Top 25 - Technological Breakthroughs

I was hoping to see some results from a more substantial study, than just something a news agency made up one hour before printing to fill space. This is why you never trust any list prepared by the news media, they seem to have a very limited memory beyond their most recent events, let alone their own limited life experiences. It should have said the Top 25 technological Breakthroughs of the last 30 years (I did not notice the transistor on there, so 50 years is apparently too far). What about the Wheel, Concrete, Refinement of Metals (copper, Iron, Steels), the light bulb, The radio, Telephone, electric power generation, the microwave oven, petroleum fueled engines, steam powered engines, ammonia production from atmospheric gases, cartridged ammunition with self contained firing. I admit the evolution of the variety of computer technological advances recently is impressive, but at a rudimentary level the development and implementation of large scale electric power or gas powered engines are much more impressive and have had a much more substantial effect on humanity to date.

Okay ... Here's my "short list" of 'future possibilities :

Energy

· Energy Efficiency

o Using what we have more efficiently --- use only what you need

§ The ability to tap larger energy systems, but only 'take what you need'

o Harnessing new / old energy sources --- multiplex everything

§ Rather than worry about which energy source is best, use everything available, network them all, adding all to the energy 'pool'

Research

· Telescopes

o See farther / better clarity

§ A greater understanding of the macro-cosmos, our beginnings, and our destinations

· Microscopes

o See smaller / better clarity

§ A greater understanding of the micro-cosmos, our beginnings, and our destinations

· Simulations

o More variables

o Greater real-world and simulated conditions

§ How things work, and 'what happens if …'

Medical

· Implants

o Bio implants for increased capability and functionality

§ Explorations into memory expansion, 'instant' understanding and knowledge, vision enhancement, and strength and mobility enhancement

· Exo-skeletons

o Improvement for handicapped persons

o Improved strength and agility for work / activities / professions

§ 'suites' to improve performance for work, sports, and entertainment.

· Transplants

o Bodies (parts) to brains (persons)

§ Replacement of 'anything' with bio, mechanical, or bio-mechanical parts

o Brains (persons) to bodies

§ Total body replacements

· Cellular Cloning --- growing new parts

o Limb / organ replacement

§ Growing new organs and limbs either inside or outside the body

· DNA

o Greater understanding

§ Preventative measures against disease, cures for genetic diseases, performance enhancements (building the 'better' human being

· Psychology

o Greater understanding between cause and effect

o Brain mapping

o Chemical / hormonal understand of cause and effect

· Pseudo-telepathy

o Person to person 'links' --- see / feel / hear / taste / smell through another person

Nano-Technology

· (relates to nearly everything)

Robotics

· A departure from the 'human' robot

o Redundant-task / mundane-task

§ Everything from toasters to cars that drive themselves

o Pets / companions / assistants

§ Everything from seeing-eye-'dogs' to artificial 'fish' in the aquarium

· Furtherance of the 'human' robot

o Personal assistants / Companions / Entertainment

§ Whatever one can imagine from the practical to the perverse

Artificial Intelligence

· All platforms to improve consistency of decisions

Connectivity

· Global information

o Wide-array database access

· Information 'Anywhere'

o Global 'always on' coverage to anything

· Virtually-there

o A virtual-world expansion of today's teleconference

Security / Safety

· Force-fields / shields

o Force containment

o Force exclusion

§ Keep projectiles and explosions where you want and away from where you don't want them

· Personal identification

o Who is where

· Personal tracking

o Where is who

§ Lost children / kidnap victims tracking, personnel tracking at work, on the battlefield, or at the beach

· Profiling simulations

o As with today's human profilers, simulations to 'narrow down' who did what.

· Social simulations

o Developing scenarios of what will be the social reactions to various changing conditions.

Entertainment

· Television / Cinema

o 3-D / holography

o 5-senses input

§ Living the experience the producers want the viewer to experience.

· 'Printed' media

o Printed 'disposable' full-motion graphics

§ Magazines that have motion video on the page instead of just a still photo.

· Sports

o 'Passive' (couch-potato) participation

§ Make the play, ski the slope … just about anything

o 'first-person' views

§ What does the quarterback see / feel / hear? What does the acrobat see / feel / hear?

o 'active' participation by non-professionals

§ Today we can fly in the fighter jet … tomorrow we can play in the game.

· Fantasy realms

o Pseudo-vacations / travel

§ Real-world vacations for those to can't really go. Fantasy trips to un-real destinations.

· Gaming

o (wow)

One of the biggest threats to mankind in the developed countries, and soon enough in the emerging economies like China and India is obesity. Not only does it represent a huge potential health problem but also represents an unacceptable and probably unsustainable drain on food resources.

I envision that the greatest gain will come when researchers, dieticians and doctors agree on the true cause of obesity and the best treatment or program to address the problem.

Many schools of thought exist on this subject, many based on dubious scientific proof supporting flawed original hypotheses. It is time that our scientific community declared a "clean slate" and examined this problem from a fresh perspective without the influence of preconceived ideas.

I make this assetion as a tall man (197cm) and a mass of 145kg. over the years I have experienced many programs and can report that traditionally held beliefs centered on "fat in, fat on", haven't had much impact on any mass reduction program I have been involved in, whereas restricting sugar and refined starch intake, as per Dr Atkins approach has had a definite and lasting effect.

Unfortunately this approach is laughed at and derided by practitioners of traditional thought (even though it works) and is rarely supported in mainstream supermarkets and food marketing enterprise, prompting my suggestion that it is time that we took a fresh and impartial look at this problem and solve it like the mature and grown up society we like to think we are.

If our scientific community can examine this dispassionately and arrive at solutions that work without the need for expensive and health disruptive "tonics or medicines", if we can divest ourselves of the self interested and misleading activities of vested interests, then I think this will be one of the greatest breakthroughs of the early 21st century.

Pete.

I am not sure how they could evaluate obesity dispassionately, because if they were dispassionate they would likely realize that it is an issue that is readily handle by those individual suffering from obesity, and that obesity presents much less health risk than say Malaria or AIDs. So the with out some passion that overrides their ability to prioritize actual risk, they would not spend much resource or effort addressing it. Obesity rates in priorities about parallel with tooth decay (maybe lower since it can be easily reversed by those afflicted and tooth decay can only be mitigated not reversed).

Thanks for your post Dacon - I rated that as a good answer. I dread your problems, I am a little older and am genetically predisposed to being big, but so far very fit as well. It is encouraging to hear that I am not alone in my assertion that a solution to this problem will have far reaching consequences to humanity and will be one of the greatest breakthroughs of this time.

Pete.

Sorry, DCad, not Dacon!

The Atkins regimen can lead to ketosis because of its high protein content. A more balanced approached, recommended by Dr. Barry Sears, and one which I have been following for 5 years is the intake of a proper ratio of carbohydrate, protein and fat. The ratio is maintained as closely to 40:30:30 as possible to regulate insulin secretion, and as you may already know, excess insulin secretion inevitably leads to excess stored fat in the body.

Try to stay away from complex carbohydrates (pastas, bread, rice, cereal) and those with a high glycemic index (rate of glycogen entry into the bloodstream); protein intake should be from low-fat sources and, finally, fat intake should be from the monounsaturated variety.

The "Zone" as the Dr. Sears regimen is called is not difficult to adhere to and the benefits are truly worth checking out. I recommend Sears' book, "Mastering the Zone".

All the best in your dietary endeavours.

A.T.

Welcome aboard, and thanks for the tip! DcaD's post #2 has already said all else I could/would, so apart from voting it a GA, I've nothing more to say...

How about these 3 technologies in the energy department... http://www.nextenergynews.com/news08/next-energy-news7.31.08b.html http://www.nextenergynews.com/news1/next-energy-news5.30.08c.html http://www.nextenergynews.com/news1/next-energy-news3.31d.html Any one of these could change the way we think about energy. Any opinions? Don

Why, yes, Don, since you asked, I am of the opinion that it would be a good thing for you to register as a member here! It costs nothing, and it's a cool place to hang out (except we have so MANY "guests"...).

Unfortunately none of these 3 can be classified as "energy breakthroughs"

The Cyclone engine is a rehash of existing types of heat engines (still inefficient). Has its third-world applications thou (I started a thread on it recently).

The Blacklight device is a scam.

EEStor looks the most promising of the above (by FAR) but we are all still waiting for a product instead of just marketing hype. We have been waiting for a loooong time (my first post on EEStore was what, back in 2006 now). If they can actually pull it off then it will definitely be a top 25 contender.

See my (and others) previous threads and posts on CR4 on the above for more information.