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Cmelt

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re: The Future!

Every century of human life has created doomsday outlooks for the future. Yet we have pushed through every disease, war, and natural disaster. Yes, these problems are becoming more intense every year but we are also learning and becoming more equipped to deal with problems every year. I am of the opinion that humanity will perservere through it all simply because that is what we are wired to do. We are a survivor species and we are very good at it. I see technology continuing to explode like it has since antiquity. There mabye some dark times in our future (like the deus ex model) but tyranny and evil times are only small cycles of history.

There is my highly optimistic outlook on the future Happy


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AstralProjection

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re: The Future!

I tend to agree with Marko on this one. My view of our prognosis for survival is pretty negative. I've spent a lot of time studying ecology, and without getting too political, it seems pretty much impossible to sustain the world we live in for much longer.

To some Ecologists, we've already exceeded Earth's carrying capacity for humans (~5 Billion). To others, we have a bit more to go (~20 Billion). Regardless of which number is accurate, the world could not sustain our current population living at the same quality level as the United States.

The nail was struck on the head, so to speak, when developing countries were brought up. We have a finite amount of resources here on our little floating snowglobe, and when other countries start to fully industrialize and demand the same level of affluence (they already have) as the "developed" world, they're going to realize rather quickly that they won't be able to with the current resources available.

Lack of resources = war. War = Death, which = Population Control. It's the same thing that happens with any animal population you study - When the creature has no natural predators, they swell to massive numbers. The population becomes complacent and unhealthy (we already have that in the US), and eventually succumbs to the rapid spread of disease due to crowding, or conflict over lack of specific resources. We're susceptible to the same natural population controls regardless of our technology.

It will probably be clean drinking water, before anything else, which will pose a serious problem for a world supporting over 6 billion people by the end of this century. We're draining the world's aquifers faster than they can replenish, among other resources.

Human politics are the politics of greed. We have been taught an unparalleled selfishness for centuries. Those who control the world don't care to look at the big picture, while in the immediate time frame they can all relish in their decadence and opulence. Each generation says the same thing, "Why me?" rather than asking, "What can we all do to change things?"

For all of our presumed intelligence, we're just another herd of wildebeests, too ignorant to see the end until it's too late.

Me? I'm going to die with a smile, playing TOR and sitting around with my family until whatever waits for us ahead comes for me : )

On the way, we will likely see a lot of very cool, fun, and interesting inventions. But with an economy driven by personal gain, rather than gain for the greater good, we will never advance very far. I will gladly follow the leader that figures out how to "Star Trek" the world, and get humanity to work together. The way things look now, though, I find it hard to believe that could ever happen.

I also agree with Marko that right now space travel seems impossible, and basically is beyond a certain point. My hope is that some day (which has happened before, as Nwahs pointed out) some new miracle worker comes along and rewrites the way we think about physics in general. Just because it's impossible to us today, doesn't mean new information won't be revealed that somehow re-invents the way we think about everything. I've always thought there was merit to the idea of folding space, but the mere thought of that capability is frightening to my barely sufficient primate consciousness!


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Lord Marvel

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re: The Future!

@Bubbles:

You know it`s sometimes hard for some to believe that there is global warming, since with this there should come rise of temperature, and for example in Poland we had really cold summer for most part... when I was kid there were summers so hot that temperature was going over 40C, this year it was hardly over 30C... so this is one of reasons why people are skeptical about global warming.


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Captain Bubbles

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re: The Future!

Lord Marvel wrote:
@Bubbles:

You know it`s sometimes hard for some to believe that there is global warming, since with this there should come rise of temperature, and for example in Poland we had really cold summer for most part... when I was kid there were summers so hot that temperature was going over 40C, this year it was hardly over 30C... so this is one of reasons why people are skeptical about global warming.


That's because global warming has a stupid name. I'm going to agree with Bill Maher here and insist it should be called climate change, since what you said is a prime example of the misconception. Anyway you look at it, 10C difference in a lifetime is a ridiculous amount of change and it means serious things are happening.


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AstralProjection

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re: The Future!

Captain Bubbles wrote:
Lord Marvel wrote:
@Bubbles:

You know it`s sometimes hard for some to believe that there is global warming, since with this there should come rise of temperature, and for example in Poland we had really cold summer for most part... when I was kid there were summers so hot that temperature was going over 40C, this year it was hardly over 30C... so this is one of reasons why people are skeptical about global warming.


That's because global warming has a stupid name. I'm going to agree with Bill Maher here and insist it should be called climate change, since what you said is a prime example of the misconception. Anyway you look at it, 10C difference in a lifetime is a ridiculous amount of change and it means serious things are happening.


QFT - not to get into a scientific debate, but bubbles is spot-on from an ecological perspective. We're undergoing climate change, not necessarily an across the board "warming". A certain level of climate change is natural, but the magnitude a time frames of the changes we've affected are beyond anything our biosphere has ever endured. I don't think anyone truly knows what the end result will be, but it's probably going to drastically affect all life on earth, as it has in the past. I've always enjoyed rollercoasters, though.


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Lord Marvel

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re: The Future!

Captain Bubbles wrote:
That's because global warming has a stupid name. I'm going to agree with Bill Maher here and insist it should be called climate change, since what you said is a prime example of the misconception. Anyway you look at it, 10C difference in a lifetime is a ridiculous amount of change and it means serious things are happening.



I know, but because people call it "warming" a lot of people just ignore it...
I am kind of terrified by those changes in climate...


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Captain Bubbles

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re: The Future!

AstralProjection wrote:

QFT - not to get into a scientific debate, but bubbles is spot-on from an ecological perspective.


Thanks for making me feel like my brains has the smarts today!

Lord Marvel wrote:

I am kind of terrified by those changes in climate...


I am too... Earthquakes, tsunami, wild fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, volcanoes, floods, it's like we've hit them all this year.
*shivers

It's so depressing talking about these things and at how stupid we are as a species, and completely powerless to stop any of this. I think I need a hugs.


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AstralProjection

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re: The Future!

Did someone ask for a survival inspired....

GROUP HUG!!!!

If I have to be killed by unstoppable natural forces, at least I can do it playing TOR with a good group of people ; )


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Captain Bubbles

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re: The Future!

Yay hugs! I thought it was about that time...

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Pax Eternus

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re: The Future!

Meh, all great men have said: "Live in the moment." Some people try to say things will be better in the future, some people try to say things were better back in the day... but all you and I will ever have is the present.

It's a good world, but it's not the best possible world and was never meant to be. I don't worry myself about the future of it. Sometimes people act like it's our duty to make it perfect and to preserve all its life at all cost, not realizing that, that desire is meant for our own souls.

Living for life after life even if it means laying down your current life is a gamble, but I'm a smuggler and never tell me the odds ;)


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Valtrics

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re: The Future!

It will take an alien race to attack us until the human race unites. Like in Mass Effect, "The Alliance" formed from all the worlds nations to fight the first encounter of Turians :P


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Davi Jones

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re: The Future!

I doubt well have flying cars. Itd be too much trouble in my opinion. Technology will have major breakthroughs and things will be able to be built much smaller. Not too worried about global warming. Not a big believer in all of that lol. Otheer than that I dont see any other huge changes.


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SonicBoomS

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re: The Future!

I'm loving all your guys' thoughts on this... as much as one would like to be overly optimistic about the future, you obviously have to be realistic and look at the state of the world today. Yeah, I too believe that the population of the world is growing too quickly and that would undoubtedly lead to major problems in the future. One thing that I'm really worried about, and some of you have already pointed it out, is the ever decreasing supply of resources. As the years go on, demand will start to skyrocket while the supplies will continue to plummet. The economy will find a way to fix itself, but it just doesn't help with all these new bills and spending especially here in the US. Plus these ever rising taxes. I'm not concerned with global warming at all, I think it's a fluke, but of course we do have to pay more attention to taking care of the environment. big grin


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Adroc

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re: The Future!

Firsttly * Gives everyone a HUGE hug*

Cmelt, I will attempt to be as optimistic as you. I do believe in our capacity to evolve and change for the better. I just wish these things were more important to people than they are. Simple changes in ones lifestyle is all that's necessary to make a substantial dent in our polluting the world. I'm hoping that we'll at least gradually do this.
Cmelt

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re: The Future!

Adroc wrote:
Cmelt, I will attempt to be as optimistic as you.


Optimism FTW!!! Happy

Adroc wrote:
I just wish these things were more important to people than they are. Simple changes in ones lifestyle is all that's necessary to make a substantial dent in our polluting the world. I'm hoping that we'll at least gradually do this.


I agree. My main point in case people thought I was crazy is that as you look at history every generation said that the problems were too great and that our downfall was inevitable and no amount of ingenuity and intelligence could save them. However look a couple chapters later everyone thinks they were crazy for saying that. I'm big on history, not philosophy or prophecy. I see a pattern that I assume will continue to repeat.


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