How do you envision the future?
- Thread starter MintberryCrunch
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Well, my great great great great great great grandson 'Rimmer' will go on a ship by the name of 'Red Dwarf' sadly there will be a terrible accident, with the whole crew getting killed. Sadly, he's forced to suffer the 'life' of a hologram in all his stupidity and misery, with his overly talkative friend Lister and some kind of freakishly evolved cat creature.
That is what I see.... Every time I turn on youtube it's what I see..... it'll be a awesome.
That is what I see.... Every time I turn on youtube it's what I see..... it'll be a awesome.
Since the 60s, we have created the Internet, a world-changing technology. The US took over from Britain as the world's premier superpower. We have sent probes out of the solar system. Computers are almost infinitesimally faster than they were. Communism has risen and fallen. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has, so far, prevented nuclear war.JoesshittyOs said:
In fifty years, a lot can change. I'm guessing we'll see the initial commercialisation of space, a new superpower, as well as at least one major new technology.
Dialect changing isn't the same as reducing the english language to text speak. There's a reason why many forums have rules against it. Text speak originated from the need to save money while texting, and that's becoming less and less of an issue with things like monthly contracts becoming more and more used in things like iphones. Now that's not an issue, the majority of people with them are now texting with normal typing.JoesshittyOs said:
If it did happen, it'd be the harbinger of lazier, less educated people. If asked, many people will tell you unnecessary text speak is likely to frustrate them. We are not the Welsh![footnote]Any Welsh persons upon this forum whom may be offended by this are to be informed of my sincere apologies. And that as a Yorkshire-man, I will shoot you with a longbow.[/footnote] We like vowels and pronounceable syllables!
People see it as just another thing to be added to their taxes. Therefor they'll be paying for random people's healthcare. What they don't realize is that accident could be just around the corner. That same one that could cripple them financially, unless it was part of taxation which would break nobody's back.Sgt. Dante said:
Oh, and there's the idiotic objectivist bastards, but that's a rant for another day.
I overthought this to such an absurd extent that I feel the need to spoiler it due to its gargantuan size.
Somewhere near the end of all that:
-We meet intelligent ET life.
-We make an inter-species federation
-Star Trek
Or what happens in Mindscan (by Robert J. Sawyer). It's not really very far-fetched.
-the desktop computer dies out (because smartphones, tablets, and laptops are all that's needed)
-The U.S. keeps going further into debt
-The U.S. finishes becoming a theocracy
-American scientific progress is stalled due to the above
>We discover life on other planets (almost certainly microscopic, e.g. bacteria)
>Non-American science (probably Japan) develops humanlike AI and/or the ability to copy the human brain
>Physics takes a giant leap forward and is able to explain basically everything that it can't already (which isn't a lot)
>Fossil fuels abruptly run out or get MUCH harder to find
idk the order in which those 4 things will occur, but they probably all will eventually
-When the last happens, Yanks get pissed at the government for not preparing for the future, the U.S. collapses, and there's a revolution after which the country's all green-powered, not a world power anymore and starts slowly paying off its debts. This causes other developed nations that are least-prepared for the future (China maybe? I really have no idea) to have similar revolutions, while everyone else makes the change without massive upheaval. Global green energy, hooray!
-Once two of the other three happen, Yanks get pissed at the government for being structured around some stupid 2000+ year-old book (read: Christianity. It's the U.S., remember) that everyone now knows is filled with bullshit (because these developments would disprove all religion for good), causing a revolution after which the U.S. is the least-religious country in the world...until the rest of the world makes the change more gradually.
-While the U.S. is turning itself inside-out, everyone inside, say, the G20 nations, is struggling to deal with climate change and can't help those outside the G20. By the time the U.S. has had both revolutions (or if it takes all of the above motivators to cause any revolution, after the one revolution), all of said less-fortunate nations have basically disappeared because everyone said "screw this" and migrated to richer nations.
-Global food prices skyrocket because the countries people abandoned ran mostly on agriculture. Developed nations annex the abandoned land and provide huge financial incentives for starting farms there. Countries start talking about policies limiting the number of children a family can have, or giving bigger families higher taxes, or whatever the least-evil population-overload-prevention plan anyone can think of is.
-Half of science shifts its focus toward discovering methods of more-efficient food production. The other half starts planning to colonize the moon.
-All foods become severely genetically modified and even more loaded with pesticides than they are now (if the thought doesn't make you nauseous, you need to learn more about what you eat. Watch Supersize Me and Food, Inc.). We start colonizing the moon.
-Food prices go way back down, except real (read: organic, non-GM) food.
-Somebody finally does a study showing just how incredibly bad pesticides and GM foods are.
-Real food gets more popular.
-The price of real food goes down somewhat. Population-overload-prevention plans are adopted (because real food is harder to grow).
-We colonize all of the moon. Population-overload-prevention becomes more strict while we figure out how to terraform Mars.
-We start colonizing Mars. Population-overload-prevention eases back off.
**jump ahead a century or two**
-Once we've spread across multiple planets, begin never-ending cycle on a national/continental/whatevertheequivalentisonotherplanets scale everywhere:
a) person in power becomes corrupt
b) person in power starts becoming more tyrannical
c) people get fed up and cause a revolution
d) new person gets into power
e) life's good for several years
f) go to a
Unless someone comes up with a political system that doesn't have the problems democracy has; mainly, that most people aren't smart enough to vote properly and most politicians know this. But I don't think that'll ever happen. /blisteringcynicism
Meanwhile, we're constantly expanding to new solar systems. Repeat for literally the foreseeable future.
-The U.S. keeps going further into debt
-The U.S. finishes becoming a theocracy
-American scientific progress is stalled due to the above
>We discover life on other planets (almost certainly microscopic, e.g. bacteria)
>Non-American science (probably Japan) develops humanlike AI and/or the ability to copy the human brain
>Physics takes a giant leap forward and is able to explain basically everything that it can't already (which isn't a lot)
>Fossil fuels abruptly run out or get MUCH harder to find
idk the order in which those 4 things will occur, but they probably all will eventually
-When the last happens, Yanks get pissed at the government for not preparing for the future, the U.S. collapses, and there's a revolution after which the country's all green-powered, not a world power anymore and starts slowly paying off its debts. This causes other developed nations that are least-prepared for the future (China maybe? I really have no idea) to have similar revolutions, while everyone else makes the change without massive upheaval. Global green energy, hooray!
-Once two of the other three happen, Yanks get pissed at the government for being structured around some stupid 2000+ year-old book (read: Christianity. It's the U.S., remember) that everyone now knows is filled with bullshit (because these developments would disprove all religion for good), causing a revolution after which the U.S. is the least-religious country in the world...until the rest of the world makes the change more gradually.
-While the U.S. is turning itself inside-out, everyone inside, say, the G20 nations, is struggling to deal with climate change and can't help those outside the G20. By the time the U.S. has had both revolutions (or if it takes all of the above motivators to cause any revolution, after the one revolution), all of said less-fortunate nations have basically disappeared because everyone said "screw this" and migrated to richer nations.
-Global food prices skyrocket because the countries people abandoned ran mostly on agriculture. Developed nations annex the abandoned land and provide huge financial incentives for starting farms there. Countries start talking about policies limiting the number of children a family can have, or giving bigger families higher taxes, or whatever the least-evil population-overload-prevention plan anyone can think of is.
-Half of science shifts its focus toward discovering methods of more-efficient food production. The other half starts planning to colonize the moon.
-All foods become severely genetically modified and even more loaded with pesticides than they are now (if the thought doesn't make you nauseous, you need to learn more about what you eat. Watch Supersize Me and Food, Inc.). We start colonizing the moon.
-Food prices go way back down, except real (read: organic, non-GM) food.
-Somebody finally does a study showing just how incredibly bad pesticides and GM foods are.
-Real food gets more popular.
-The price of real food goes down somewhat. Population-overload-prevention plans are adopted (because real food is harder to grow).
-We colonize all of the moon. Population-overload-prevention becomes more strict while we figure out how to terraform Mars.
-We start colonizing Mars. Population-overload-prevention eases back off.
**jump ahead a century or two**
-Once we've spread across multiple planets, begin never-ending cycle on a national/continental/whatevertheequivalentisonotherplanets scale everywhere:
a) person in power becomes corrupt
b) person in power starts becoming more tyrannical
c) people get fed up and cause a revolution
d) new person gets into power
e) life's good for several years
f) go to a
Unless someone comes up with a political system that doesn't have the problems democracy has; mainly, that most people aren't smart enough to vote properly and most politicians know this. But I don't think that'll ever happen. /blisteringcynicism
Meanwhile, we're constantly expanding to new solar systems. Repeat for literally the foreseeable future.
-We meet intelligent ET life.
-We make an inter-species federation
-Star Trek
Or what happens in Mindscan (by Robert J. Sawyer). It's not really very far-fetched.
Wow. Just... Wow.Aiedail256 said:I overthought this to such an absurd extent that I feel the need to spoiler it due to its gargantuan size.
Somewhere near the end of all that:-the desktop computer dies out (because smartphones, tablets, and laptops are all that's needed)
-The U.S. keeps going further into debt
-The U.S. finishes becoming a theocracy
-American scientific progress is stalled due to the above
>We discover life on other planets (almost certainly microscopic, e.g. bacteria)
>Non-American science (probably Japan) develops humanlike AI and/or the ability to copy the human brain
>Physics takes a giant leap forward and is able to explain basically everything that it can't already (which isn't a lot)
>Fossil fuels abruptly run out or get MUCH harder to find
idk the order in which those 4 things will occur, but they probably all will eventually
-When the last happens, Yanks get pissed at the government for not preparing for the future, the U.S. collapses, and there's a revolution after which the country's all green-powered, not a world power anymore and starts slowly paying off its debts. This causes other developed nations that are least-prepared for the future (China maybe? I really have no idea) to have similar revolutions, while everyone else makes the change without massive upheaval. Global green energy, hooray!
-Once two of the other three happen, Yanks get pissed at the government for being structured around some stupid 2000+ year-old book (read: Christianity. It's the U.S., remember) that everyone now knows is filled with bullshit (because these developments would disprove all religion for good), causing a revolution after which the U.S. is the least-religious country in the world...until the rest of the world makes the change more gradually.
-While the U.S. is turning itself inside-out, everyone inside, say, the G20 nations, is struggling to deal with climate change and can't help those outside the G20. By the time the U.S. has had both revolutions (or if it takes all of the above motivators to cause any revolution, after the one revolution), all of said less-fortunate nations have basically disappeared because everyone said "screw this" and migrated to richer nations.
-Global food prices skyrocket because the countries people abandoned ran mostly on agriculture. Developed nations annex the abandoned land and provide huge financial incentives for starting farms there. Countries start talking about policies limiting the number of children a family can have, or giving bigger families higher taxes, or whatever the least-evil population-overload-prevention plan anyone can think of is.
-Half of science shifts its focus toward discovering methods of more-efficient food production. The other half starts planning to colonize the moon.
-All foods become severely genetically modified and even more loaded with pesticides than they are now (if the thought doesn't make you nauseous, you need to learn more about what you eat. Watch Supersize Me and Food, Inc.). We start colonizing the moon.
-Food prices go way back down, except real (read: organic, non-GM) food.
-Somebody finally does a study showing just how incredibly bad pesticides and GM foods are.
-Real food gets more popular.
-The price of real food goes down somewhat. Population-overload-prevention plans are adopted (because real food is harder to grow).
-We colonize all of the moon. Population-overload-prevention becomes more strict while we figure out how to terraform Mars.
-We start colonizing Mars. Population-overload-prevention eases back off.
**jump ahead a century or two**
-Once we've spread across multiple planets, begin never-ending cycle on a national/continental/whatevertheequivalentisonotherplanets scale everywhere:
a) person in power becomes corrupt
b) person in power starts becoming more tyrannical
c) people get fed up and cause a revolution
d) new person gets into power
e) life's good for several years
f) go to a
Unless someone comes up with a political system that doesn't have the problems democracy has; mainly, that most people aren't smart enough to vote properly and most politicians know this. But I don't think that'll ever happen. /blisteringcynicism
Meanwhile, we're constantly expanding to new solar systems. Repeat for literally the foreseeable future.
-We meet intelligent ET life.
-We make an inter-species federation
-Star Trek
Or what happens in Mindscan (by Robert J. Sawyer). It's not really very far-fetched.
Do you by any chance write? Because that was genuinely interesting to read.
Most likely: Human life-spans will be longer. Medicine and technology will become more advanced. Population control, as Earth become more crowded.
Hopefully: We find some way to colonize Mars, so we can move at least 5% of the population which will hopefully make Earth less crowded. We will become more tolerant as a society and equality will finally happen. Alternative fuel/ electricity sources.
What I really hope for: We make contact with aliens. I find it highly unlikely that Earth is the only planet in the universe that can support life.
Either what was stated above, or something horrible happens and Earth becomes a wasteland. Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to the future.
Hopefully: We find some way to colonize Mars, so we can move at least 5% of the population which will hopefully make Earth less crowded. We will become more tolerant as a society and equality will finally happen. Alternative fuel/ electricity sources.
What I really hope for: We make contact with aliens. I find it highly unlikely that Earth is the only planet in the universe that can support life.
Either what was stated above, or something horrible happens and Earth becomes a wasteland. Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to the future.
China's Economy will even out, leaving it as a major player in manufacturing, but with some rising problems about the artificial deflation of the Yuan and the increasing dissatisfaction of the new internet savvy Chinese citizenry.
The US economy will get better as China evens out, as we make the move towards better social welfare programs and economic regulation balanced with programs designed to stimulate private business at local and international levels.
The policy regarding the strength of the dollar will begin to change drastically.
The political parties will continue to shift, as the dissatisfied public and the next generation of politicians that grew up begin dissatisfied begin to take hold.
People will continue to be murdered, but at a much lower rate.
Eventually the various problems we have with education will be "fixed", and I see the internet playing a big role in this.
The international literacy rate will continue to climb, as will the number of dystopian sci fi novels that tell us we will be illiterate "sheeple" in the future.
There'll always be professional wrestling.
There'll always be good comedy.
Thanks to people like Norman Borlaug, there will always be something to eat.
Most of the things I mention above can't happen without people that take an active role in the world, or at least try to.
Never assume that any terrible thing is just "human nature" or that life is just unfair.
Cheer up, and get involved.
You are not a god damn machine.
The US economy will get better as China evens out, as we make the move towards better social welfare programs and economic regulation balanced with programs designed to stimulate private business at local and international levels.
The policy regarding the strength of the dollar will begin to change drastically.
The political parties will continue to shift, as the dissatisfied public and the next generation of politicians that grew up begin dissatisfied begin to take hold.
People will continue to be murdered, but at a much lower rate.
Eventually the various problems we have with education will be "fixed", and I see the internet playing a big role in this.
The international literacy rate will continue to climb, as will the number of dystopian sci fi novels that tell us we will be illiterate "sheeple" in the future.
There'll always be professional wrestling.
There'll always be good comedy.
Thanks to people like Norman Borlaug, there will always be something to eat.
Most of the things I mention above can't happen without people that take an active role in the world, or at least try to.
Never assume that any terrible thing is just "human nature" or that life is just unfair.
Cheer up, and get involved.
You are not a god damn machine.
Nope, I just often take stuff WAY too seriouslyMintberryCrunch said:Wow. Just... Wow.Aiedail256 said:I overthought this to such an absurd extent that I feel the need to spoiler it due to its gargantuan size.
Somewhere near the end of all that:-the desktop computer dies out (because smartphones, tablets, and laptops are all that's needed)
-The U.S. keeps going further into debt
-The U.S. finishes becoming a theocracy
-American scientific progress is stalled due to the above
>We discover life on other planets (almost certainly microscopic, e.g. bacteria)
>Non-American science (probably Japan) develops humanlike AI and/or the ability to copy the human brain
>Physics takes a giant leap forward and is able to explain basically everything that it can't already (which isn't a lot)
>Fossil fuels abruptly run out or get MUCH harder to find
idk the order in which those 4 things will occur, but they probably all will eventually
-When the last happens, Yanks get pissed at the government for not preparing for the future, the U.S. collapses, and there's a revolution after which the country's all green-powered, not a world power anymore and starts slowly paying off its debts. This causes other developed nations that are least-prepared for the future (China maybe? I really have no idea) to have similar revolutions, while everyone else makes the change without massive upheaval. Global green energy, hooray!
-Once two of the other three happen, Yanks get pissed at the government for being structured around some stupid 2000+ year-old book (read: Christianity. It's the U.S., remember) that everyone now knows is filled with bullshit (because these developments would disprove all religion for good), causing a revolution after which the U.S. is the least-religious country in the world...until the rest of the world makes the change more gradually.
-While the U.S. is turning itself inside-out, everyone inside, say, the G20 nations, is struggling to deal with climate change and can't help those outside the G20. By the time the U.S. has had both revolutions (or if it takes all of the above motivators to cause any revolution, after the one revolution), all of said less-fortunate nations have basically disappeared because everyone said "screw this" and migrated to richer nations.
-Global food prices skyrocket because the countries people abandoned ran mostly on agriculture. Developed nations annex the abandoned land and provide huge financial incentives for starting farms there. Countries start talking about policies limiting the number of children a family can have, or giving bigger families higher taxes, or whatever the least-evil population-overload-prevention plan anyone can think of is.
-Half of science shifts its focus toward discovering methods of more-efficient food production. The other half starts planning to colonize the moon.
-All foods become severely genetically modified and even more loaded with pesticides than they are now (if the thought doesn't make you nauseous, you need to learn more about what you eat. Watch Supersize Me and Food, Inc.). We start colonizing the moon.
-Food prices go way back down, except real (read: organic, non-GM) food.
-Somebody finally does a study showing just how incredibly bad pesticides and GM foods are.
-Real food gets more popular.
-The price of real food goes down somewhat. Population-overload-prevention plans are adopted (because real food is harder to grow).
-We colonize all of the moon. Population-overload-prevention becomes more strict while we figure out how to terraform Mars.
-We start colonizing Mars. Population-overload-prevention eases back off.
**jump ahead a century or two**
-Once we've spread across multiple planets, begin never-ending cycle on a national/continental/whatevertheequivalentisonotherplanets scale everywhere:
a) person in power becomes corrupt
b) person in power starts becoming more tyrannical
c) people get fed up and cause a revolution
d) new person gets into power
e) life's good for several years
f) go to a
Unless someone comes up with a political system that doesn't have the problems democracy has; mainly, that most people aren't smart enough to vote properly and most politicians know this. But I don't think that'll ever happen. /blisteringcynicism
Meanwhile, we're constantly expanding to new solar systems. Repeat for literally the foreseeable future.
-We meet intelligent ET life.
-We make an inter-species federation
-Star Trek
Or what happens in Mindscan (by Robert J. Sawyer). It's not really very far-fetched.
Do you by any chance write? Because that was genuinely interesting to read.
Yeah, I do think alien life exists in the universe, but I think that anything that we'd be able to reach any time soon would be microscopic e.g bacteria, possibly some plant life. But we can never be sure.iLazy said:
Well, thanks. Now I'm not going to get any sleep tonight. That's just dandy.Use_Imagination_here said:
If Terminator was a prediction, then Christ were those people being a bit silly. I mean, I've only got about 5 of them in my baseme- I mean yeah, nothing's going on at all.gogeggegg said:
I think we'll all evolve past our own bodies and become floating brains. Who live in the internet. So,really,not much would change.