The future-what can we expect?

[xXNovaxX]

I hope this is in the right section, since it does involve "technology"

But I'm interested to hear peoples thoughts on what we can expect the world to be like in 50 years time, or re-phrased, whilst we still are alive. I always hear talk about 100-200 years time e.g. space elevator...robot workers, but i want to be alive to experience what we can expect in our lifetime

I've tried looking this up but they don't really offer much on what we can almost guarantee will exist in terms of technology, medicine etc. I know thats because we can;t predict the future, but some ideas would be good

e.g.
*transport (can we expect flying cars as the social norm?)
*medicine
*disease (will cancer no longer exist, or be 100% curable?)
*games (can we expect games where u wear those helmets/glasses and be "IN THE GAME" (look up google for the next generation Wii....it is obviously a fake, but I like the idea)
*housing (will houses still be constructed, or will apartments become the norm)
*space ()

And please please please check this out

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimizu_Mega-City_Pyramid

!!!!! I never have heard of this till last night!!!! It seems so scary, yet amazing. U can also check google images for more on that

[Edmund]

A major weakness in this project is that if one truss fails the whole structure and 750,000 people will crash to the sea.

 

[minilunchbox]

Well they've already started making Nooks/Kindles (and they're ridiculous popular as well) so books are probably going to become obsolete. But not without me protesting. I tried reading a book on my computer and it felt so, so wrong.

[xXNovaxX]

A major weakness in this project is that if one truss fails the whole structure and 750,000 people will crash to the sea.

 

I had to look up what a truss is, and all I can say is PFOW, the whole STRUCTURE is practically hundreds of trusses =S.

What I find cool is that the initial plans are already underway....but i wonder how they will fund it

[Gloamglozer]

Having just watched the movie "Knowing" a few days ago, this thread kinda freaks me out lol

[QuantumJG]

Well they've already started making Nooks/Kindles (and they're ridiculous popular as well) so books are probably going to become obsolete. But not without me protesting. I tried reading a book on my computer and it felt so, so wrong.

I just couldn't use a computer to read a book! I'm addicted to annotating anything in a book, highlighting stuff, circling stuff,etc. For crying out loud I still love the art of cursive hand writing.

In 50 years I will expect:

- To be 69. Thanks for making me see I will be an old man in 2059. Lol.

- Quantum computers to be introduced as successive technology for computing. Our current technology has almost reached it's limit. Our physicists are working on doing all different modifications to chips.

- Obviously our Internet system will have a major upgrade.

- I'm very sure our cars will use a different fuel (maybe fuel cells), a computer that will automatically lower your speed if you are going above the speed limit, etc.

- Our trains will hopefully employ maglev technology.

- Nanotechnology is offering a very promising future with drug delivery. E.g. cancer treatment.

- I don't know about glasses for game systems, but, I'm sure tha video games will incorporate 3D technology (look at the Sony 3D TVs). I do believe that we will make our electronics much more efficient. I'm sure optical discs may die out in the next decade.

- Space elevator (no way!)

- Flying cars (I think that's pretty redundant)

I have too many ideas towrite them all down.

Anyway it has been theorised that the human population will be at it's peak in the year 3000 and then technological advancements will have a negative impact on us from after the year 3000.   

 

-   

[d0minicz]

aww flying cars = no burnouts

[xXNovaxX]

@ Quantam

http://news.cnet.com/2100-1034_3-6237715.html = how the net will run out of bandwidth/space by 2010. I NEVER, EVER, EVER thoguht this was possible... is this why you dont have companies offering higher data/download allowances at good prices?

Regarding ur car speed limit automatically lowering= well many cars already have a tool, where it beeps if u go over a speed limit (so if u enter a freeway, u set the max at 100 km/h so it beeps when u reach it to warn you)- i think ur idea is gonna be a reality

Whats with the train and maglev technology? I haven't heard of that! I figure it allows faster trains?

And I have heard of nanotechnology one day being allowed to create ANY object, and also reduce the size of large things into miniscule e.g. like Dragonball Z, where Bulma's company turns a car into a capsule to save space ><.

[QuantumJG]

@ Quantam

http://news.cnet.com/2100-1034_3-6237715.html = how the net will run out of bandwidth/space by 2010. I NEVER, EVER, EVER thoguht this was possible... is this why you dont have companies offering higher data/download allowances at good prices?

Regarding ur car speed limit automatically lowering= well many cars already have a tool, where it beeps if u go over a speed limit (so if u enter a freeway, u set the max at 100 km/h so it beeps when u reach it to warn you)- i think ur idea is gonna be a reality

Whats with the train and maglev technology? I haven't heard of that! I figure it allows faster trains?

And I have heard of nanotechnology one day being allowed to create ANY object, and also reduce the size of large things into miniscule e.g. like Dragonball Z, where Bulma's company turns a car into a capsule to save space ><.

Maglev is technology that uses magnetic fields to lift and propel trains. The fastest speed a maglev train can travel is 580 km/h. It takes away the need for wheels and is a much quieter train.

Let's assume your nanotechnology theory is right. If you could get an average car (say a mass of 1 ton) into a capsule (say a sphere of radius1.5cm) the density of the object would be 70,735.5 ton/m^3. Something tells me this is far fetched.

[kendraaaaa]

@ Quantam

http://news.cnet.com/2100-1034_3-6237715.html = how the net will run out of bandwidth/space by 2010. I NEVER, EVER, EVER thoguht this was possible... is this why you dont have companies offering higher data/download allowances at good prices?

Regarding ur car speed limit automatically lowering= well many cars already have a tool, where it beeps if u go over a speed limit (so if u enter a freeway, u set the max at 100 km/h so it beeps when u reach it to warn you)- i think ur idea is gonna be a reality

Whats with the train and maglev technology? I haven't heard of that! I figure it allows faster trains?

And I have heard of nanotechnology one day being allowed to create ANY object, and also reduce the size of large things into miniscule e.g. like Dragonball Z, where Bulma's company turns a car into a capsule to save space ><.

Maglev is technology that uses magnetic fields to lift and propel trains. The fastest speed a maglev train can travel is 580 km/h. It takes away the need for wheels and is a much quieter train.

Let's assume your nanotechnology theory is right. If you could get an average car (say a mass of 1 ton) into a capsule (say a sphere of radius1.5cm) the density of the object would be 70,735.5 ton/m^3. Something tells me this is far fetched.

People living in the early 20th century thought a man walking on the moon to be very "far fetched", we now what happened a couple of decades later I don't see humanity progressing very well if things are seen in such a light, optimism leads to innovation.

[Collin Li]

@ Quantam

http://news.cnet.com/2100-1034_3-6237715.html = how the net will run out of bandwidth/space by 2010. I NEVER, EVER, EVER thoguht this was possible... is this why you dont have companies offering higher data/download allowances at good prices?

Regarding ur car speed limit automatically lowering= well many cars already have a tool, where it beeps if u go over a speed limit (so if u enter a freeway, u set the max at 100 km/h so it beeps when u reach it to warn you)- i think ur idea is gonna be a reality

Whats with the train and maglev technology? I haven't heard of that! I figure it allows faster trains?

And I have heard of nanotechnology one day being allowed to create ANY object, and also reduce the size of large things into miniscule e.g. like Dragonball Z, where Bulma's company turns a car into a capsule to save space ><.

Maglev is technology that uses magnetic fields to lift and propel trains. The fastest speed a maglev train can travel is 580 km/h. It takes away the need for wheels and is a much quieter train.

Let's assume your nanotechnology theory is right. If you could get an average car (say a mass of 1 ton) into a capsule (say a sphere of radius1.5cm) the density of the object would be 70,735.5 ton/m^3. Something tells me this is far fetched.

People living in the early 20th century thought a man walking on the moon to be very "far fetched", we now what happened a couple of decades later I don't see humanity progressing very well if things are seen in such a light, optimism leads to innovation.

Imagine telling a man 100 years ago you could call your relative in Europe, from America and then be there the next day

[xXNovaxX]

Nah Quantam, if it's any consultation, I also have/had my doubts....but yeah like I remember less than a decade ior 2 ago, this scientist or Prime Minister (sorry for my vague responses), said computers will no longer "evolve" or advanace, and that humanity had reached its technological limit, or something along those lines.

But the thing is, HE IS CORRECT in a sense. Humanity "then" may have reached its limit using pre-existing technology, however as they discovered new FIELDS e.g nanotechnology...identifying genes and what eahc does etc, it opens more MORE AVENUES.

In other words, I can see why people thoguht computers the size of rooms were the EXTENT of technological advancement....but nanotechnology grew, and soon we had created smaller computers....leading to powerful processors....leading to laptops....leading to mobile phones

See the link?

But yeah I understand your view how it seems far fetched.

[QuantumJG]

I should probably explain myself.

I think the idea of storing a car in a small capsule isn't going to happen. I think inventing a flying car is a redundant technology.

With computers our lecture was talking about how if we keep making our chips smaller, we will start to experience quantum effects on our computers. But we will go into a new technology where we can improve our computers. In UoM, my physics professor is doping materials with another material (I think you put something in diamond) to change it's properties.

[crappy]

I think the idea of storing a car in a small capsule isn't going to happen.

It's this kind of attitude that is holding humanity back from advancing.


and for Nova, research the Kardashev scale if you have some time, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kardashev_scale
btw, humans have not even reached the type 1 category.

[slothpomba]

Some say the population might peak around 2050 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_population) and hopefully if they're right our population will start declining which is (very) good.

Nanotechnology of course.

Pretty much everything becomming more advanced .... but i fear this includes weapons too. We have a profound ability to destroy almost everyone with nukes.. i'd hate to see with what they come up with next.

(Probably another world war sooner or later... China might not play too nice and russia is getting pretty edgy)