What changes in the 21st century?

[Warhammer]

In the 18th century, we saw the development of the theory of gravity, as well as the development of the steam engine.

In the 19th century, we saw horses give way to the iron horse, and that in turn give way to the first automobiles at the end of the century.

In the 20th century, we saw the development of flight, which led to spacecraft. We saw the development of the computer which revolutionized information technology.

So what changes are we going to see in the 21st century?

[Young Drachma]

Aliens. Doh.

[Dr. Sak]

Hopefully the cure for such diseases as cancer.

[Noop]

I think we're going to live for a long time honestly provided we don't destroy our environment or kill ourselves in the process.

[Mustang]

I figure at some point, a small asteroid will enter our atmosphere and smoke 10 Million off the planet and from that point forward, we will put more effort into trying to find ways off the planet onto Mars and the Moon.

Or a Zombie Apocalypse

[Greyroofoo]

That calderra under Yellowstone is going to erupt, killing 95% of us.

[DeToxRox]

I figure at some point, a small asteroid will enter our atmosphere and smoke 10 Million off the planet and from that point forward, we will put more effort into trying to find ways off the planet onto Mars and the Moon.

Or a Zombie Apocalypse

Count me in for the Zombie Apocalypse.

[MJ4H]

Quantum technology and nano-technology is my guess.

[Surtt]

I think there will be great advances in both Biology and nano technology.

...

Which strangely enough, leads to zombies.

[DaddyTorgo]

I'd like to get all of our eggs out of this one basket. Well...I would if I cared about the survival of humanity. But frankly I haven't been all that impressed with us to this point. So I guess I'd like to be more impressed with us, and then see us get off this planet.

[Dr. Sak]

Which strangely enough, leads to zombies.

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[sterlingice]

I've wanted to start a big thread about this for a while- I have some ideas down on paper and they're a bit more in depth but I've never really put it to a thread. Maybe I'll do that later tonight or this weekend.

SI

[MikeVic]

Teleportation and discovering life on another planet.

[Flasch186]

this century = class warfare

[Surtt]

I think a rebirth of the dark ages is just as likely as anything else.

[Flasch186]

BTW when I say class warfare I mean us vs. the zombies.

[DeToxRox]

The real question is .. Would you kill yourself if you were infected by a zombie?

[Mustang]

I've wanted to start a big thread about this for a while- I have some ideas down on paper and they're a bit more in depth but I've never really put it to a thread. Maybe I'll do that later tonight or this weekend.



In the 21st Century, we see an end to procrastination.

[Dr. Sak]

Maybe we need to make a new quiz..."How would you fare in a zombie attack if they were all 5 year old kids"

[Pumpy Tudors]

sexcopters obv

[sachmo71]

nanotubes in EVERYTHING

[Surtt]

BTW when I say class warfare I mean us vs. the zombies.

Are you implying that zombies are second class citizens?

[Noop]

How would that zombie stuff work? Would they really be wanting to eat people and make them co-zombies?

[billethius]

Hopefully the cure for such diseases as cancer.

I hope not. There will be a lot of homeless old people if diseases stop killing them. The idea that we'll all die at some given point (likely in our 70s or 80s) allows us to plan to retire and live off of our savings for that amount of time. If you extend that indefinitely, we'll have to work into our 70s just to afford retirement.

[cuervo72]

Toccer.

[DanGarion]

How would that zombie stuff work? Would they really be wanting to eat people and make them co-zombies?

I know, what would the Zombies eat after they made everyone Zombies. Seems to me there is no benefit of making more Zombies...

[DanGarion]

I hope not. There will be a lot of homeless old people if diseases stop killing them. The idea that we'll all die at some given point (likely in our 70s or 80s) allows us to plan to retire and live off of our savings for that amount of time. If you extend that indefinitely, we'll have to work into our 70s just to afford retirement.

Or people can finally wise up and allow someone to choose if they want to live or not.

[lighthousekeeper]

ootp2059
fm2059
tcy_v1

[chesapeake]

For the wealthy, body modifications. In some countries, you will be able to select, exclude or replace specific genes and sequences from your fertilized egg. On FOFC, the debate over this will lead to a massive flame war resulting in 3 bans.

[Young Drachma]

Toccer.

Yes, indeed. It's long overdue.

[Flasch186]

Are you implying that zombies are second class citizens?

3rd class.

1st class is the Jews
2nd class is all of you
3rd class is the zombies

[Lathum]

A cure for Jerry's kids.

[MikeVic]

I'm also going to say someone launches a nuclear weapon.

[Autumn]

ootp2059
fm2059
tcy_v1

What, no Maximum Football?

[Mustang]

ootp2059
fm2059
tcy_v1

Duke Nuke Em Forever.

Wait, sorry, you said 21st century, I'll attach to the 22nd century thread.

[Mustang]

3rd class.

1st class is the Jews
2nd class is all of you
3rd class is the zombies

F'n Anti-Zombite

[SackAttack]

I'm also going to say someone launches a nuclear weapon.

War...war never changes.

(Also, are you focusing on 'launches' as opposed to 'uses'?)

[Lathum]

I'm also going to say someone launches a nuclear weapon.

directed at the Zombies

[remper]

I know, what would the Zombies eat after they made everyone Zombies. Seems to me there is no benefit of making more Zombies...

Obviously, they'd start a "human farming" industry. With lots of profits to be had.

[Mustang]

directed at the Zombies

Kill the zombies to create Feral Ghouls?

Just great...

[mrsimperless]

I would have to say nanotechnology and bioaugmentation will be two huge pieces of technology. The 20th century saw states gain the power to destroy the earth if they so desired. Unfortunately the 21st century will likely see similar power given to ordinary people, albeit in new and different forms.

[st.cronin]

The Singularity (http://www.aleph.se/Trans/Global/Singularity/)

[mrsimperless]

The Singularity (http://www.aleph.se/Trans/Global/Singularity/)

I'd recommend reading some Roger Penrose for a nice opposite view of Kurzweil, although he can be a bit mathy. I do enjoy Kurzweil, but he's a tad optimistic IMO.

[Jonathan Ezarik]

I hope not. There will be a lot of homeless old people if diseases stop killing them. The idea that we'll all die at some given point (likely in our 70s or 80s) allows us to plan to retire and live off of our savings for that amount of time. If you extend that indefinitely, we'll have to work into our 70s just to afford retirement.

Some of us are already going to have to work into our 70s to afford retirement. Hopefully by then, 70 will be the new 30!

[Danny]

I can tell you what won't change, Al Davis will still be the owner of the Raiders. Perhaps in Zombie form, but he'll still be here.

[path12]

All of us will die. Except the zombies.

[st.cronin]

All of us will die. Except the zombies.

I actually hope to survive the 21st century, and not in zombie form.

[Jonathan Ezarik]

For the wealthy, body modifications. In some countries, you will be able to select, exclude or replace specific genes and sequences from your fertilized egg. On FOFC, the debate over this will lead to a massive flame war resulting in 3 bans.

I think this is very plausible (except the 3 bans, that's way too low an estimate). I wouldn't be surprised if the next century sees the world divided between nations that allow and finance human genetic engineering and those that don't.

[JediKooter]

Zombies, no doubt. The Zombie lobby has been chomping (no pun intended) at the bit waiting to make their move. They want representation and they want it now.

This will lead to some tensions in China where it will all start.

That's what I read, so it has to be true...

[Surtt]

3rd class.

1st class is the Jews
2nd class is all of you
3rd class is the zombies

Well,
As long as I can still feel superior to the zombies.

[Surtt]

I can tell you what won't change, Al Davis will still be the owner of the Raiders. Perhaps in Zombie form, but he'll still be here.

Didn't this already happen?

[Danny]

Didn't this already happen?

No, Zombie Al would do a much better job of running the organization.

[MrDNA]

In the 21st Century, we see an end to procrastination.

...but only towards the end of it...

[sterlingice]

The Singularity (http://www.aleph.se/Trans/Global/Singularity/)

He was pimping that book on NPR's Science Friday a few months ago and I think he was overly generous with some of his estimates (lots of things start out with exponential growth and level off)

SI

[Taur]

The world will end on December 21st, 2012 A.D.

[Swaggs]

More frequent space travel (including space tourism) and nano-technology (that will improve both medicine and engineering) are two that I feel pretty confident about.

I think D.C. and Puerto Rico will become states and, going out on a limb, I think Cuba will become a part of the United States at some point in the next 100-years.

And, of course, Michael Jackson will pay to have his body re-animated upon his death. During the research, a scientist will be bitten by Ted Williams head, which will lead to... Zombie Apocalypse.

[MrDNA]

I think D.C. and Puerto Rico will become states and, going out on a limb, I think Cuba will become a part of the United States at some point in the next 100-years.

Just curious: what makes you think we'll be adding states to the union?

[panerd]

Do you guys think people will still be using napkins in the 21st century?
Or is this mouth-vacuum thing for real?

[Marc Vaughan]

I'd expect to see nanobots embedded within people as standard within the next 10-20 years, these will control basic equipment automatically removing the need for such things as light switches, car and house keys etc.

(if you doubt this - there's a UK university professor who already has them embedded within his arm to automatically unlock his university office and turn on computer, make tea etc. as he enters the building - sounds pretty cool to me, I'd go for it personally ..)

I'd also like to see mankind leave earth and start colonising other planets.

PS> Yeah I'm a trekkie so sue me ;)

[st.cronin]

I'd expect to see nanobots embedded within people as standard within the next 10-20 years, these will control basic equipment automatically removing the need for such things as light switches, car and house keys etc.

(if you doubt this - there's a UK university professor who already has them embedded within his arm to automatically unlock his university office and turn on computer, make tea etc. as he enters the building - sounds pretty cool to me, I'd go for it personally ..)

I'd also like to see mankind leave earth and start colonising other planets.

PS> Yeah I'm a trekkie so sue me ;)


I'm looking forward to upgrading my body with nanobots.

[Lathum]

The world will end on December 21st, 2012 A.D.

thats the word on the street but I think it is arrogant of us as a society to think it's our generation that willl see the end of life as we know it.

I do think it would be cool though, we have to go at sometime, may as well be a part of the grand finale

[sabotai]

I'd expect to see nanobots embedded within people as standard within the next 10-20 years, these will control basic equipment automatically removing the need for such things as light switches, car and house keys etc.

(if you doubt this - there's a UK university professor who already has them embedded within his arm to automatically unlock his university office and turn on computer, make tea etc. as he enters the building - sounds pretty cool to me, I'd go for it personally ..)

WANT!

[Taur]

I'd expect to see nanobots embedded within people as standard within the next 10-20 years, these will control basic equipment automatically removing the need for such things as light switches, car and house keys etc.

(if you doubt this - there's a UK university professor who already has them embedded within his arm to automatically unlock his university office and turn on computer, make tea etc. as he enters the building - sounds pretty cool to me, I'd go for it personally ..)

Don't dogs and cats all ready have these things that will help their owners locate them and also raise and lower doors for them? And, I think race horses have a radio microchip embedded under their skin to identify themselves.

[Dr. Sak]

I can tell you what won't change, Al Davis will still be the owner of the Raiders. Perhaps in Zombie form, but he'll still be here.

And Joe Paterno will still be the coach at Penn State...as a Zombie of course.

[Taur]

And Joe Paterno will still be the coach at Penn State...as a Zombie of course.

Haven't any of you people seen Futurama?

The Head of Joe Paterno will be the coach of Penn State!

[Kodos]

The world will end on December 21st, 2012 A.D.

It must be true. I saw it on the History Channel!

[Swaggs]

Just curious: what makes you think we'll be adding states to the union?

I think D.C. because they are tax-paying citizens that are not properly represented and, I suspect, it will happen sooner rather than later. I envision Puerto Rico happening as the Hispanic population increases. I can see more and more Hispanic representatives in Congress and believe it could be done as throwing a bone by whichever party is in power and wants to "reach out" to Hispanic voters.

[JediKooter]

How about the Cubs win a World Series??? Any takers?

[BrianD]

In the 21st Century, we see an end to procrastination.

...but only towards the end of it...

This post needs more love.

[Danny]

How about the Cubs win a World Series??? Any takers?

Don't be ridiculous, we're trying to have a serious discussion here and you up and go making jokes.

[Kodos]

Scientists will bring the dinosaurs back, but then a tragic flaw will turn them into zombies. Just when humanity seems on the bring of extermination, the aliens will come... and finish us off.

[Mustang]

How about the Cubs win a World Series??? Any takers?

You really need to read Gray's Sports Almanac.

It is common knowledge that the Cubs will win a world series on October 21, 2015.

[Racer]

lightsabers

[Flasch186]

They will extend the Major League Baseball Season to a lot more games taking the Playoffs into December wherein the Chicago Cubs will make it to the World Series where game four is conveniently scheduled to be played on December 22nd, 2012.

[Pumpy Tudors]

four-seat sexcopters

[MikeVic]

What's a one-seat sexcopter.

[Dr. Sak]

A pill that turns poop into pee so I dont have to shit ever again.

[Mustang]

What's a one-seat sexcopter.

A Sybian rotating very very fast.

[Marc Vaughan]

Don't dogs and cats all ready have these things that will help their owners locate them and also raise and lower doors for them? And, I think race horses have a radio microchip embedded under their skin to identify themselves.

Don't know about the doors thing - but most of my families pets have the locator chips.

If I could get nano-bots easily into myself I'd give em a go personally - especially a built in universal remote control, that'd be cool :D

[Lathum]

A pill that turns poop into pee so I dont have to shit ever again.

I hope not, taking a good crap is one of lifes little joys.

[Flasch186]

especially with a current papermint magazine.

[JediKooter]

Don't be ridiculous, we're trying to have a serious discussion here and you up and go making jokes.

Now that I read it again, it does sound kinda funny.

[SportsDino]

The safe money is on:

- Meta-tools software, existing software is mostly options that a user works through to perform tasks or create materials (think photoshop). A 'meta-tool' has the software perform a great majority of the tasks and option operation to streamline creative decision making made by the user (think photoshop where it watches what you do and auto-completes and enhances your use of the brush with patterns and effects).

- True 3-dimensional television (does not pop out of the screen, but you see THROUGH the screen as if it was a window). People stop measuring resolution in pixels entirely. New 3d interfaces and artistic techniques develop to take advantage of the technology.

- Internet gets abstracted with an overlay network layer and traffic as we know it is completely redefined. As the demand for bandwidth increases, the value of smart networks technology is at first attacked by and then saves the broadband network companies (from a business model standpoint anyway).

- Parralel processing in computers advances faster than ever. Most of what we know about computer hardware again becomes obsolete as the notions of RAM, processor, and disk are completely reinvented.

- The number of gadgets with information that people use will continue to increase, and the interfaces and integration for using them will improve dramatically. Universal compatibility will become thee marketing slogan for people carrying a couple small pieces of hardware with them at all times that they expect to work at work/home/shopping.


I call those safe predictions because I already got good inventions for all of them in mind, and if I don't invent them they will be obvious enough that someone will easily stumble on em within the next 100 years. Only thing that could hold us back from a new techno-revolution is a complete economic/political collapse that makes it impossible for people to work together anymore.

[Sgran]

How about the Cubs win a World Series??? Any takers?

Dude. that one hurt. I mean total blindside. You're like the guy in Sneakin in the Movies who says "you didn't even finish high school."