonable.

Sajo7

Ha.

I lol'd too. Everyone knows the future will bring breakdancing robots for all. 

Things will advance though.

There is good research going on to help develope new, more efficient solar panels. After all, the sun IS the greatest source of energy we have. The problem is capturing that energy...

LostProphetFLCL

Very interesting idea with solar energy there. 

[QUOTE="getsmelifted"]

[QUOTE="quiglythegreat"]The advances in biology are most frightening. I am not sure how much progress we will now make in physics. Possibly very little, but those previous acheivments are still being realized in biology. Once the technology gets good enough, we'll become masters of neurology and able to control how we feel extremely easily with chemicals. Brave New World kinda stuff eventually.LostProphetFLCL

We are doing that extremely well already. On one hand you have the medication (legal) pills. They combat depression, paranoia, anxiety etc. On the other hand you have recreational (illegal) drugs. Ecstasy, blow, dope. They help you fell happy euphoric, giggly etc. I think we are already doing a pretty good Job with chemical mood alteration

No, contrary to what companies might want you to think, we do not have anything that combats depression effectively..... 

Sorry dude, but your wrong. Its not the companies, its the doctors. They prescribe it because in a lot of cases, it really does help. Sure, everyone is different, and pills wont work on every single person who takes them, but they are one of the many ways to help combat depression. As is exercise, as has been recently discovered.

[QUOTE="getsmelifted"]

[QUOTE="mark4091"]Well, in the next few years they will have the new battery cars ready, and they are way more efficient then anything we have seen.mark4091

Battery cars? what are they? All cars already have batterys in them

they have a giant battery simmiliar to one you would see in a laptop, but it works with the fuel (which will probably be bio diesel by that time, which is really efficient on it's own), I'm not exactly sure how, I read that they are trying to have them out in the next few years.

MMMM, dude, have u been taking some of those illegal drugs we have been talking about? Just kidding.

But seriously, the battery in a car is a lot larger than a laptop battery. In fact, its a lot larger than a laptop. And it doesnt run on fuel, it runs on electricity. It powers all your little dials and such, and if its flat, your car wont start. A car battery has nothing at all to do with what ever fuel is powering your car

[QUOTE="LostProphetFLCL"][QUOTE="getsmelifted"]

[QUOTE="quiglythegreat"]The advances in biology are most frightening. I am not sure how much progress we will now make in physics. Possibly very little, but those previous acheivments are still being realized in biology. Once the technology gets good enough, we'll become masters of neurology and able to control how we feel extremely easily with chemicals. Brave New World kinda stuff eventually.getsmelifted

We are doing that extremely well already. On one hand you have the medication (legal) pills. They combat depression, paranoia, anxiety etc. On the other hand you have recreational (illegal) drugs. Ecstasy, blow, dope. They help you fell happy euphoric, giggly etc. I think we are already doing a pretty good Job with chemical mood alteration

No, contrary to what companies might want you to think, we do not have anything that combats depression effectively.....

Sorry dude, but your wrong. Its not the companies, its the doctors. They prescribe it because in a lot of cases, it really does help. Sure, everyone is different, and pills wont work on every single person who takes them, but they are one of the many ways to help combat depression. As is exercise, as has been recently discovered.

it's neither, doctors are so bureaucratized now, that they are trained to do the cheapest methods. also, people are so educated about their disorder because of internet and media that they may request things they dont really need. also the rise in non professional doctors have caused this problem. 

[QUOTE="LostProphetFLCL"][QUOTE="getsmelifted"]

[QUOTE="quiglythegreat"]The advances in biology are most frightening. I am not sure how much progress we will now make in physics. Possibly very little, but those previous acheivments are still being realized in biology. Once the technology gets good enough, we'll become masters of neurology and able to control how we feel extremely easily with chemicals. Brave New World kinda stuff eventually.getsmelifted

We are doing that extremely well already. On one hand you have the medication (legal) pills. They combat depression, paranoia, anxiety etc. On the other hand you have recreational (illegal) drugs. Ecstasy, blow, dope. They help you fell happy euphoric, giggly etc. I think we are already doing a pretty good Job with chemical mood alteration

No, contrary to what companies might want you to think, we do not have anything that combats depression effectively.....

Sorry dude, but your wrong. Its not the companies, its the doctors. They prescribe it because in a lot of cases, it really does help. Sure, everyone is different, and pills wont work on every single person who takes them, but they are one of the many ways to help combat depression. As is exercise, as has been recently discovered.

Antidepressants only works as well, or less than, placebos (Lots of other interesting facts on this page too) 

They mine as well prescribe everyone sugar pills and tell them that they are magic and will make everything alllll better. It would be just as effective..... 

doctors arent aloud to even prescribe the strong stuff now adays because it can be used as speed. infact, doctors have lost so much power over the years. i think medicine/drugs will improve as they are finding some drugs cause problems that people have been using and some dont work and are only placebos, i can see them getting more organized for an individual rather than made to cure societyncderek

I agree 100%. but that sort of advancement is a long way off. To properly prescribe for an individual, i think that complete dna mapping would have to have been achieved. I might be wrong on this, but i think that that is as far as you would have to go to be able to tailor a drug to perfectly suit a person.

if people are going to live 200 years then the world is gonna get pretty crowded. itll be lke china on a world wide scale

 

blaster_chief

theyve found 28 planets this year, but how to get to them? lol. some can support life too, its just how can we get to them 

[QUOTE="getsmelifted"][QUOTE="LostProphetFLCL"][QUOTE="getsmelifted"]

[QUOTE="quiglythegreat"]The advances in biology are most frightening. I am not sure how much progress we will now make in physics. Possibly very little, but those previous achievements are still being realized in biology. Once the technology gets good enough, we'll become masters of neurology and able to control how we feel extremely easily with chemicals. Brave New World kinda stuff eventually.ncderek

We are doing that extremely well already. On one hand you have the medication (legal) pills. They combat depression, paranoia, anxiety etc. On the other hand you have recreational (illegal) drugs. Ecstasy, blow, dope. They help you fell happy euphoric, giggly etc. I think we are already doing a pretty good Job with chemical mood alteration

No, contrary to what companies might want you to think, we do not have anything that combats depression effectively.....

Sorry dude, but your wrong. Its not the companies, its the doctors. They prescribe it because in a lot of cases, it really does help. Sure, everyone is different, and pills wont work on every single person who takes them, but they are one of the many ways to help combat depression. As is exercise, as has been recently discovered.

it's neither, doctors are so bureaucratized now, that they are trained to do the cheapest methods. also, people are so educated about their disorder because of internet and media that they may request things they dont really need. also the rise in non professional doctors have caused this problem. 

Jeez you lot have a really low opinion of doctors! Anyhoo, i agree. A lot of doctors are causing problems. Here the uk, the government are encouraging doctors NOT to prescribe pills and to seek alternative means, such as the previously mentioned exercise.

But you cant say that anti-depressants are completely useless. Im sure a group of doctors worked long and hard to make a pill that can give you some sort of relief from depression. And im sure that for certain people it did. Too discredit there work is a little insulting to them

if people are going to live 200 years then the world is gonna get pretty crowded. itll be lke china on a world wide scale

 

blaster_chief

I have a solution. Eliminate the weak.

>_>

*Runs away* 

[QUOTE="blaster_chief"]

if people are going to live 200 years then the world is gonna get pretty crowded. itll be lke china on a world wide scale

 

ncderek

theyve found 28 planets this year, but how to get to them? lol. some can support life too, its just how can we get to them 

WOW there dude. Now this is something im not that educated on, but how exactly do they know the planets can support life? Have these planets got oxygen based environments? And if so, would that not mean that they have plants, which would also mean that they already have (plant) life on them?

they find either evidence of what looks like erosion from water, or sugar in the earth of the planet, and sugar makes up DNA. i think thats the only support. and it would support our life when they find planets a similar distance and size from the sun as we are.

about the life thing, i mentioned this before, learned a lot in genetics about it. yeah if we could live forever, would it be illegal to live a certain length? illegal to kill, illegal to live past 200?  

if people are going to live 200 years then the world is gonna get pretty crowded. itll be lke china on a world wide scale

 

blaster_chief

sorry i didnt know someone else already said the same thing I just said

i didnt discredit their work, i took a class on it this semester in college, medical sociology, i read over 100 articles and a book on this, and wrote three 20 pages papers on this stuff. nothing i said was an insult, everything said was and is a fact.ncderek

Sorry dude, i actually should have quoted lostprophets post. Its was the "might as well give them sugar pills" thing i was referring too.

But still, i would disagree that all doctors are "bureaucratized" now. As i said before, doctors in the UK are actively being encouraged not to prescribe people with unnecessary drugs. You cant narrow your view to your countries practices, its different for everyone all over the world. Some countries cant even afford the drugs, let alone prescribe them.

they find either evidence of what looks like erosion from water, or sugar in the earth of the planet, and sugar makes up DNA. i think thats the only support. and it would support our life when they find planets a similar distance and size from the sun as we are.

about the life thing, i mentioned this before, learned a lot in genetics about it. yeah if we could live forever, would it be illegal to live a certain length? illegal to kill, illegal to live past 200?  

ncderek

That would be a very wierd law, you can't kill, but there is an age limit, but if they somehow find a way to get to these other planets that can support life or make another continent with technology (something life an artificial island but bigger a lot bigger) then there would be no need for that law if this all were to happen.

[QUOTE="mark4091"][QUOTE="getsmelifted"]

[QUOTE="mark4091"]Well, in the next few years they will have the new battery cars ready, and they are way more efficient then anything we have seen.getsmelifted

Battery cars? what are they? All cars already have batterys in them

they have a giant battery simmiliar to one you would see in a laptop, but it works with the fuel (which will probably be bio diesel by that time, which is really efficient on it's own), I'm not exactly sure how, I read that they are trying to have them out in the next few years.

MMMM, dude, have u been taking some of those illegal drugs we have been talking about? Just kidding.

But seriously, the battery in a car is a lot larger than a laptop battery. In fact, its a lot larger than a laptop. And it doesnt run on fuel, it runs on electricity. It powers all your little dials and such, and if its flat, your car wont start. A car battery has nothing at all to do with what ever fuel is powering your car

well no **** it does nothing to fuel you're car now, and no **** a car battery is bigger then a laptop battery.

listen,I do work on cars all the time so I know what a current car battery does, I read an article on a chevy concept car that they are using a rechargeable battery (bigger then a laptops) that will help run the engine, I read it a while ago so I don't know the specifics, if I was working on it I would tell you how it works, but I'm not, I was just saying that the people working on it said they may have it in production in the next few years, I don't know if it will or will not, but it is a possibility, thus the fuel crisis being solved for a while.

[QUOTE="ncderek"][QUOTE="blaster_chief"]

if people are going to live 200 years then the world is gonna get pretty crowded. itll be lke china on a world wide scale

 

getsmelifted

theyve found 28 planets this year, but how to get to them? lol. some can support life too, its just how can we get to them 

WOW there dude. Now this is something im not that educated on, but how exactly do they know the planets can support life? Have these planets got oxygen based environments? And if so, would that not mean that they have plants, which would also mean that they already have (plant) life on them?

they don't have a telescope that is capable of veiwing the surfaces of these planets, and even if they did, they are so far away that you are actually looking into the past, so it may not be there now, or they could be looking at us and not being able to see anything aswell.