Welcome to the future
I just posted this as a comment to a posting over on rfmcdpei's journal, but I want to capture it here as well. It seems rather topical, given that we've just entered 2010...
(The fact is) we live in an awesome time. While it's not perfect (not by a long shot), we have some pretty incredible technology already online or coming soon that should drop your jaw if you step back and take a long, hard look:
- cell phones (especially smart phones)
- the Internet in general - streaming media and research at your fingertips
- nanotechnology is already being used for improved materials
- fabbers (not mainstream yet, but there are plenty of garage examples)
- personal computers
- biotechnology like fake skin and artificial blood and artificial limbs and various other part-replacements or enhancements
- personal robots (not common yet, but I own two myself, a Roomba and a Scooba)
- cars that can travel using electricity, or that can go a thousand kilometres before a refill (and use bio-diesel no less)
- even the remote control for your television set is a technological marvel compared to 30 years ago
- the worldwide life expectancy rate has almost doubled in the last 100 years, from 30-45 to 66.5 years, if you believe Wikipedia
In short, we've come a long way in the last 100 years. Along the way, we managed NOT to destroy the entire planet in a cloud of radioactive gas. There are other hurdles ahead of us, but they are not insurmountable ones. This may be one of the most interesting times in history to be alive - the rate of technological change in the last 50 years has increased to the point where it's almost impossible to keep current in many fields. So I, for one, am cautiously optimistic about our future.
(On a related note, I think we tend to be overly pessimistic as a species - witness the repeated resurgence of "doom and gloom" cults over our history. Just because everyone says the world is going to Hell doesn't mean we should invest in air conditioners. I'm just saying.)
(The fact is) we live in an awesome time. While it's not perfect (not by a long shot), we have some pretty incredible technology already online or coming soon that should drop your jaw if you step back and take a long, hard look:
- cell phones (especially smart phones)
- the Internet in general - streaming media and research at your fingertips
- nanotechnology is already being used for improved materials
- fabbers (not mainstream yet, but there are plenty of garage examples)
- personal computers
- biotechnology like fake skin and artificial blood and artificial limbs and various other part-replacements or enhancements
- personal robots (not common yet, but I own two myself, a Roomba and a Scooba)
- cars that can travel using electricity, or that can go a thousand kilometres before a refill (and use bio-diesel no less)
- even the remote control for your television set is a technological marvel compared to 30 years ago
- the worldwide life expectancy rate has almost doubled in the last 100 years, from 30-45 to 66.5 years, if you believe Wikipedia
In short, we've come a long way in the last 100 years. Along the way, we managed NOT to destroy the entire planet in a cloud of radioactive gas. There are other hurdles ahead of us, but they are not insurmountable ones. This may be one of the most interesting times in history to be alive - the rate of technological change in the last 50 years has increased to the point where it's almost impossible to keep current in many fields. So I, for one, am cautiously optimistic about our future.
(On a related note, I think we tend to be overly pessimistic as a species - witness the repeated resurgence of "doom and gloom" cults over our history. Just because everyone says the world is going to Hell doesn't mean we should invest in air conditioners. I'm just saying.)