What do we think the next economic boom will be?

[Wattsie]

Having had the manufacturing boom of the industrial revolution and the tech boom of the 1990s followed by the more recent property boom, where do the PH economists think the next boom will come from?

There's some talk of biosciences, a return to manufacturing, genetic engineering and nano-tech booms, but is there anything to these guesses?

This isn't a particularly serious thread, just something to discuss which I was idly musing over at work, so what are your theories?

[Oakey]

Climate change is the next bubble. Although thankfully that looks like it's falling apart at the seams.

[Wattsie]

Oakey said:

Climate change is the next bubble. Although thankfully that looks like it's falling apart at the seams.

I thought all that green lark went quiet at the bite of our current recession - like people stopped caring about the makeup of air in a part of the world they'd never been to as soon as they realised they have trouble putting food on the table.

[Oakey]

Um, you're kidding right? Have you seen the wind farm drive that's happening right now?

[Wattsie]

I suppose I have been quite removed from current affairs, being a student and all - Alternative energy was one of the theories for the US economy aswel.

A wind farm drive, much as I hate them, is probably a good thing for me being that I'll eventually be a Geography graduate

[V88Dicky]

I agree.

The 'Low Growth Carbon Economy' seems to be the way ahead!

[Puggit]

V88Dicky said:

I agree.

The 'Low Growth Carbon Economy' seems to be the way ahead!

+1

[BoRED S2upid]

Renewables and high tech energy generation and I don't mean oversubsidised windfarms Solar has a long way to go plus the likes of lasers generating electricity. Some nurd cant be far off making synthetic petrol but the oil giants probably buy up all this stuff as soon as it becomes viable, technology will keep evolving I read somewhere they already have thebasics to make screens you can roll up and stick in your pocket cue a 40 inch TV you could hang on the wall take down and pop in a draw or roll up and carry under your arm.

[Oakey]

BoRED S2upid said:

Renewables and high tech energy generation and I don't mean oversubsidised windfarms Solar has a long way to go plus the likes of lasers generating electricity. Some nurd cant be far off making synthetic petrol but the oil giants probably buy up all this stuff as soon as it becomes viable, technology will keep evolving I read somewhere they already have thebasics to make screens you can roll up and stick in your pocket cue a 40 inch TV you could hang on the wall take down and pop in a draw or roll up and carry under your arm.

Have you seen those transparent TV's?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1cg6HMXx68

Here's the flexible screen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcAm3KihFho

[thinfourth2]

No need to debate it

Winky got rid of boom and bust

[BoRED S2upid]

Oakey said:

Have you seen those transparent TV's?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1cg6HMXx68

Here's the flexible screen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcAm3KihFho

I have now. I just read an article about this stuff. Technology will change dramatically over the next decade. We will be wearing our mobile phones next. Cue Oakey posting a youtube clip of a mobile phone / glove.

[ZeeTacoe]

The second great Internet bubble? How can Facebook and linkedin be worth so much?

[Oakey]

BoRED S2upid said:

I have now. I just read an article about this stuff. Technology will change dramatically over the next decade. We will be wearing our mobile phones next. Cue Oakey posting a youtube clip of a mobile phone / glove.

http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/2008/02/morph-flexible-wearable-phone-from.html

[BoRED S2upid]

ZeeTacoe said:

The second great Internet bubble? How can Facebook and linkedin be worth so much?

Potential its as simple as that the amount of users and the frequency of hits. It only takes Facebook to become Uncool and its worthless. You can see it happening, a few years time kids on the playground, your not still on Facebook are you? My mums on that, thats so 2001...

[CommanderJameson]

ZeeTacoe said:

The second great Internet bubble? How can Facebook and linkedin be worth so much?

They're not. Someone once posted on the internet that Facebook has a value of $50 billion - or, to put it another way, every single Facebook account ever created, including all those you made and then abandoned and never use, is worth $100 each.

Clearly nonsensical.

[DieselGriff]

If sensible heads we're ruling the roost then I think shale gas would be in with a look in. Unfortunately we seem to be governed by a bunch who thinks it causes tap water to explode.

[Oakey]

DieselGriff said:

If sensible heads we're ruling the roost then I think shale gas would be in with a look in. Unfortunately we seem to be governed by a bunch who thinks it causes tap water to explode.

I don't know about that but we did have two-three earthquakes up here when they started extracting the stuff.

[eldar]

BoRED S2upid said:

Renewables and high tech energy generation and I don't mean oversubsidised windfarms Solar has a long way to go plus the likes of lasers generating electricity. Some nurd cant be far off making synthetic petrol but the oil giants probably buy up all this stuff as soon as it becomes viable, technology will keep evolving I read somewhere they already have thebasics to make screens you can roll up and stick in your pocket cue a 40 inch TV you could hang on the wall take down and pop in a draw or roll up and carry under your arm.

South Africa was making petrol from coal in the 1970s, Sasol I think. (yup, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sasol )

Given the UK has around 40 billion tonnes of coal easily available, that should be a miner opportunity.

[BoRED S2upid]

Oakey said:

http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/2008/02/morph-flexibl...

Doesn't suprise me at all.

They still haven't made a hoverboard though have they! (Fingers crossed Oakey doesn't find one)

[Oakey]

BoRED S2upid said:

Doesn't suprise me at all.

They still haven't made a hoverboard though have they! (Fingers crossed Oakey doesn't find one)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1283754/The-real-Back-Future-hoverboard-shame-stand-it.html