Is Steigler correct; technology never bottoms out? Emerging technologies of tomorrow?

Bernard Stiegler, the philosopher has said that technology is constantly evolving and my uncle said that it just keeps going and never bottoms out in the real world. From 2000 to 2019, it seems this is true and the pace is accelerating, faster than ever before. Technology will always be improving. However, science fiction doesn’t seem to go that way. Technological advancement seems to plateau out and even stagnate as seen in Star Wars. They’ve had the same tech for thousands of years and Star Trek is barely any better. Warp drives get faster every century or so, but in both civilizations; their seems to be a full maturity in science. This seems more like what the real world will experience as well. Their are only so many avenues scientists and engineers can go down and a finite number of things you can invent. Or is it? Is technology destined to plateau out or will it just keep advancing to the end of time?

Emerging technologies are technologies that are being slowly created and are in the R&D phase. In 2019, some examples include

•Graphene

•Holography

•Wireless energy transfer

•Artificial intelligence

•Virtual reality/Augmented reality

•Quantum computing

•Human genetic engineering

•Personalized medicine

• Brain-computer interfaces

•Laser weapons

•Nanotechnology

•Alternative power (Solar, wind, geothermal)

*Fusion power(?) (Always 15 Years away....)

If humans make it to another hundred years to 2119; what do you think will be some of the emerging technologies of that time? Assuming all the techs on my list have been fully realized and integrated in every day life.

Be as creative as you can!

a reply to: MaxNocerino7

If humans make it to another hundred years to 2119; what do you think will be some of the emerging technologies of that time?

Probably pointy stick technology. At the rate we are going we will destroy civilization before 100 years.

a reply to: MaxNocerino7

As a technologist, I thought my whole life has been about creating technology so people have more power in their lives. Instead, the technology I've been creating causes the opposite to occur according to David Kipnis in his book Technology and Power. This quote has haunted me my whole life:

"In the words of Jose Ortega y Gasset: "Technology provides men the leisure to realize their true potential" This, then, is the promise of technology: a material world of plenty and a spiritual world in which we have the leisure to realize our highest potentials and the freedom to contemplate God.

Yet in nagging counterpoint to this optimism about the beneficent world of plenty provided by unlimited power is the suspicion that technology has another face. There is a world in which the freedom to choose and to control evens has been subtly altered so that there is less choice and less control. This is the world of "megatechnics," to use Lewis Mumford's apt phrasing, in which technology concentrates power and reduces individual choice."

Here's the proof why technology never works for people:

Purchasing Power of the Consumer Dollar

Is technology making progress? I say it's about even if not slightly negative.

People serve the machine. The machine does NOT serve the people.

a reply to: MaxNocerino7

Some systems are interdependent for making the others a viable reality. The ones I have some understanding of are the energy systems you mentioned.

Fusion (15 years away) or not depending on AI or at least improvements in predictive/intuitive computer algorythems. There are so many variables in creating a stable fusion and the advancement of computer programs with intuition should make all those minute adjustments needed for stable fusion much easier.

Geothermal is already a workable energy source but it has some drawbacks. Graphene may be the answer or at least a cable of graphene. Graphene is not only conductive of electricity it is also thermally conductive. So a cable of graphene can conduct the temperatures from deep in the earth to the surface boilers and turbines creating the energy with fewer drawbacks. The hurdle now is manufacturing graphene cables.

Solar energy harvesting is inefficient and costly and cant be used at night but there has been a breakthrough that changes how energy can be harvested by a group of scientists in Sweden. They created a fluid when exposed to the sun's rays changes its molecular structure and that fluid can be stored for 18 years. When that fluid is introduced to another chemical is reverted back creating heat that can be harvested once again. They are developing the conversion systems now and expect it to be marketable in 10 years.



Wind has its problems but Phage pointed me to OTEC Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion that looks promising.

a reply to: MaxNocerino7

Why would it?

There is so much unknown to our universe that I don't think man kind will ever run out of new things to learn.

a reply to: MaxNocerino7

If humans make it to another hundred years to 2119; what do you think will be some of the emerging technologies of that time? Assuming all the techs on my list have been fully realized and integrated in every day life.

Floating cities that fly around above a pristine garden planet.

Everyone is free to play and do as they please in the garden because microscopic machines clean everything all the time.

Our energy is wirelessly beamed to us from power collectors in space. They collect energy we today haven't even discovered yet.

Tech got us here.

Now what?

Personal Robots, and I mean robotic kitchens,floor cleaners, and sex bots,window washers will go mainstream.

Middle class life will become vastly different.

The next technological engine that will revolutionize the world is space travel. It won't be like Star Trek,or Star Wars but more like The Expanse up to a certain point.

Technology doesn't plateau. It's always in a state of constant motion. The only caveat is the people being ready for it.

Life is vastly different today than it was in the 60's,70s,80s,90s,00's,and will be different a decade from now, and so on.

a reply to: MaxNocerino7

Everythings ends....even technology

But it's pretty exciting to alive right now.

Peace

a reply to: dfnj2015

I would argue that its not technology that's beginning to stagnate but opportunity.

Too many have nots, and far too few haves in this world.

Its the uneven distribution of wealth and power amongst our respective population's that's holding back the paradigm shift required to take humanity into a new golden age.

It would be interesting to see what drives the technological advancement in the future. I hope to see a shift from financial profit to a more sustainable motivation and reward.

a reply to: MaxNocerino7


And we are about 1/2 way to something working on nearly every one of your technologies listed.

Graphene, still stuck in the lab. Largest, repeatable chunk made is 8 inch wafer out of England that coming "sometime this year." The fight over the light bulb should be a good indication of what it will take to get from the lab to your hand.

The joke with fusion is it is always "30 years away" but we have hit 100 million degrees and are operating in high density plasma regime (this is South Korea, KSTAR). The stellarator looks even more promising but hit the thermal limit on passive cooling of the reactor but set several world records (W7-X). The whole world is working on these problems together and do not view it as a race to the finish but to get there together (they run the same control code moderated by AI which uses readings from each device. They are learning to steer and control plasma then everybody gets the code upgrade. I would go as far to say ignition in 5 years or so; break even within 10 and production not long after. If any of those milestones are hit before, then YAY! Or if Lockheed decides to reveal what they have been doing...)

The "race to the bottom" has been going on since the 80's. We have some huge strides to still make. Fusion is over 60 years old. So I would not necessarily say "we are better than Star Trek/Wars" as this has all taken some time. But you can see it coming over the hills! One break though hit, the Pet Rock of this generation, and then we will be off!

My best bet is it will be something like 5 minute charge time battery that lasts a week. Everybody needs batteries, right?

What about the dark side of all this technology like making the grey ooze that will kill us all? Any thoughts on that?

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

Grey goo I don’t believe will ever come and to be honest, I’m hoping for the super battery life of a phone can come in the ‘20’s to be honest.