Is tremendous technological and scientific advancement still possible for the human race?

Question

Centuries ago people had ideas of what the 21st century would be like. On a very small scale we have some of what we had hoped for, but not at the magnitude that was predicted. Will we ever reach the magnitude that was predicted or are our morals as humans interfering with our advancement?

Answer 1

Firstly, I find it amusing that the rate of technological advancement does not come in a time of peace but rather that of crisis. I would like to note one profound example and this of the black plague of europe, as you could imagine the 40% casualty rate created somewhat of a labour shortage, thus as a result there was a rapid technogical development forward. Also war as a catalyst for technological growth has already been mentioned. One cannot help but wonder if bird flu becomes the devasting pandemic that wipes out 40% of various populations, whether it may have the same result as the plague. While this has not occured (and may well not) the human race must be content with slow and tedious developments that peace offers. This era post 1960s is a result of such peaceful growth and in the absence of crisis the rate will continue to grow at a slow pace.
As far as morals are concerned there is allways somebody out there who is prepared to make the journey into the unknown, human cloning for a instance cannot be delayed inevitably, if it has not already happened (Sth. Korea?). I think as humans we all long for rapid technological advancement as stated and that does occur, but we owe more to the slow process that peace offers, and that seems to be the more stable of the two approachs, and those who disagree may push for the former if they must.
Predictions are often vague and the perfect flying car, dome buildings with spires on the top (Jetsons scenario) will no doubt fall flat of expectations but a more interlinking model will be approached to suit the technology of the times. A spire house might not be the most appropriate.
Any country may develop greater technological capabilities than another and this is shortly engulfed by the rest with our new free flow of information and corrupt practices that naturally occur in human beings. So it is really a watch this space question. If bird flu does wipe out 40% of us it will no doubt have technological boom bought on by labour shortages, especially in low wage area of labour. Other than that scenario or any other global disaster technology as mentioned will continue on its steady path. As stated the development during war, well I certainly am not going to venture a guess in that direction but we could expect another technological boom if either one of the scenarios occur the results will be most interesting (pending survival).

Answer 2

Decades ago, maybe, people had ideas of what this century would be like. Centuries ago, though, we did not have electricity, cars, telephones, airplanes -- nor the very idea that they could exist. All the really huge advancements that have been made have been in the 20th century. Because we were advancing so fast, people (sci-fi writers and such) did have ideas of what a whole new century would bring.

Medically, we are still advancing as fast as ever, be it a good thing or a bad thing (your opinion). Scientifically... the things we are working on (it seems) are fun things, like the tiniest mp3 player imaginable or the biggest plasma flat-screen TV. While we are still sending out satellites and such into space, we lack the funding to increasingly outdo our past efforts.

It is still very early in the century -- 6 years out of 100. We've got a long way to go before people will be able to say what the 21st century was like.

Answer 3

It's happening every day, but we are a bit jaded and perhaps don't realize how much is happening all around us. Imagine the leap in computer technology alone. We went to the Moon with computers less powerful than a 286 AT and today we are blazing away on Pentium 4's with gigs of RAM.

Anti-biotics have only been around since the mid 1940's.

Humanity continues to advance, but your are correct about influences that seek to slow technology. Certainly religion plays a role in resisting technology rather than embracing it, except where it fosters communication of their message.

The need to make a profit influences technology advances as well. How long must we use internal combustion engines??

Have we hit a wall with regard to that technology or is that not enough profit for someone to want to make the replacement??

Answer 4

A socialist, in my opinion, author named Alvin Toffler wrote a book called Future shock about 20-25 years ago. The premise of the back is that the 20th century was the greatest era of technological achievement in all of human history. In those 100 years technology improved more than it had in the previous 100,000 years of human history. He believed that technology would continue to improve but at a cost to the human psyche. He believes that technology forces us to rush around and causes all sort of anxiety from being the "haves" and "have-nots" of technolgy and this is what causes things like add and adhd and anxiety/depression, drug addiction...you name it. He was bacially describing out "fast food" society and that although we get things quicker and possibly easier, there are moral and psychological consequences of having things at the reach of your fingertips.

Answer 5

Well if it wasn't for the Dark Ages where there was no Science. We would be 800 years more advanced in technology from right now. We would have perfected interstellar travel in theory. The human race will have technological and medical advancements. There are people everyday trying to invent or acidently invent something,

Answer 6

All of those improvements in ordinary words befell in the previous one hundred~ or so years. There are nevertheless this variety of vast quantity of generations whos relatives nevertheless have a faith burned into their psyche. There are nevertheless coming up international places who nevertheless haven't any get entry to to education and for this reason are unaffected by using this.(in ordinary words now they have an ak-40 seven to implement and spread their faith). Humanity nevertheless has yet another few thousands of years beforehand it can make any fantastic advances. faith is an awesome drug that ought to take many generations to develop into rehabilitated from. education is the treatment and because that the former die off, so does the instructors. those previous tomes will be unable to trojan horse their way into the minds of adult men who construct rockets and treatment maximum cancers.

Answer 7

We have already gone far beyond imagineable. We are discovering new things every day. And computer technology was not existent a few decades ago. I am amazed at how far we have come and I know that there is more in the future. But, really, how far can it go?

Answer 8

Since you asked I will tell you now that my life is almost over...ROSWELL did happen and it was a gift from another world to the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA....we have developed and are still developing the "gift" from the aliens. THINK about this "how did a world with prop driven aircraft ,1940's, jump into OUTERSPACE in a few years?? There were many space craft landings in the late 1940's and AMERICA was one of a few countries which had landings. Other countries never spoke of them only America did but......quashed the news media and eliminated anyone who spoke of this incident.Why woulld we conceal this >> it totally ruins the "heaven or hell" theory and proves there is no god....and as we all know no god no hell and evryone would be KILLING THY NEIGHBOR.....anyhow, time to take my medications ...thank you for reading my ramblings.

Answer 9

i think there is great achievement still ahead, but perhaps the predictions for this century from the one before were too optimistic

Answer 10

We need another war to propel us to the next level....it's the only time when technology jumps by leaps and bounds...