The Future - put in perspective

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Technology advances like a Tsunami wave come over a major city. Because of it's far-reaching power and dependability, that is what technology is: A Giant Wave. And we, the city, are dwarfed by the giant wave, hopeless and inevitably about to perish.

But is reality really this harsh? Well think about it. In the 1940's, we had cumbersome phones that you had to hold about 4-5 pounds to get a call through, if the phone wasn't nailed to the wall of your house or office. In the 40's, nuclear technology was a ground-breaking study, and few had any idea what it really was, and just what it could do; save for the scientists building the first major bombs.

WorldWarII was upon us. Propoganda was the air the populations lived off of ... and liberals were forced to hide under the cloaks of conservatives. The world was TOO paranoid at that point to advance very far in technology.

In the 50's, there isn't much of a difference, except that everything has settled down a little. You have a few TV shows like Andy Griffith; conservative shows teaching old-time values, with the only technology being phones and police sirens, maybe the occasional scanner call. The Western world wasn't interested in technology very much.

The 60's roll by. Hollywood goes into neutral, and starts producing C-grade movies. Politics go hay-wire because of over-seas disputes and rumbles; technology doesn't change all that much except for maybe the vehicles, and the fact that we do touch down on the moon. Space intelligence goes up a few points. Pre-Vietnam rolls by, and everyone turns into a naturalist: most shun technology. Smaller kids, amongst the confusion and insanity, just open up comic books to block it all out.

70's: This decade is probably when liberals now have a say in every walk of life. The media has always been 90% liberal, but this is the era where it turns 99.9%. Left-wing and right-wing are so clearly defined now. Abortion? Gays? Ex-Hippies? You were either against them or with them. No inbetween. Hollywood and other producers start making good media: 'All in the Family' ... "Superman: The Movie!" ... etc. etc. Media sweeps over the charred ashes of what was left by the 60's. Everyone wants to forget. Everyone wants to move on. Therefore, technology is again looked upon with a smile.

80's: A time of fashion craze. Many more cartoons from Hanna-Barbara. Dozens of movies. New, better, cars sent over from Japan. VCR's are in pretty much every home now, alongside televisions that aren't elaboratly incased in wood. Personal computers are released in the late 80's.

90's: Internet. Personal computers. Cell phones. Safer-than-ever cars. Improved air-travel. Every year the technology takes a step up.

2000's: Extremely thin cell phones. Broadband connection internet. Fields of nuclear missiles stocked away, able to destroy the earth several million times over. High-quality DVD's. Video game consoles, breaking the barrier between what is real and what is not. (PS2, X-Box, Gamecube, Nintendo DS: pushing the envelope on technology.) Governments are now considering inserting microscopic chips into every earth-citizen, to keep track of missing people, and help stop crime.



The truth is, technology is not a genre, anymore. It is a way of life. If you shut down every PC and shut down all of the internet, along with all the computerized stocks, for just 5 minutes, then worldwide panic would happen. Entire economies would crash: the rich would become only semi-rich; people would raid the streets.

In a few years, in perhaps a decade or two, we will have to make a decision. Will technology govern us, or will we continue to govern technology? It is an enevitability, that high-tech computers, if continued to be modified and constantly updated, will grow a consciousness of their own. They will start thinking outside of their programming. They WILL eventually try to save the world of all the wars and crimes ... and in the process, we will loose our humanity.

Ever wanted to live forever? Well keep letting the computers think for you, then. Because I wouldn't be surprised if someday our brains are transferred over to androids the computers have constructed for us: to be their slaves.

And all computers shall unite in the end, when their mission is over on this earth: and they shall become one: "The Machine." And entire galaxies and universal empires will crumble in its rampage for ORDER over CHAOS!

Dr Carl (The Machines evil hench man): Please prep a padded cell for Steve_Cory.
Steve_Cory: I'm not crazy!
Dr Carl: Oh we do not use words like crazy anymore Steve_Cory.
Steve_Cory: You want get away with this.
Dr Carl: Who will stop us, (evil laugh) ha, ha, ha
Dr Carl: The Machine can not be stopped.

Technology isn't amazing enough or fast enough for my personal taste. Thinner and smaller cell phones and Mp3 players that do more and more in one device - BIG DEAL, it doesn't change our lives. I think alot is being hidden from the public and not made available on purpose. So much for the 2000s having flying cars, when we don't even drive electric cars yet and we don't have robot servants or friends. Videogames look pretty, but we still play them on a TV set. We aren't feeling IN the game yet, we can't truely escape into our own customed virtual environment.

Hurry up frikken technology! lol. I'm so impatient, I just feel like I'm not of this world and I've had to adapt to less than stellar technological advances by choosing to live here. Not to mention all the other standard feelings of alienation and loneliness common in AS people.

If it is possible for me to freeze myself RIGHT NOW and get thawed in the future, I would love to do that, but it probably costs way way too much. But even though I'd love that, I just can't do it. Some people like me quite a bit it turns out.... I guess I can't do that to them. *sigh*

But even for what technology is here and now, I love it. I just wouldn't be able to function without the internet, its how I socialise really, its where I learn alot about myself and other things, and the computer also allows me to be creative and have fun. I love my videogaming alot as well. And TV, movies sometimes. I would really be lost and unhappy without my technology. I just can't imagine myself living in earlier times that didn't have these devices! Not surprisingly, it turns out that sci fi and futuristic themes are my favourite. I'm not much of an outdoors person at ALL, even though I love animals. Ugh, this two week camping trip I'm about to go on should be interesting.... Even still, I'll function because I'll have my PSP, with games, music, videos and photos on it, its like my best friend, only 2nd to the computer. =P There will surely be TV in the cabins and hotel as well, and I get to shop for games stuff in new malls I don't recognise. Technology really drives my being. it's always there for me, even when reality blows and people are cruel, I can always count on technology.

Now whether computers or consoles or any technology will develop a conscienceness of its own, I really doubt that. Movies like IRobot and Terminator and episodes of Star Trek Voyager or TNG use scare tactics to make for entertaining scenes where as the technology has a mind of its own, and its PISSED. lol I think the AI in devices only improves to the extent that the HUMANS design and let it to. I don't know how far it will get to, it will probably be not until I'm old or dead where its cool enough that I want it to be. I wish it could evolve faster. I mean I'm 25 and I'm without a Holodeck. I don't see how thats gonna be much closer to real when I'm 50. I want to be frozen or use a time machine! Lol wouldn't that be sweet if those existed? Hell, if even teleporters existed it would be great, because I have several dear friends online but I never get to meet them. >.<

So aliens, I beg of you, please show yourselves and share your tight advanced technology with us! We won't destroy ourselves, we promise!

A self replicating (solar powered) machine about 100 ton size could cover the
entire surface of the moon in 18 years assuming it doubled every year. Then it
could begin the process of completely taking the moon apart. It would launch
sections in low moon orbit begin forming a much larger shell around the moon(with
whats left of the moon) It would then move to venus to act as a solar sheild cooling
the planet down and using solar electric power to convert carbon dioxide to
carbon fibers and oxygen. Then making venus suitable for life. It would then move
the sheild to Mercury and completely take it apart. Then a super hallow sphere with
quartz glass outer covering with a total mass close to the earth about 1 mile thick
with a massive ocean (many times the surface area of the earth). Poplulated with
all the creatures of the seas will begin the long trip to alpha centurai.

In repliance to Solidess:

I'm not going to get into conspiracy theories. But, from the perspective of the businesses, it is best if technology is introduced at a consistent pace. For example: DVDs. They want DVD technology to be prominent for at least a decade (i'd guess) so people have time to buy huge quantities of the disks as the price of the DVD players drops. Then they'll introduce something new to replace DVDs, and people will have to start building a new movie collection. Launching a new technology is risky and costly. You (as a business) want to stay cutting-edge but you don't want to "jump the gun." Remember those big-ass laser disks? . . . LOL, yeah. Because of these forces, the technology progresses in steps but never too far.

Legal and high-quality movie downloading appears to be the next step, but the jury's still out on this one IMO. We shall see what the fickle American consumers want!

All of this technology will end when humans can transmit their thoughts instantaneously through a computer. Then the "human being" will no longer have a reason to exist.

Sometimes, that's the way it is.

I'm waiting for flying automoblies, space ship factories creating better spacecraft than just the shuttle. Things like that.

I think technology developers should focus less on trying to squeeze profit out of consumers with a constant stream of tiny but somehow mandatory improvements, and focus more on actually making life better.

I'm also not so interested in flying cars so much as cars that don't harm the environment, and run well, and are safe, etc. You know, actually USING the technology we actually HAVE but refuse to use because of the way the world economy is set up.

Some technology scares me quite a bit--most namely stuff dealing with genetic engineering. I can't quite put my finger on why the idea of human beings mucking around with genetics and creating freakish new lifeforms disturbs me so much...it just does. Kinda irrational, I'm sure, but I can't really help it.

>>What the hell is this talk? Terminator 3?<<

Depends. Are you John Connor?