What happened to the future?

[/backslash/]

According to Google, the definition of cyberpunk is:

a lawless subculture of an oppressive society dominated by computer technology.

This sounds to me like almost every chat website (think 4chan). The Future may have been fulfilled, at least, in that regard.

The futuristic ideals that the starter grew up with were looking in the wrong direction- away from computing technology. Most people didn't think that it would be used for much more than scientific and business calculations, and see now how much it has changed our lives.

[Endy0816]

How, did I miss this... oh, that date. When I appeared in a hospital room and we celebrate my appearance annually, that explains it.

 

I understand Helium 3 can be extracted from the Lunar regolith. Could this ever be an economically viable reason to set up processing plants on the moon?

 

We need fusion power to work first. Then we can discuss economics of mining and shipping.

 

 

According to Google, the definition of cyberpunk is:
a lawless subculture of an oppressive society dominated by computer technology.
This sounds to me like almost every chat website (think 4chan). The Future may have been fulfilled, at least, in that regard.
The futuristic ideals that the starter grew up with were looking in the wrong direction- away from computing technology. Most people didn't think that it would be used for much more than scientific and business calculations, and see now how much it has changed our lives.

 

Da. Is getting there.

[Dekan]

The futuristic ideals that the starter grew up with were looking in the wrong direction- away from computing technology. Most people didn't think that it would be used for much more than scientific and business calculations, and see now how much it has changed our lives.

 

We used to want futuristic flying cars to change our lives. But, as you say, we were looking in the wrong direction. Now the future is here. And instead of flying cars, we have computing technology.

 

This has certainly changed our lives. We can now send stupid 140 character messages to each on Twitter. Is that progress? I'd rather have the flying cars.

[CharonY]

Last week I was exchanging messages with collaborators and shooting off spreadsheets and images on a hand-held devices. While sitting in a plane, cruising over the ocean. That is pretty cool. But what is awesome is the fact that it has become so affordable to actually do it.

[Dekan]

Well yes. You were in a subsonic plane, which still only goes at the same speed as a 1950's vintage Boeing 707. So your trans-oceanic cruise took several hours. Thus affording plenty of opportunity to while away the time by exchanging messages and drawing up spreadsheets.

 

I suppose travellers on 18th century sailing-ships enjoyed similar leisure, as they wrote their journals and composed letters during their month-long cruise across the Atlantic.

 

But it does seem a bit disappointing, that in the 21st century we haven't got sub-orbital rocketships crossing the Atlantic in 30 minutes and the Pacific in 90 minutes or so!

[CharonY]

Oh, we had faster flights already (Concorde) and it is technically feasible to go faster. It is just not economically viable. The market clearly favors lower prices but higher throughput. But it is not a technological challenge per se. Also, considering the logistics around the flight (such as security checks) there is a bit of a diminishing return in terms of time savings (though, say an hour or so would be nice).

Still, the major breakthrough is that ordinary people can benefit from modern technology. Even in the 50s people would sail across the atlantic/pacific, whereas today no one would thing twice about hopping into a plane.

Edited October 6, 2014 by CharonY