Advancement

[JMHX]

Look back on the past 100 years, more or less, of American culture. Look at how many things we have contributed to the world in these 100 industrial years - far more than in the 100 before that, or even in the 500 before that. It's quite amazing to see how, around 1880, things began to join up into one mass and speed through the 1900s, through the 50s, and come out where we are now, 2004.

I was inspired to write this as I watched a History Channel show on the Wright Brothers, who, as we know, challenged the laws of gravity and realized a dream of the ages - powered flight. For so very, very long, the idea of flight had been just that, an idea, and a foolish one by most standards. People thought it absolutely mad to attempt flight - a waste of time and, more importantly, money.

However, Orville and Wilbur would not let that get in their way. They took something from nothing, literally. They had nothing to build on - there were no successful prototypes. They took nothing and transformed it into powered flight. As we look at powered flight now, it is impossible, nearly anyway, to see life without it.

Edison, especially, symbolizes this view of taking just a thought, a novelty, an abstract idea, and working to make it happen with no structure to build from but that idea. If you think about it, what marvelous, wonderful things will we have in 2050, when I am 63, that we have not even thought of yet, that we see as being completely impossible by all current scientific standards? What will we be able to see, do, experience then that none of us imagine now?

Man, I hate it when I think deep.

[Jlop985]

I wonder what could be capable with technology in 50 years. Imagine how sweet the videogames would be. *drools*

[stafffighter]

aThis is the ideal that america was supposed to be. Makeing your dreams happen no matter where you come from.

[Ravens-Grin]

At 5/30/04 11:07 PM, JudgeMeHarshX wrote: What will we be able to see, do, experience then that none of us imagine now?

We'll have energy coming from a vacuum, ooh yeah.

[Reform]

This pace is going to continue to accelerate and allow society to better itself (Being an optimist once again) and open the gate to many substantial leaps in technology, especially in recreation as the masses need to keep themselves entertained.

[Ravens-Grin]

At 5/30/04 11:15 PM, Reform wrote: This pace is going to continue to accelerate and allow society to better itself (Being an optimist once again) and open the gate to many substantial leaps in technology, especially in recreation as the masses need to keep themselves entertained.

The word 'recreation' made me think of something that could keep you entertained for hours.... :) Recreational marijuana usage anyone?

[Reform]

At 5/30/04 11:18 PM, Ravens_Grin wrote: The word 'recreation' made me think of something that could keep you entertained for hours.... :) Recreational marijuana usage anyone?

I like how you think.

[RedSkunk]

Imagine the weapons and the Pentagon's spending in 50 years. Woof.

[Reform]

At 5/30/04 11:36 PM, RedSkynk wrote: Imagine the weapons and the Pentagon's spending in 50 years. Woof.

It seems that many of the technological inovations throughout the 20th century were for military appliucations, an example being the interernet. Can't wait to see what superweapons and propaganda our military institutions attempt to produce.

[Alejandro1]

The Wright Brother's discovering flight was definately the greatest innovation during the first half of the twentieth century. I'd say the most crucial innovation of the past half century was probably the computer. Like flight, our society would have a very difficult time trying to operate without computers.

[JMHX]

At 5/30/04 11:18 PM, Ravens_Grin wrote:

At 5/30/04 11:15 PM, Reform wrote:

The word 'recreation' made me think of something that could keep you entertained for hours.... :) Recreational marijuana usage anyone?

Perhaps there will be a marijuana that provides the same effects as actual marijuana without any of the negative effects. That would certainly knock a leg out from my anti-marijuana debating table.

[Reform]

At 5/30/04 11:48 PM, Alejandro1 wrote: Like flight, our society would have a very difficult time trying to operate without computers.

Society would adapt without these inventions and utilities, in the process developing quite differently to the world today, man kind could work around limitations in communications and being the ingenious creaures we are, would most likely create alternative medians to counteract the lack.

[IllustriousPotentate]

What about interplanetary space travel and habitation?

Cars that run on salt water, quite possibly our most plentiful resource? Exaustless cars? Air-powered cars?

Mass transit at Mach Speed? Imagine getting on a train in Newark and arriving a couple of minutes later at JFK Int'l.

A transport connnection between Asia and North America, over the Bering Strait?

The possibilities are numerous, and just as innovative as the first flight.

[Alejandro1]

At 5/30/04 11:51 PM, JudgeMeHarshX wrote: Perhaps there will be a marijuana that provides the same effects as actual marijuana without any of the negative effects.

Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose then? I mean, if you're planning on taking marijuana, you're probably going to act like an idiot. Expect it.

[Reform]

At 5/30/04 11:59 PM, Alejandro1 wrote: Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose then? I mean, if you're planning on taking marijuana, you're probably going to act like an idiot. Expect it.

I may be taking your post wrongly, but isn't this assuming that the user is an idiot and therefore would choose to use the drug. Isn't this just accepting a sterotype?

[Alejandro1]

At 5/30/04 11:56 PM, Reform wrote: Society would adapt without these inventions and utilities, in the process developing quite differently to the world today, man kind could work around limitations in communications and being the ingenious creaures we are, would most likely create alternative medians to counteract the lack.

If these innovations didn't exist, I'd picture the world the same way it was back in the 1920's (minus planes). Sure, we'd probably find ways to cope with society's problems; however, industrial output would not increase, leading to an increase in the cost of living with a coupled decrease in the standard of living. The rate of scientific advancement would also drop.

[Alejandro1]

At 5/31/04 12:03 AM, Reform wrote: I may be taking your post wrongly, but isn't this assuming that the user is an idiot and therefore would choose to use the drug. Isn't this just accepting a sterotype?

No, I'm saying that when you choose to use pot, you want to get high, not to get a minor buzz.

[Reform]

At 5/31/04 12:17 AM, Alejandro1 wrote: No, I'm saying that when you choose to use pot, you want to get high, not to get a minor buzz.

Ah, sorry for the misunderstanding and yes this statement is true . . . for the most part.

[JMHX]

At 5/30/04 11:59 PM, Alejandro1 wrote:

At 5/30/04 11:51 PM, JudgeMeHarshX wrote: Perhaps there will be a marijuana that provides the same effects as actual marijuana without any of the negative effects.

Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose then? I mean, if you're planning on taking marijuana, you're probably going to act like an idiot. Expect it.

What I meant was, getting the "high" feeling without the cancers and health problems that come from unfiltered street marijuana currently.

[RedSkunk]

At 5/31/04 12:38 AM, JudgeMeHarshX wrote: What I meant was, getting the "high" feeling without the cancers and health problems that come from unfiltered street marijuana currently.

Oh brother... *bites lip*

different topic, different topic....

[JMHX]

At 5/31/04 12:45 AM, RedSkynk wrote:

At 5/31/04 12:38 AM, JudgeMeHarshX wrote: What I meant was, getting the "high" feeling without the cancers and health problems that come from unfiltered street marijuana currently.

Oh brother... *bites lip*

different topic, different topic....

Yeah, I didn't mean for it to go off on a pot tangent, just raising the point about how science could affect things in ways no one thinks possible right now.

Any fresh comments?

[bumcheekcity]

I don['t think we will do advancing of the same kind as we did. The advances we see in the next 50/100 years will be in the range of microbiology, pissing about with DNA, and in the realms of hyperphysics.

The hyperphisics advancements will be used to blwo stuff up, and you'll have to come over here to see the microbiology advancements, because the religious right will stop them in the US.

[RedSkunk]

What happened to the newest pot thread anyway? It died.. aww.

[bumcheekcity]

At 5/31/04 02:00 AM, RedSkynk wrote: What happened to the newest pot thread anyway? It died.. aww.

There'll be another one along. DOn't worry too much about it.

[RedSkunk]

At 5/31/04 02:09 AM, bumcheekcity wrote: There'll be another one along. DOn't worry too much about it.

I had nice long posts, and was only able to draw one person out to argue against legalization (from my recollection..?) I'll just have to post the same crap again in a new one...

*mumble mumble*

[JMHX]

So will the advancements be geared towards invention, as was the case in the 1900s, or innovation, expanding and improving current technologies?

[RedSkunk]

innovation.

[JoS]

One word, transporters. No longer will we need to wait in traffic, we can just be beemed to our destination. Beam me up Scotty.

[BAWLS]

I can't imagine what they'll do with video and computer games. Over the past decade, we've grown from crappy 8-bit systems to frightenly realistic 128-bit games. What's next, VR?

[JoS]

VR sex, you put on googles and see a beautiful woman giving you sex, your take off the googles only tto find a small chinese man on his knees.