Monday, July 20, 2009

Question: What Advancement Do You Want To See?

This is a great time to be alive. What time isn't you ask? How about the Robot Holocaust or the Zombie Apocalypse?

As I said, this is a great time to be alive. We’ve seen images from Mars. Our understanding of the universe is growing exponentially. Medicine does things not even dreamed of 40 years ago. Computers get more advanced every day. Everything is getting better. But it’s not enough. I was promised flying cars. Where are my flying cars?

What advancement do you want to see?

17 comments:

DCAlleyKat said...

I'd like to see the homo sapien laser scanner button activated on all visual media...it has the ability to sense when one is lying and slaps a big red (yes I said 'red') liar across the forehead. The super model is especially adept at flagging politicians for flogging.

AndrewPrice said...

Wow, a "scarlet LIAR" machine! Our political classes will love that one.

Mike Kriskey said...

All I want is one measly holodeck.

Is that too much to ask, science?

ScottDS said...

Holodecks and flying cars aside... :-)

I would like my own heads-up display (HUD) that would identify businesses, give step-by-step directions, indicate traffic problems and suggest detours, ID people I know (useful for remembering birthdays!), etc.

For more info: http://gizmodo.com/5292748/layar-first-mobile-augmented-reality-browser-is-your-real-life-hud

http://io9.com/5303332/two-augmented-reality-technologies-that-are-about-to-change-the-world

Unknown said...

A clothes washer-dryer combination that presents the same number of socks at the end of the dry cycle as were put in at the beginning of the wash cycle.

AndrewPrice said...

Mike, I don't think that's too much to ask, I really don't. But I'll bet you the pop-ups will be really annoying. :-)

Scott, sounds insane to me. :-P

Lawhawk, you ask the impossible.

Tennessee Jed said...

Actually, this is probably not an "advancement" per se, but what I would most like to see is a return to manners and civility. To wit, I give you the new generation of phones and texting allowing people to carry on "conversations" with people who aren't even physically there.

How many of you have had dinner or drinks with people who ought to know better who are constantly "texting" during the entire time. That is probably just the logical extension of the person on the crowded elevator who simply has to treat everybody else to his loud half of a conversation with a cell phone. Maybe it's just me, but that is just rude. Technology without class is not an advancement

O.K., O.K. I know I should have given you the geezer caveat up front

AndrewPrice said...

So if I can put this into advancement terms for you Jed, you want manners enforcing robots to roam the Earth keeping people in line and dispensing justice. Evil man. . . evil.

StanH said...

Andrew, my technological needs are more of the selfish nature. When I sit in my favorite chair my remote control appears, and a mute button for my dogs.

Writer X said...

Transporter. I want a simple transporter. So, instead of flying that awful American Airlines flight to Chicago, I can be reduced to atoms (or is it particles?) and simply zapped there. Or anywhere. Kind of like a modern I DREAM OF JEANNIE except without the crossed arms. And the pink cargo pants.

freedom21 said...

I agree with writerX. Teleportation is a must.

I would also like an in-house GPS/find-it-device...It would be a screen that would tell me where my keys were, where the remote control was, where my phone was...all that stuff that magically disappears

CrispyRice said...

Sign me up for the transporter, too!

Dinner in Paris tonight? I'll be there at 6:00!

And see, Jed, that would solve the texting issue because people could easily just go be with the people they apparently actually want to be with anyway, instead of having to suffer through dinner with their second choices. ;)

BevfromNYC said...

A pill that instantly adjusts the body to its ideal weight. If not, then World Peace.

AndrewPrice said...

Transporters would be nice, so would Bev's pill. In fact, each of these advancements would be well worth the price of admission.

If there are any scientists in the audience (I hear we're big at NASA), get working folks! :-)

patti said...

a 1950's wife for all of us. just someone to clean and cook and serve me a drink at the end of the day with a smile. that's what i want...

BevfromNYC said...

Patti - the 1950's housewife like Rosie from "The Jetsons"!

patti said...

bev: even better than my idea. give me my rosie!

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