Growing up: did you ever imagine what the future will be like in the 21st century?

[Spike-X]

Cool! I'd love to know a second language. I'd be able to watch untranslated anime, read original manga...

See, what you posted there actually tells me is that governments don't seem to give a shit about science research unless they can use it to blow people up. Which is a damn shame.

[Handsome men don't lose fights]

If your country had taken one tenth of what it wastes on having a military that's bigger than the next 100 nations on the list combined, you'd probably be living on freakin' Uranus or something by now.

Sad thing, but if we gave up having a big military on a Monday, then by Wednesday we'd be getting roflstomped by all the nations nursing a grudge, whilst all the prick policymakers in our nation who pissed them off to begin with would begin crowing to the rest of us, "See? We told told you we needed a large military!"

[Handsome men don't lose fights]

Cool! I'd love to know a second language. I'd be able to watch untranslated anime, read original manga...

See, what you posted there actually tells me is that governments don't seem to give a shit about science research unless they can use it to blow people up. Which is a damn shame.

Well, yeah. Potential militarization is always a concern. You can't even sell an old Playstation 3 to someone living in Cuba, for fear that those wily Castro brothers will invent an eagle hunting supercomputer.

[Mikekerr3]

Cool! I'd love to know a second language. I'd be able to watch untranslated anime, read original manga...

See, what you posted there actually tells me is that governments don't seem to give a shit about science research unless they can use it to blow people up. Which is a damn shame.

Science research is not a govementsl mission, it never has been in the US except to fill govement needs. And I realy doubnt that your nation has b spent as much on pure research in the last decade as the US has in the last year. Why are you so concerned about how somebody else spendes their money, it not like you have an call on that subject, you just get to reap the benefits while kibitzing

[CSTowle]

Well being a child from the 90's the biggest thing they did this century technology wise for the mainstream public was combine your phone, computer, and cd player into one device.

To me this is the biggest thing to happen that we just accepted and haven't marveled at the genius of. Think of all of the things your phone can do now, between standard features and apps. Ability to communicate with anyone just about anywhere in the world (provided they have a similar device), access to just about all knowledge/music/art/writing gathered in human history, functions as a camera, can tell the time/weather/location on Earth/etc. They're really little miracle machines, but they're so common that we tend to overlook how amazing they are.

[Kees_L]

To me this is the biggest thing to happen that we just accepted and haven't marveled at the genius of. Think of all of the things your phone can do now, between standard features and apps. Ability to communicate with anyone just about anywhere in the world (provided they have a similar device), access to just about all knowledge/music/art/writing gathered in human history, functions as a camera, can tell the time/weather/location on Earth/etc. They're really little miracle machines, but they're so common that we tend to overlook how amazing they are.

There are downsides 'though, in how easily these devices become fully useless again, even as parts. They aren't repairable plus their functions are programmed both as dictated by fleeting commerce.
An old watch or grammophone or even a simple armchair easily outlives generations with remaining useful, but Windows 7 doesn't. If all antique watches would've been large clunky devices becoming useless every five or ten years, instead of potentially becoming heirlooms keeping its use 'till the end of time: that would have made for one aweful heap of clutter.
An outdated Toyota engine can provide much use to the most remote bits of civilisation, but a smartphone may hardly, in how it needs "connectivity" or otherwise it won't even function as a paperweight.

There'll be innovation and advancement, but. I think it might not come from marveling at what would be appearing new or blissful all that much. I'd be inclined to think that hardship or things lacking and proving amiss would be what drives innovation the most.
Which might sound a little gloomy but actually it would be positive, like in how things proving shit wouldn't mean it would have to neededly remain that way ever. Any lacking means or skill or access would be what would really be to advance a person, provided they wouldn't ever quit too soon.
Advancement or genius only works if people stick to doing all the thinking themselves, with being conscious of / experienced at any of the work to get done themselves. Otherwise outsourcing both as tech won't necessarily be meaning advancement at all.

[CSTowle]

There are downsides 'though, in how easily these devices become fully useless again, even as parts. They aren't repairable plus their functions are programmed both as dictated by fleeting commerce.
An old watch or grammophone or even a simple armchair easily outlives generations with remaining useful, but Windows 7 doesn't. If all antique watches would've been large clunky devices becoming useless every five or ten years, instead of potentially becoming heirlooms keeping its use 'till the end of time: that would have made for one aweful heap of clutter.
An outdated Toyota engine can provide much use to the most remote bits of civilisation, but a smartphone may hardly, in how it needs "connectivity" or otherwise it won't even function as a paperweight.

There'll be innovation and advancement, but. I think it might not come from marveling at what would be appearing new or blissful all that much. I'd be inclined to think that hardship or things lacking and proving amiss would be what drives innovation the most.
Which might sound a little gloomy but actually it would be positive, like in how things proving shit wouldn't mean it would have to neededly remain that way ever. Any lacking means or skill or access would be what would really be to advance a person, provided they wouldn't ever quit too soon.
Advancement or genius only works if people stick to doing all the thinking themselves, with being conscious of / experienced at any of the work to get done themselves. Otherwise outsourcing both as tech won't necessarily be meaning advancement at all.

The planned obsolescence is on the people who market these things for profit though, not on the people who developed the technology to spread information. I separate the two in my mind, like doctors working on cures for diseases and the pharmaceutical companies trying to gouge customers with the finished product. I'd agree there may be something lost when things are made too easy on us, but I think on the whole we gain by having more information at our fingertips. Those who let calculators/computers/phones do their thinking for them in times past probably weren't going to be doing a lot of heavy lifting in the mental department anyway, at least this way when a kid is curious and wants to ask a thousand questions (that their parents either can't or don't want to answer) they have the world at their fingertips.

It's great when someone knows all of the routes to get to a certain location and they'll probably have an advantage getting somewhere over someone with GPS, but at least that GPS gives those without a great sense of direction or map sense the ability to get to where they're going. I fit that information under "nice to know, but not essential". Like churning your own butter vs buying it at a grocery store. It's great if you want to take the time, and you'll probably enjoy that butter a whole lot more, but most people just don't have the time or inclination to bother.

[Kees_L]

The planned obsolescence is on the people who market these things for profit though, not on the people who developed the technology to spread information.

Well yeah, but they BOTH count at making eachother possible, so even the purest beautifullest most harmless miracle minds work for both as due to corporations operating if not dictating whatever markets.

It doesn't have to be some evil scheme to have like unique operating systems or innovative aspects be to render entire lines of commerce or service completely redundant. Like how more and more tech utensils these days aren't repairable at all, with all having fixed and very timely lifespans, so excessively even consumers hardly keep up (from behind their internets).

Innovation or any information technology will be terrific, but however functional, it may still be harboring downsides. Plus even with all the stuff on markets will it be pretty difficult to choose properly or correctly,
like your GPS-example:
where I'm at will most students or economizing commuters be using public transportation, through busy and very urban/well-used routes and areas, making whatever GPS mostly unnecessary in itself.
I occasionally use it, when I drive, but most of the time I don't really need it even then. I never ride trains long enough in order to be enjoying the free Wifi on my Ipad. Which I've used maybe 5 or 6 times in two years, for checking my email when my pc was already off.
I don't need a smartphone, but my job will be providing me with one, but only because apparently they want as much of their employees to be working away from the office.

And churning butter: I aim to cook my meals at least three times a week, with buying meats both as bread both as groceries fresh instead of from whatever supermarkets if I can afford it, as otherwise I immediately start growing fat both as unhealthy from how unscrutinously and non-benevolent processed or prepared supermarket stuff tends to be. I'm not rich and pretty lazy, but, any preparing things from scratch of my own doing saves me pounds a week in my experience.

All I'm saying is that downsides being downsides will be that.

Or how my late grandfather spoke of his doctor: "an allright guy but best with his heart boiled and severed as tied to his back by some dirty length of rope". (He could be kinda grumpy at times.)

[Mikekerr3]

Well yeah, but they BOTH count at making eachother possible, so even the purest beautifullest most harmless miracle minds work for both as due to corporations operating if not dictating whatever markets.

It doesn't have to be some evil scheme to have like unique operating systems or innovative aspects be to render entire lines of commerce or service completely redundant. Like how more and more tech utensils these days aren't repairable at all, with all having fixed and very timely lifespans, so excessively even consumers hardly keep up (from behind their internets).

Innovation or any information technology will be terrific, but however functional, it may still be harboring downsides. Plus even with all the stuff on markets will it be pretty difficult to choose properly or correctly,
like your GPS-example:
where I'm at will most students or economizing commuters be using public transportation, through busy and very urban/well-used routes and areas, making whatever GPS mostly unnecessary in itself.
I occasionally use it, when I drive, but most of the time I don't really need it even then. I never ride trains long enough in order to be enjoying the free Wifi on my Ipad. Which I've used maybe 5 or 6 times in two years, for checking my email when my pc was already off.
I don't need a smartphone, but my job will be providing me with one, but only because apparently they want as much of their employees to be working away from the office.

And churning butter: I aim to cook my meals at least three times a week, with buying meats both as bread both as groceries fresh instead of from whatever supermarkets if I can afford it, as otherwise I immediately start growing fat both as unhealthy from how unscrutinously and non-benevolent processed or prepared supermarket stuff tends to be. I'm not rich and pretty lazy, but, any preparing things from scratch of my own doing saves me pounds a week in my experience.

All I'm saying is that downsides being downsides will be that.

Or how my late grandfather spoke of his doctor: "an allright guy but best with his heart boiled and severed as tied to his back by some dirty length of rope". (He could be kinda grumpy at times.)

Many things are not reparaible becasue making them repariable would cost more, and the repairs would very likely cost more than simply replacing the whole item would be

Ror example: I can repair a screwdriver that has the tip broken off, It will only take a hour or so of skilled labor , but I can replace that same screwdriver for the amount of money it would take 10 minutes to earn even at minimum wage.

[Wedge Antilles]

I didn't think space travel or inhabiting other planets was realistic; however, I was hoping for flying cars.

[Mikekerr3]

My biggest suprpise it that I didnot expect the US to turn into a police state, since when I was a kid warrant were delivered with a knock on the door not a SWAT team

[Kirby101]

I didn't think space travel or inhabiting other planets was realistic; however, I was hoping for flying cars.

God no! Have you seen how badly people drive? You really want them flying around above you?

[MOOT]

No robots or flying cars

[Spike-X]

There are robots all over the place. Just not all of the humanoid-shaped 'Good-evening-sir-may-I-bring-you-a-drink?" variety.

[Ghost]

Now that I think of it, its probly a good thing we dont have flying cars. Most people in my area cant drive for crap lol. It would be terrifying to imagine them flying around.