People Unimpressed With Tech Progress

What do people expect? Education systems are in the toilet, no one puts any merit on achievement or progress, and people waste their money material things and spectator sports; I could go on, but the point has been made: you reap what you sow.

Governments and Religion, the two biggest enemies of progress.
I agree.
 
Gotta agree we are scraping our space shuttle and replacing it with a rocket that isnt even ready yet for use. Would think we would have better space technology by now.
 
And no one wonders how we've come to such level of simplicity in our culture. The best Muscial remark of the decade was Rock Band, AND THAT"S A PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY!!! And I'm not saying this because this is a tech site. But because no one wonders or worries about our culture anymore. Btw, please don't reply with Globalization crap. If you think so you should review your knowledge of how culture and civilization work. I agree with O. Spengler in that civilizations are like living beings and they're cyclical, in my opinion western civilization which includes Asians too now is closing its dusk.
 
Gotta agree we are scraping our space shuttle and replacing it with a rocket that isnt even ready yet for use. Would think we would have better space technology by now.

The Space Shuttle itself is the problem in that case. It was far more expensive to operate then anyone ever imagined. The slow progress with developing a replacement is due to limited funding more than anything.
 
I know you dudes love space, and would LOVE to live on the moon, but let's be honest here, how many people actually care? People right now care about if they have a job, not the moon, or mars, or anything really.

Something as big as colonizing a planet should be done at a time when we have the technology and when we have the time..... and we have neither right now.

So people who work at NASA aren't working people??
 
You obviously have nothing even approaching a clue as to just how much of our current tech 'goodies' are a direct result of NASA research during the "Space Race" with the old U.S.S.R.

I think some of you youngin's have something of a short sided view.

We got quite a lot of tech out of the space race, no question. People simply don't think ahead it seems like :(.
 
What do people expect? Education systems are in the toilet, no one puts any merit on achievement or progress, and people waste their money material things and spectator sports; I could go on, but the point has been made: you reap what you sow.

Yup, I've seen some very scary statistics as far as math literacy and english comprehension among adults, in articles regarding how the "housing meltdown" came to be. People simply don't care about education systems, or achievements/progress: if you try to be better you're a "greedy fat cat" or "nerd loser", yet if you blow all your cash on a shiny new car that is not financially feasible for you, you're the coolest guy on the block... until someone else does. Blow your month's rent on tickets to the Knicks? You rock! Put it into savings... "What are you doing!?!?!".
 
Batteries still suck. I want safe, high-amperage, rechargable, micro-nuclear power cells or something that allow high-drain devices to last years on one charge like a watch lasts years on a tiny lithium ion battery. Maybe a laptop battery that can last a full month in a desktop-replacement, high performance laptop at full load.

But, seriously, batteries still suck.

Batteries have come a long way honestly, it's the components powering them that keeps making any such gains unnoticeable. I do, however, think we need a better battery despite all this - Lithium Ion has been around for quite a long time now, and I can't see them making that tech much better in the long run.
 
We have the technology. The problem is more of an issue of cost. Companies aren't willing to actually put the technology into a single package and sell it because it would be too expensive for the 'average joe'. We can have flying cars. We can have people living on Mars. We can have all these things right now if we wanted too. The problem is the $. We are still too concerned with killing eachother and praising Jesus.
 
The biggest two (2) problems in the US is our broken public education system and a very corrupt and mismanaged government, which is driving industry, and thus our jobs, away.

Instead of setting strong goals to return to the Moon, and going to Mars, the government is preaching a goal of dependence on government.

Very few young people are going into engineering and science in the US, much less even can, because of their poor public education, w/a lack of science and mathematics especially.

Back in the '60's, w/the help of our space program, a lot of people got interested in engineering and science, myself included, and went into those fields. Now we are retiring, w/very few young Americans filling the voids.

The space program developed many new technologies that we now take for granted. Unfortunately those ideas from back then are drying up, and so we need new challenges, that will develop new technologies, that will eventually provide new jobs for everyone.

Nationalized healthcare will not provide those jobs, plus it only makes us more dependent on government than ever before.
 
The biggest two (2) problems in the US is our broken public education system and a very corrupt and mismanaged government, which is driving industry, and thus our jobs, away.

Instead of setting strong goals to return to the Moon, and going to Mars, the government is preaching a goal of dependence on government.

Very few young people are going into engineering and science in the US, much less even can, because of their poor public education, w/a lack of science and mathematics especially.

Back in the '60's, w/the help of our space program, a lot of people got interested in engineering and science, myself included, and went into those fields. Now we are retiring, w/very few young Americans filling the voids.

The space program developed many new technologies that we now take for granted. Unfortunately those ideas from back then are drying up, and so we need new challenges, that will develop new technologies, that will eventually provide new jobs for everyone.

Nationalized healthcare will not provide those jobs, plus it only makes us more dependent on government than ever before.

black on dark gray = bad :-P
 
the aliens just need to show their face, indisputably. only then will people wake the fuck up and realize our stupid problems in everyday life are meaningless..
 
You obviously have nothing even approaching a clue as to just how much of our current tech 'goodies' are a direct result of NASA research during the "Space Race" with the old U.S.S.R.

I think some of you youngin's have something of a short sided view.

I was born in 1945, just after WWII ended. Some of the things that I use every day were nothing more than SciFi back then. The amount of tech progress in my lifetime has been incredible. So many things that you take for granted now weren't around when I was a kid. I remember how amazing it was when my folks bought on of the first TVs in our little town. It had a small ROUND screen, and all of the other kids in the nationhood would visit and we would sit close just so we could see it. Color TV and the huge screens of today were things that we couldn't even imagine.

I really wish I could live for another 60-70 years, just to see what going to be around then.

It will be amazing compared to today, and I envy you that will still be around then.
You know nothing about me. So let me enlighten you.

I was born in '57, only a few months before Sputnik. So I'm not that much younger than you. I too, grew up with the Space Race. I frigging watched Armstrong step onto the Lunar surface LIVE on an 19" B&W TV with rabbit ears. I wonder how many people here can say that?

I read Tom Swift Jr books when I was a kid, then Heinlein later on. So I'm quite well aware of just how much of today's technology is owed to JFK and NASA.

I made the comment I did because so many people these days do not realize just how much we owe to space technology. And you can take your condescension and shove it up your ass.
 
We have the technology. The problem is more of an issue of cost. Companies aren't willing to actually put the technology into a single package and sell it because it would be too expensive for the 'average joe'. We can have flying cars. We can have people living on Mars. We can have all these things right now if we wanted too. The problem is the $. We are still too concerned with killing eachother and praising Jesus.

We had wars and a belief in Jesus back in the '60's, and yet they didn't stop things back then. Now-a-days we have this share the wealth mentality brought about by the Far Left.

We also have the environmentalist's who are pushing our jobs overseas. Be it logging, mining, oil, steel, farming, and manufacturing. If these people truly cared for the environment, they shouldn't be pushing these industries into countries w/no pollution laws at all, but rather keeping them here in the US, and working w/them to produce less polution, as well as helping to keep jobs here, and thus reduce poverty.

.
 
I know you dudes love space, and would LOVE to live on the moon, but let's be honest here, how many people actually care? People right now care about if they have a job, not the moon, or mars, or anything really.

Something as big as colonizing a planet should be done at a time when we have the technology and when we have the time..... and we have neither right now.
Right....having a job. Let's talk about that. Do you suppose all the required technology would be manufactured, transported, assembled, serviced, launched, etc.. by robots? No, it would be done by human beings. Well paid human beings, not folks on minimum wage. They would pay taxes and buy things like cars and houses. So idea that space exploration is, or would be somehow just flushing money into a sewer system never to be seen again is utterly wrong.

Maybe if the US did not a have a WAR (Not Defense) Budget of over $600,000,0000,000 and we were not always sticking our noses into other people's business, we might have the money and time to better explore space.

http://www.globalissues.org/article/75/world-military-spending
 
Right....having a job. Let's talk about that. Do you suppose all the required technology would be manufactured, transported, assembled, serviced, launched, etc.. by robots? No, it would be done by human beings. Well paid human beings, not folks on minimum wage. They would pay taxes and buy things like cars and houses. So idea that space exploration is, or would be somehow just flushing money into a sewer system never to be seen again is utterly wrong.

Maybe if the US did not a have a WAR (Not Defense) Budget of over $600,000,0000,000 and we were not always sticking our noses into other people's business, we might have the money and time to better explore space.

http://www.globalissues.org/article/75/world-military-spending

During the '60's we had both a Cold War and Vietnam, so your point is?

The pubic education system was a whole lot better back then. You also had a lot more traditional families back then than we do now, and a lot more personal responsibility.

Now it's all about having the government taking care of you.

.
 
During the '60's we had both a Cold War and Vietnam, so your point is?

The pubic education system was a whole lot better back then. You also had a lot more traditional families back then than we do now, and a lot more personal responsibility.

Now it's all about having the government taking care of you.

.

Those were the days where Industries still had owners who cared about them. Nowadays they have CEO's and Unions that are in it for the money in a quick cash sense.

The more you lean towards socialism the less the U.S. will work as it used to.
 
We had wars and a belief in Jesus back in the '60's, and yet they didn't stop things back then. Now-a-days we have this share the wealth mentality brought about by the Far Left.

This.

As much as people seem to want to put this on the religious, the real problem is the entitlement attitude in our society. Why the hell would someone pick a hard major in college (like engineering) when they can just sit on their ass and let the people who did work hard pay for them? I absolutely hate the attitude, but it seems to be the norm these days.
 
I blame the social progressives myself... The downtrodding of the American Middle Class and the falling morality and personal responsibilities since the late 70's.

I remember in 1989 when it was proposed to place 10 geo syncronous orbit solar stations that would beam microwaves to ground based steam turbine generators....

Enough electricity to power the entire country for generations to come and always options to expand further.

Inital costs was in the trillions... But then I look at what we have literally wasted over the years.

Think of all the problems that it would of solved... pollution, dependance on oil... we could decommision oil and natural gas, coal fired generators, factories and industrial areas... Unlimited power from the sun... Rain, shine, or in the dark... always producing electricity 100% of the time.

All well...
 
If anyone here is as stupid as to think that human structures are to blame (meaning governments and Religions) for the mistakes of actual human beings then they should be consequent and stop posting about what they don't know about because as of now they're incapable of simple common sense reasoning. They're blinded by they hatred and refuse to think to arrive at the conclusion that is human beings that mess things up. No human organizations and intangible entities that exists only as abstractions and concepts in our mind as a mean to perceive the world. That train of though only leads to no one being responsible and thus we will continue downhill. But I still think there's nothing we can do about. So don't worry and just enjoy your life, be positive and do whatever you can, at a personal level to improve your surroundings.
 
If anyone here is as stupid as to think that human structures are to blame (meaning governments and Religions) for the mistakes of actual human beings then they should be consequent and stop posting about what they don't know about because as of now they're incapable of simple common sense reasoning. They're blinded by they hatred and refuse to think to arrive at the conclusion that is human beings that mess things up. No human organizations and intangible entities that exists only as abstractions and concepts in our mind as a mean to perceive the world. That train of though only leads to no one being responsible and thus we will continue downhill. But I still think there's nothing we can do about. So don't worry and just enjoy your life, be positive and do whatever you can, at a personal level to improve your surroundings.

Let me rephrase what I said earlier. When I said "Government" is the enemy of progress, what I was referring to are the MEN and WOMEN who call themselves "Government". "Governments" don't actually exist in reality, i.e. their not tangible. But to go even deeper the root cause is in all of us.
 
Maybe some of these dumb fucks that are so unimpressed should get off their asses and stop blaming scientists for all that's wrong with the world and help out. It'd help if people stopped feeling like they were owed something, too. I think we could be WAY more technologically advanced if the government gave a damn about science for the sake of science, but anyone of meager intelligence shouldn't be surprised about where we're at considering our current condition as a society.
 
Maybe some of these dumb fucks that are so unimpressed should get off their asses and stop blaming scientists for all that's wrong with the world and help out. It'd help if people stopped feeling like they were owed something, too. I think we could be WAY more technologically advanced if the government gave a damn about science for the sake of science, but anyone of meager intelligence shouldn't be surprised about where we're at considering our current condition as a society.


You need to finish clearing out your thoughts and arrive at a simple conclusion. The only reason why the U.S. got to where it is now or where it was before was because they never needed the government or relied on the government to do anything. That simple philosophy
"if the government gave a damn about science for the sake of science" is what makes all the difference between the United States of America and Latin America. Why do you have to wait for the government?
Keep doing what you've always done and you'll keep getting what you've always gotten.
"Eric von Markovic".
 
The invention of money is the worst thing that humans have ever done. It has been the single biggest thing holding us back as a society. Imagine everything that we could do if we didn't have that roadblock of an invention.
 
Yeah man. I feel we should be seeing magical unicorns, flying pigs, and sun bathing with the elves. I should be able to cast my level 1 fireball. Damn technological advancement we just aren't were we are suppose too.
 
You need to finish clearing out your thoughts and arrive at a simple conclusion. The only reason why the U.S. got to where it is now or where it was before was because they never needed the government or relied on the government to do anything. That simple philosophy
"if the government gave a damn about science for the sake of science" is what makes all the difference between the United States of America and Latin America. Why do you have to wait for the government?
Keep doing what you've always done and you'll keep getting what you've always gotten.
"Eric von Markovic".

I'm sorry, I really had no intentions on doing that.

I'm going to say one thing: We would be far more advanced as a society if the government had a genuine interest in science for the sake of science.

Now, I'm going to build on that: Our government, and many others, is far more concerned about discovering new technologies, but not for the sake of developing them. Billions are spent to blow people up and to create energy to blow people up. Science for the sake of science means new discoveries aren't kept classified for decades because they might be useful in a future war.

To close: I'm satisfied with where we are technologically but you can't really deny that if the government set aside a couple billion a year (out of their trillion or so dollar budget) to prevent aging, we'd probably be living quite a bit longer, barring disease and "untimely" death. So many labs are moving slowly due to lack of funding and there are some incredibly useful projects out there, projects that would benefit the world assuming no greedy bastard got his hands around it, that would be launched into success with a billion dollars.
 
The ultimate energy source is Nuclear Fusion, but w/this global warming hysteria and oil costs, does anyone see the government putting any money into it. or that Meathead Gore promoting it? :rolleyes:

Wouldn't one think that a Manhattan Project level of attention would be given it, but no, the wind generators and solar panels will provide all the US's energy needs, especially w/electric cars that they want us to drive, or so they think. :D :D :D

.
 
2 things 9/11 and recession i think if neither happened we would be a little more advanced than we currently are
 
I'm sorry, I really had no intentions on doing that.

I'm going to say one thing: We would be far more advanced as a society if the government had a genuine interest in science for the sake of science.

Now, I'm going to build on that: Our government, and many others, is far more concerned about discovering new technologies, but not for the sake of developing them. Billions are spent to blow people up and to create energy to blow people up. Science for the sake of science means new discoveries aren't kept classified for decades because they might be useful in a future war.

To close: I'm satisfied with where we are technologically but you can't really deny that if the government set aside a couple billion a year (out of their trillion or so dollar budget) to prevent aging, we'd probably be living quite a bit longer, barring disease and "untimely" death. So many labs are moving slowly due to lack of funding and there are some incredibly useful projects out there, projects that would benefit the world assuming no greedy bastard got his hands around it, that would be launched into success with a billion dollars.

Eat less, eat healthier, and exercise. Woa, trillions weren't needed after all.

Why complain about the government when you live in a country like the US? You can be as involved in the government as you want. Governments are an entity created as a collective decision (a "people") to protect, preserve and enrich. All things start with a roof over your head and food on the table. Without those necessities, having flying cars and teleporting devices are useless, thus a government's priorities must be straight.
 
I'm sorry, I really had no intentions on doing that.

I'm going to say one thing: We would be far more advanced as a society if the government had a genuine interest in science for the sake of science.

Now, I'm going to build on that: Our government, and many others, is far more concerned about discovering new technologies, but not for the sake of developing them. Billions are spent to blow people up and to create energy to blow people up. Science for the sake of science means new discoveries aren't kept classified for decades because they might be useful in a future war.

To close: I'm satisfied with where we are technologically but you can't really deny that if the government set aside a couple billion a year (out of their trillion or so dollar budget) to prevent aging, we'd probably be living quite a bit longer, barring disease and "untimely" death. So many labs are moving slowly due to lack of funding and there are some incredibly useful projects out there, projects that would benefit the world assuming no greedy bastard got his hands around it, that would be launched into success with a billion dollars.

If everyone was honest and responsible there wouldn't be a need for an entity to enforce rules and laws now would it?
That brings us to a circular conclusion. Why is it that is the government's fault then? Is it intrinsically theirs?

Eat less, eat healthier, and exercise. Woa, trillions weren't needed after all.

Why complain about the government when you live in a country like the US? You can be as involved in the government as you want. Governments are an entity created as a collective decision (a "people") to protect, preserve and enrich. All things start with a roof over your head and food on the table. Without those necessities, having flying cars and teleporting devices are useless, thus a government's priorities must be straight.

Pfft, they offer survivalism courses for that. And all you'll need is to learn how to do Agriculture, hunting and construction for that. Your concept of government is pretty far from reality if you ask me. But well that is simply obvious. To put it simply stagnation doesn't exist, You either move forwards or you start climbing down. You really need to study Objectivism. Also, look up O. Spengler: "Civilizations are like living beings, there's not a linear evolution of humanity, but a cyclical one. For example the Greeks had no concept of infinity (that was Western Civilization's work) or concept of 0 (That was Arab Civilization's work) and then the classical school teach that our civilization descends from the Greeks. Just as the greeks and every other one after and before them our civilization will decline, and as a living being, die". That was proposed by the end of the 19th century and then he recommended his readers to go work in technology as culture and education were already in decline. Well, what would you know? Just look around. Hence my first post in this thread.
 
Eat less, eat healthier, and exercise. Woa, trillions weren't needed after all.

Why complain about the government when you live in a country like the US? You can be as involved in the government as you want. Governments are an entity created as a collective decision (a "people") to protect, preserve and enrich. All things start with a roof over your head and food on the table. Without those necessities, having flying cars and teleporting devices are useless, thus a government's priorities must be straight.

Don't be a tool, think before you act like a fool. Obviously, I'm referring to living well past 100 years and not just being a healthy person.

Are you serious? Government in the US will always be run by corporations. I'm not sure what your post was other than one giant handjob for the government.
 
I think the average person has no real concept of where technology and science actually are. They only have the barest perception of what applied technology is currently providing, but really no sense (or interest in) the theoretical.

The job of science fiction is to speculate well beyond the present day. In certain big areas, that have turned out to be much tougher to solve from either a physical or economic, standpoint, one could say we "lagged". Spaceflight could be seen as one of these areas. For every person that wants a manned mission to Mars just "because", there are ten who will say "we need to spend money here". The fact is, the Universe presents certain physical boundaries that are enormously difficult to overcome. Sci-fi authors have the benefit of saying "well they just did it". Reality is that overcoming the theory of relativity isn't easy and tapping into a source of unlimited energy is a very, very hard pre-requisite for any possible solution.

On the other hand, look how far we have come in terms of our cosmological understanding. String theory is monumental and is far beyond nearly any speculative thought. Most people have really no idea of what it even is and likely lack the capacity to even begin to understand it. Same with the work going on at the super colliders. How many people know what a "higgs boson" is or why scientists are obsessed with it?

When a survey asks what people think about technology, they want to know why we don't have laser pistols, sex bots and warp drive. Really moronic stuff. So take it from where it comes.

Meanwhile, scientists continue to make incredible advances in the areas of quantum computing, protein computing, nano-technology and theoretical physics. It's just that the 'applied technology' aspect of these disciplines isn't there yet and energy is becoming a gigantic challenge.

Best post in the thread, by far. Any perceived lack of advancement is entirely due to this.
 
well, i don't know what the benefit would be to colonize the moon or mars. both are ice cold, super dry rocks, nothing more. i do agree we should rather invent better batteries, try to not destroy our planet and maybe dump something called "religion" that has been ball and chain to mankind for millennia. and i say that as a science nerd. the obstacles of manned space travel are just huge and mankind is too busy with killing each other and destroying their planet.

the true problem that science has is that most people are just morons. it is uncool to be good at math and if you show any sign of knowledge about physics or science in general people look at you in various funny ways, none of which i'd say is respectful. the general education of people is lacking badly. whenever that is the topic in some smalltalk i mention a gameshow i watched years ago where the candidate couldn't answer the question of how many squares a chessboard has. in 100% such cases i either got awkward silence or "i didn't know that either" as a response. and these are middle and upper class education europeans. the very same people, however, could surely name several movies of any random celebrity you name. that's some priorities right there.

as long as people are only interested in having the newest cell phone, getting some fancy design for their fingernails, sitting on their ass all day and watch tv or tweet useless crap that noone cares about, we will not get significantly more people willing to start a career in science because there's not enough interest in it which results in fewer innovations and discoveries. how should kids know there are so many great things to know, study and discover? chances are the parents don't know either and school does a crappy job at sparking interest in science.

sorry if that post is confusing... it's 8 a.m. now and i've worked on something since 6 p.m., i'm tired lol. g'night.
 
If everyone was honest and responsible there wouldn't be a need for an entity to enforce rules and laws now would it?
That brings us to a circular conclusion. Why is it that is the government's fault then? Is it intrinsically theirs?

You're assuming I believe the governments purpose is to enforce laws. I recognize the benefit of a little money from everyone. The government is merely a body that decides where to spend that money. I feel that many in the United States would have their collected money spent on something more logical and progressive than war and more war.
 
If everyone was honest and responsible there wouldn't be a need for an entity to enforce rules and laws now would it?
That brings us to a circular conclusion. Why is it that is the government's fault then? Is it intrinsically theirs?



Pfft, they offer survivalism courses for that. And all you'll need is to learn how to do Agriculture, hunting and construction for that. Your concept of government is pretty far from reality if you ask me. But well that is simply obvious. To put it simply stagnation doesn't exist, You either move forwards or you start climbing down. You really need to study Objectivism. Also, look up O. Spengler: "Civilizations are like living beings, there's not a linear evolution of humanity, but a cyclical one. For example the Greeks had no concept of infinity (that was Western Civilization's work) or concept of 0 (That was Arab Civilization's work) and then the classical school teach that our civilization descends from the Greeks. Just as the greeks and every other one after and before them our civilization will decline, and as a living being, die". That was proposed by the end of the 19th century and then he recommended his readers to go work in technology as culture and education were already in decline. Well, what would you know? Just look around. Hence my first post in this thread.

Agriculture, hunting and construction to do what? Keep bombs from flying into your fields and other countries from marching in and executing you?
 
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