We're living in tomorrow's world
Discussion
The rate of change is increasing. And will only accelerate further as we go down the AI rabbit hole.
The amount of computation power we have, even in our pockets is absurd. A modern flagship phone CPU can do more processing than the fastest SUPERCOMPUTER from the year 2001.
We will see huge advancements in medicine, drug research, material science etc in the coming half decade. Now we can use AI to basically model anything we want to.
And then Quantum computing is now commercially available but in infancy, that will supercharge that by orders of magnitude too.
The amount of computation power we have, even in our pockets is absurd. A modern flagship phone CPU can do more processing than the fastest SUPERCOMPUTER from the year 2001.
We will see huge advancements in medicine, drug research, material science etc in the coming half decade. Now we can use AI to basically model anything we want to.
And then Quantum computing is now commercially available but in infancy, that will supercharge that by orders of magnitude too.
DodgyGeezer said:
That headline predates the TV programme "Tomorrow's World", which first broadcast in 1964.A functioning video phone is featured in the 1968 film "2001: A Space Odyssey". Video phones had already been demonstrated at various shows for at least three years prior to the film.
"2001" also features what look like iPads.
Filming for "2001" actually took around four years before the release date in late 1968 - so some of these images date from around 1964-65.
fiatpower said:
GroundEffect said:
And then Quantum computing is now commercially available but in infancy, that will supercharge that by orders of magnitude too.
I'm not too clued up on quantum computing. What could that open up out of interest?I found this talk helpful - and a particularly charming man to listen to - on the subject.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7susESgnDv8
This is true, but in so many ways that aren't directly connected to computing/comms, we're no further ahead.
Supersonic passenger travel died, for now, with Concord. Normal air travel is still the same format as it's been for 50 years, but with much longer waits at airports and a smaller seat. Our current fastest trains (Azuma, and what was Pendolino) operate at 125mph yet Mallard, powered by steam, set the record at 126mph back in the 1930s.
The vast majority of houses...almost inconceivably...are still built laboriously by hand, from bricks made of clay dug out of the ground and fired in a kiln, as it has been for hundreds of years. Not forgetting a large amount of dead trees and slate. I appreciate in the automotive world the last couple of years has seen big changes and no doubt the next few years will see a massive shift, but most cars are basically the same as a Model T Ford in terms of 4 seats, controls etc, and nothing but the skill of the driver stopping a head on crash with something coming the other way with a closing speed of 120mph plus. Bicycles still look very similar to anything produced in the last 50 years, with the same derailleur gear system that's well over a hundred years old, just a million different non-interchangeable standards now.
Perhaps some of these designs were just spot on or people don't want to change "because". I'm a massive Caterham fan and driver, I could still order a new one now that's basically the same 60+ year old design, that as a car for any reason apart from "fun" is pretty terrible however you look at it. I'm not a dinosaur, I work in comms and technology, but I sometimes sigh a bit when I compare what was being churned out by the Victorians, and dare I say it, the technology changes accelerated in wartime, compared to what we have now. There's a lot of stuff around faster computing and networks and communications, but in terms of everyday stuff that we touch all day every day, it's all just a bit more efficient here, a bit more convenient there, I can swipe right for a date (back in the day) or for something to be delivered tomorrow, or ask Alexa to dim the lights or video call my son so I look like a unicorn/dinosaur/turd depending on my mood. Where's that massive leap, the big game changer...supersonic flight, penicillin, mains electricity, the lightbulb? I guess we can hold out for nuclear fusion, hyperloops, affordable 3d printed houses for the masses, eradication of alzheimers etc but who knows?
However ask the 12 year old me what 47 year old me would be doing, and it was all supposed to be flying cars, jet boots, protein pills, lots of leisure time as robots were doing it all, holidays on the moon with my 147 year old grandad, solar and wind off grid living and 3 day weeks. As it is, I'm squinting between various pairs of glasses, wondering how I'm going to shift the inevitable Christmas weight gain, and hiding at home from an unseen bug that fell off a bat on the other side of the planet, yet clinging to the still available freedom (for now) of being able to take my 60 year old designed internal combustion sports car out for a blast whilst doing my best to avoid the offer of a "black box" and all the various laser/optical ways of collecting additional revenue from me!
Ho hum...Happy Christmas.
Supersonic passenger travel died, for now, with Concord. Normal air travel is still the same format as it's been for 50 years, but with much longer waits at airports and a smaller seat. Our current fastest trains (Azuma, and what was Pendolino) operate at 125mph yet Mallard, powered by steam, set the record at 126mph back in the 1930s.
The vast majority of houses...almost inconceivably...are still built laboriously by hand, from bricks made of clay dug out of the ground and fired in a kiln, as it has been for hundreds of years. Not forgetting a large amount of dead trees and slate. I appreciate in the automotive world the last couple of years has seen big changes and no doubt the next few years will see a massive shift, but most cars are basically the same as a Model T Ford in terms of 4 seats, controls etc, and nothing but the skill of the driver stopping a head on crash with something coming the other way with a closing speed of 120mph plus. Bicycles still look very similar to anything produced in the last 50 years, with the same derailleur gear system that's well over a hundred years old, just a million different non-interchangeable standards now.
Perhaps some of these designs were just spot on or people don't want to change "because". I'm a massive Caterham fan and driver, I could still order a new one now that's basically the same 60+ year old design, that as a car for any reason apart from "fun" is pretty terrible however you look at it. I'm not a dinosaur, I work in comms and technology, but I sometimes sigh a bit when I compare what was being churned out by the Victorians, and dare I say it, the technology changes accelerated in wartime, compared to what we have now. There's a lot of stuff around faster computing and networks and communications, but in terms of everyday stuff that we touch all day every day, it's all just a bit more efficient here, a bit more convenient there, I can swipe right for a date (back in the day) or for something to be delivered tomorrow, or ask Alexa to dim the lights or video call my son so I look like a unicorn/dinosaur/turd depending on my mood. Where's that massive leap, the big game changer...supersonic flight, penicillin, mains electricity, the lightbulb? I guess we can hold out for nuclear fusion, hyperloops, affordable 3d printed houses for the masses, eradication of alzheimers etc but who knows?
However ask the 12 year old me what 47 year old me would be doing, and it was all supposed to be flying cars, jet boots, protein pills, lots of leisure time as robots were doing it all, holidays on the moon with my 147 year old grandad, solar and wind off grid living and 3 day weeks. As it is, I'm squinting between various pairs of glasses, wondering how I'm going to shift the inevitable Christmas weight gain, and hiding at home from an unseen bug that fell off a bat on the other side of the planet, yet clinging to the still available freedom (for now) of being able to take my 60 year old designed internal combustion sports car out for a blast whilst doing my best to avoid the offer of a "black box" and all the various laser/optical ways of collecting additional revenue from me!
Ho hum...Happy Christmas.
One of my favourites is online shopping as we (sort of) know it became a thing in 1984 when a little old lady ordered some online groceries from Tesco. The project also had two other retailers in it .. Lloyds Pharmacy and Greggs. Jane Snowball was her name. She ordered her basket through the tv and had to pay in cash when it got delivered because credit cards weren't that prevalent.
A500leroy said:
Still holding out for (backwards) time travel here so I can go back to the 80s.
What would you do?I think time travel will become possible but not as we think. Basically computer simulations based on everyone's data currently alive. It would require everyone to be microchipped so might not go down well.
Edited by Ouroboros on Wednesday 22 December 17:12
Ouroboros said:
A500leroy said:
Still holding out for (backwards) time travel here so I can go back to the 80s.
What would you do?I think time travel will become possible but not as we think. Basically computer simulations based on everyone's data currently alive. It would require everyone to be microchipped so might not go down well.
Edited by Ouroboros on Wednesday 22 December 17:12
Hard-Drive said:
The vast majority of houses...almost inconceivably...are still built laboriously by hand, from bricks made of clay dug out of the ground and fired in a kiln, as it has been for hundreds of years. Not forgetting a large amount of dead trees and slate.
Very true.Prefabrication make a lot more sense - better quality control, not affected by weather, industrialization of the process, ability to use 3d printers, more customization, more efficiency in build, etc.
But in the uk it's a post war stigma of prefab - and also the idea of "an Englishman's home is his castle" etc... at least I think that is what it is - it's engrained culturally.
This book was a bit of a slog and has a particular slant, but may be of interest:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Cant-Catch-Rocket-Mar...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Cant-Catch-Rocket-Mar...
vaud said:
Hard-Drive said:
The vast majority of houses...almost inconceivably...are still built laboriously by hand, from bricks made of clay dug out of the ground and fired in a kiln, as it has been for hundreds of years. Not forgetting a large amount of dead trees and slate.
Very true.Prefabrication make a lot more sense - better quality control, not affected by weather, industrialization of the process, ability to use 3d printers, more customization, more efficiency in build, etc.
But in the uk it's a post war stigma of prefab - and also the idea of "an Englishman's home is his castle" etc... at least I think that is what it is - it's engrained culturally.
GroundEffect said:
The rate of change is increasing. And will only accelerate further as we go down the AI rabbit hole.
The amount of computation power we have, even in our pockets is absurd. A modern flagship phone CPU can do more processing than the fastest SUPERCOMPUTER from the year 2001.
We will see huge advancements in medicine, drug research, material science etc in the coming half decade. Now we can use AI to basically model anything we want to.
And then Quantum computing is now commercially available but in infancy, that will supercharge that by orders of magnitude too.
Wasn't there a prediction back in the 1950s that the world would only need five computers?The amount of computation power we have, even in our pockets is absurd. A modern flagship phone CPU can do more processing than the fastest SUPERCOMPUTER from the year 2001.
We will see huge advancements in medicine, drug research, material science etc in the coming half decade. Now we can use AI to basically model anything we want to.
And then Quantum computing is now commercially available but in infancy, that will supercharge that by orders of magnitude too.
shouldbworking said:
You can just imagine the mortgage providers... non-traditional build you say? built out of space age composite guaranteed maintenance free for a squillion years? mmmm seems risky can't lend on it.
Indeed.House building is a sector ripe for disruption and shakeup.
Imagine if Amazon got into building houses. Or Ikea. Or if the two combined to offer nearly infinitely customizable houses.
Probably not enough margin in it for them, but I'd buy an Ikea house.
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