Toast for Brekkie

L'avenir

Let's talk about the future. I've culled from the herd the links that have to do with what's next; some are sheer technophilia, others border on philosophical. In weighing the pros and cons of several entries versus one big post with several links, I've come to realize that either way, there is no avoiding overwhelming the reader. So let us forge ahead.

When I'm not reading Nerdular Nerdence I spend a lot of time at gizmag.com. It's an Australian site devoted to gizmos, gadgets, prototypes, and all things badical. And it's where we'll start with some brain candy, namely electric motorcycles (available today) and airbikes (available in your dreams).

The next link points to one aspect of the future of medicine. It's also somewhat of a teaser for an upcoming post on the brain. This one's for all the doctors and med students out there (it's crazy how many of you I know!). Apparently there are ongoing clinical trials that are treating patients with mild hypothermia. Hey, what kind of news is that? Big deal, just apply heat, right? No, read it again. We're not talking about warming up slightly cool people, but slightly cooling warm people. Not just for fun, either, but as a method of protecting the brain of recent heart attack and stroke victims. To me it seems like the first step on the road to suspended animation.

On to the environment. We'll start with the gee whiz factor and show what humans are capable of given enough money, namely the Palm Islands of Dubai. It's interesting to note that these fantastical projects taking place in the United Arab Emirates would be wholly impossible without the rampant global thirst for oil. And while certain parties continue to ignore the hard facts of global warming, it's at least somewhat encouraging that big business has finally stepped up to say something must be done. Now if only they'll put their money on the line and let market forces guide the transformation to closed-loop energy. Looks like we're going to transition through nuclear (fission) first, since no one is willing to give up their current outrageous level of energy consumption (and attendant luxurious lifestyle...air conditioning and the internet, among many other things, are privileges, people).

Meanwhile designers are waiting in the wings with potential solutions to problems that many might not even realize exist. I can say from first hand experience it would be nice to have a ship that didn't belch diesel exhaust in order to cross the ocean. The major cargo carriers may operate profitably, but that's because hard to measure costs like pollution and the relative abundance of natural resources are ignored. I just love the irony that our workhorse ships may go back to sailing. Hey, if the energy's there, why not?

Now to everyone's favorite: killer robots. Well, not exactly killer, but robots nonetheless. By now you're probably used to hearing about robots like Roomba and Aibo and the Martian rovers Spirit and Opportunity. But listen to what co-founder of iRobot Helen Greiner has to say:

"I think the question will not be, 'Will you have a robot in your home?' but 'How many robots will you have in your home?' "

It's just too bad Isaac Asimov isn't around to see this.

Now you may be thinking, "All this is well and good, but have you given any thought to where technology is leading us? What about The Matrix?" I've got an answer to a bit more down to earth concept for you: Is technology making our lives better? An excerpt from Gersh Kuntzman's recent article:

It may sound ingenious—plug in the module and it will release clean scents round-the-clock—but it is nothing more than a product that creates a pleasant smell in your house by burning electricity that was created by exhaust-belching power plants somewhere else, preferably downwind from you...

We're supposed to be so impressed by the ingenuity of these gadgets that we'll ignore our utter lack of need for such technology. But shouldn't new inventions help mankind achieve great things, not enable our worst neuroses?

Let's end with a bang. Not the big one, but something to twist your melon for some time to come: The Future Timeline of Humanity. The author, Brian Holtz, admits that many of his predictions are contentious (and some might even say supercilious), but the tone is more than made up for by some of the nuggets of content.

Posted by George at June 13, 2005 11:12 PM