• Eugen
    702
    Absolutely all great inventions are based on ancient desires.
    We like to believe that if we went back in time and showed a smartphone to Emperor Caesar and told him about satellites, applications and electromagnetic waves, we would certainly impress him with our incomprehensible knowledge. But, if we simply explained to him that the telephone is used for long distance instant communication, it would be perfectly understandable.

    The technologies derived from these desires, as well as the technologies derived from other technologies could not be foreseen as design or from the point of view of the science that underlies them. But there is no technology, no matter how sophisticated, that does not serve directly or indirectly a simple desire as old as the hills.

    Although the technology is richer every day, at the level of desires that underlie these technologies there is nothing new under the sun.
    What will happen after everything we currently want to be invented in terms of technology will be invented?
  • ernestm
    1k
    Michael Morrcock rode a very entertaining series of books about that. I think its called the 'End of Time' series.
  • I like sushi
    4.3k
    People with have greater freedom to do as they please.

    Isn’t that obvious? What did I miss? I’m assuming you meant something else, but I’ve no idea exactly what you’re getting at.

    Please explain.
  • Frank Apisa
    2.1k
    Although the technology is richer every day, at the level of desires that underlie these technologies there is nothing new under the sun.
    What will happen after everything we currently want to be invented in terms of technology will be invented?
    Eugen

    We will ask for it, all of it, to be improved.
  • Outlander
    1.8k


    Story of Cronus comes to mind. Or, iRobot. You can either control your creation or it will inevitably control you.

    Beyond that depends how dystopian you want to get. Futuristic, sorry. Has eating or shopping for groceries been confined to the history books? Food being materialized onto a plate/into our stomachs? Do we even bother to think anymore?

    A theory of mine, though its undoubtedly been conceived of before, is one day technology, rather capability will become so prevalent that safety won't be able to catch up. People can already hack smartcars disabling brakes and messing with the steering. Pacemakers too. Orwellian inventions like 4K spy cameras that are indistinguishable from a tiny house fly will become so affordable and widespread that privacy will become a thing of the past and people will demand governments do something. World governments will shroud every continent (with the exception of government buildings and military installations) with a kind of EMP field that will disable most electronics not approved or registered or otherwise 'wired'. Then maybe society will be forced to reconnect with its roots and get back to farming and perhaps have the desire to read a book every so often and after a few generations of returning back to normal all knowledge of such a nightmare will be purged from every book and form of media, absolutely forbidden to be spoken of ever again. Some radical theorists have gone as far to say- something like this has already happened. ;)

    Something I once read I got a chuckle out of. Perhaps... those with knowledge of the before times left a little piece of it behind, either unintentionally or not. A little warning for us all as to what could happen. Ever get in trouble with the law in the United States? You got a letter in the mail regarding it. Where was it from again? That's right .. The Circuit Court. XD
  • TheMadFool
    13.8k
    I see the so-called march of human "progress", which hopefully for this discussion includes inventions, as simply an expanding list of the number of ways the Grim Reaper can claim our souls.
  • Lindrosn
    9
    Eugen, likely a large percentage, maybe most, people throughout history have not wanted more technology than they already had and when someone in their tribe invented something new they'd either oppose it or accept it as a important means to an end, but with hesitation.
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