Brave New World - no FJ content

[PaulG]

There has been some things in the news lately that are going to be life changing for all of us.   Not just the technology involved, but it's effect on how our lives will be forever altered.  There is a confluence of technology that will be sprung upon us before we know it, and whether we can handle it or not is a big question mark.

Intuitive Design - Ted Talk  If you are a design engineer (or engineer in general) you might want to brush up your resume, or look for a new career.

Battery Technology  recharging using plants, your urine, even thin air.  But it seems Graphene Technology is (at the moment) where a lot of R&D money is going.

Soon we will be able to Spray On Photovoltaic Cells onto any surface, potentially creating a very cheap near unlimited power source.

.... and after all that... Would you want to Live Forever?  (or at least a lot longer than you will now).  Will that mean I will have to work til I'm 100 before I can retire?  Human trials start now!  Sign up today for this limited time offer!  Get it?    If you want to get all Techy the Harvard Gazette explains it in detail, though they have a short very simple video that actually explains it much clearer.

After reading about these items I ruminated for a while on what the ramifications could be.  Cheap electrical power for everything from stationary power sources to vehicles.  The internal combustion engine could disappear before our eyes - at least in the automotive sector. Germany has already stated that they want to ban the I/C engine by 2030 - thats only 13yrs from now.  The process of Intuitive Design brings the Star Trek replicator a step closer from Sci-Fi to reality.  And the big one - if it pans out - longevity beyond what we would have ever thought.   How would this be used?  Who would get to use it? How affordable would it be?  How would you control the population growth if people won't die?  Yikes!   

I'm sure there are lots of pointy heads out there trying to figure this stuff out already.  But then again we still don't have the jet cars we were promised 50yrs ago!  So buckle up, restock your survival shelter, buy shares in these companies, or do whatever you need to do - to prepare for the next societal revolution.  It's going to be quite the ride.