Technology and Science

[jom]

What you guys think of technology and science and where it will lead us?, how will things be 30, 50, 100 years etc. from now?. What do you guys think will be the next big invention, and when will they happen, nuclear fusion reactors, dna computers, quantum computers?.

Graphene is a material discovered some years back, said to be the strongest material known to man and that it was gonna revolutionized technology, what happened to it?

 

[EVIL UU]

Technology is, like, the most human thing ever and as a race we're pretty much addicted to it. And that's how it should be. Where will it lead us? To continued survival. Next big thing? Biotech. I wouldn't expect any huge breakthroughs in computing because, one, laws of physics, two, computers are like planes - good enough for most use cases, efficiency is more important than raw power.

 

[Ethan Reigns]

The next invention that is needed is a nuclear fuel rod reprocessor that can bring a spent fuel rod back to usable concentration. There are many places (like the Province of Ontario) where nuclear fuel is stored after it is used and none of it has been moved or buried yet. This device will be used to clean up Chernobyl and Fukushima by treating the meltdown product itself.

Nuclear fusion was ten years away in the 1950's. It was ten years away in the 1960's. It was ten years away in the 1970's. It was ten years away in the 1980's. It was ten years away in the 1990's. It was ten years away in the 2000's. It is ten years away in the 2010's. Are you beginning to see the pattern here?

Genetically directed viruses will be used as cures using the DNA of a patient to check the DNA of every cell in the body and delete any that do not belong. Release will be delayed using every excuse possible since this would essentially kill off billions of dollars a year of cancer research.

Computing has moved up to the point where not much more is going to be demanded of it. Upgrades for handling images and other large databases will be done by parallel processing and software upgrades that permit array processing. The Transputer was ahead of its time but will recur. A parallel processing offshoot of the "C" language will be used for programming.

Automated driving will come into use until a massive legal claim for injuries and death happens, then it will be abandoned.

Materials science will continue but it always has an issue: without advanced materials being available, the inventions that would use them languish and without these inventions, not much will be done to provide materials for them.

Research is slowing down. The low-hanging fruit of easy discoveries is gone and more money will be required per breakthrough than before. This will intersect with declining research budgets meaning new breakthroughs will come at a snail's pace.

 

[Blaze]

The future of science is green technology as far as chemistry go, every chemist now has an environmental component to their projects.

Materials science will continue but it always has an issue: without advanced materials being available, the inventions that would use them languish and without these inventions, not much will be done to provide materials for them.

Well in a way material science is the creation of those materials. Or the application or materials, but either way, the materials are being synthesized in the lab. So they are technically available if you have the right knowledge on how to make them.

But yes, I think materiel sciences will be a big part of the future.

Research is slowing down. The low-hanging fruit of easy discoveries is gone and more money will be required per breakthrough than before. This will intersect with declining research budgets meaning new breakthroughs will come at a snail's pace.

I find in some ways to is true, and in some way it's not. Research is at an all time high. Never had we been closer to uncovering so many solutions to so many problems. The research has never been more accurate than it is now. In most field, research is moving faster than it ever has. In other fields, you're right, we've stalled. But breakthroughs are happening every single day in the research world. Funding itself is mostly just dependent on the government, like right now in Canada scientists get no funding because of Harper. Hopefully that will change if we can get a new government.

 

[jom]

Nuclear fusion was ten years away in the 1950's. It was ten years away in the 1960's. It was ten years away in the 1970's. It was ten years away in the 1980's. It was ten years away in the 1990's. It was ten years away in the 2000's. It is ten years away in the 2010's. Are you beginning to see the pattern here?

i understand your skepticism and what you say on this is kind of true. I think sometimes even if things seem scientifically doable, sometimes the know-how, the technology and the finance are not there yet. I dont know why scientist in the 60's or even 70's were making the 10 years away claim, maybe they thought there was little investment on the science and wanted people and the Gov.. to invest more. i think things are different than before, we see government collaborating with each other to make this happen. I think that this invention will be done within 100 years but i accept that the 10 years away claims has damaged the credibility of when this will be done or even if it will be done.

 

[ILLYRIAN]

When Apophis was first seen it was thought to be a possible E.L.E. in 2014 but it missed. Then claims began that it would hit in 2029, then word of it took it further away but it is getting closer again making its next pass dependant on how much the gravitational field of earth affects it.

 

[thetopher]

Technology is as natural part of human existance as art is- an expression of human inginuity, there will always be people who improve their lot and the lot of others through the process of invention.
Technology mostly solves problems (medicine being the most obvious example) but, because of human nature, also 'creates' some problems- addiction to electronic devices etc.


As for the next big fuel source: Thorium. We already have the technology for Thorium-fueled power stations- the US had it in the 1960's but it didn't have weapons application (as opposed to nuclear) so they ditched it but the Chinese are now reinvesting in it.
It's much more plentiful and safer than uranium- the US alone has enough for a couple of thousand years. They even have stock piles of the stuff in warehouse/bunkers left over from other mining operations.

Add to that renewable energy sources (geothermal, and when solar becomes more efficient) and Hydrogen power stations (that run on sea water) and the future looks pretty bright when it comes to new energy. 🙂

I'm more worried about the inevitable uprising of our robot slaves- when we get around to inventing them. 😱