So where is the human species headed? Are you optimistic about the future? Will peace triumph on earth? Or will there be a clash of civilizations? Will humanity be able to conquer its problems? Do we at least have good chances? Can humanity even agree on what its problems are? Or will differences in culture//morals//knowledge lead to conflict? I'd love it if there are knowledgeable TL'ers who want to paint some broad strokes about history and the future. But I'd also be interested to see your average, less informed TL'ers share their gut feeling in the poll below.
Poll: Are you Optimistic or Pessimistic about the Future?
Optimistic (260)
60%
Pessimistic (172)
40%
432 total votes
Your vote: Are you Optimistic or Pessimistic about the Future?
I'm optimistic but at the same time it's kind of human nature to fight which sucks >.< Like I've heard my History Professor say a million times before, "History repeats its self." You need to know what happened in the past to know what happens in the future. Since the human race has millions of years of war in the past, I don't think there is going to be a sudden change in our instincts or habits. IT would be very nice to see it, but with the Americans having the economic problem and the whole Global Warming sham scaring people, either the world is going to come together to help, or tear each other apart to be on top. Judging by history, it will probably be the latter.
A true peace is impossible, there can be an acceptance and most people can get along on the surface but so long as one single type of people is different from another...there will be conflict, its human nature.
At the current level of globalization, the progress of mankind cannot be undone. Cultural development will follow in its path which I think will always be with better and worse times.
I'm optimistic about what's going to happen in the next 100 years. Once world peace has been mostly achieved, I think the main priority should be space exploration/colonization to ensure the human race has a much longer future.
Nothing is being done about overpopulation which is the root of all environmental problems. Inevitably the atmosphere will be worse with more humans on earth leaving a carbon footprint, the finite oil quantitites will be fought over because of developing nations (and more humans!) needing oil, no to mention even being able to feed everyone adequately.
I'm usually not THAT pessimistic but wrt the immediate future (this century), I just can't be that happy :x
But in all seriousness it's going to be unfathomable for us to imagine how people will think, act, live and even look like in the future. Can you picture taking someone from the 16th century and showing them all the marvels of an iPhone? It'd be beyond their comprehension. It'll be the same with us and whatever happens in the future.
Also, what's even more fascinating is I was reading physicstoday and based on computer simulations and certain scientific trials they made the best possible prediction science can give us today on how humans will presumably evolve in the next few millennium.
On May 03 2010 20:04 PanoRaMa wrote: Nothing is being done about overpopulation which is the root of all environmental problems. Inevitably the atmosphere will be worse with more humans on earth leaving a carbon footprint, the finite oil quantitites will be fought over because of developing nations (and more humans!) needing oil, no to mention even being able to feed everyone adequately.
I'm usually not THAT pessimistic but wrt the immediate future (this century), I just can't be that happy :x
Im optomistic our population will be sustainable and will eventually plateau at a sustainable level (although this is anyones guess) as for the chance of war I believe nuclear proliferation means large scale war (between super powers) is very unlikely. I am also optomistic that second (already very much underway) and third generation biofuels will solve our oil dependencies while helping fix world hunger as we will not be useing food to produce fuel. Also renewable energies becoming more and more efficient will help to satisfy our power needs. Very much looking forward to all the interesting new technologys so I guess I'm (overly?) optomistic about the future!
Optimistic, but only because I have very low expectations of the human species anyway. I think we can easily go another 50 years without a large scale war.
On May 03 2010 20:09 Warrior Madness wrote: It's gonna be awesome bro. MY LIFE FOR AIURRTHHH.
But in all seriousness it's going to be unfathomable for us to imagine how people will think, act, live and even look like in the future. Can you picture taking someone from the 16th century and showing them all the marvels of an iPhone? It'd be beyond their comprehension. It'll be the same with us and whatever happens in the future.
Also, what's even more fascinating is I was reading physicstoday and based on computer simulations and certain scientific trials they made the best possible prediction science can give us today on how humans will presumably evolve in the next few millennium.
Some funny pictures man, but you are totally wrong. Nothing is beyond our comprehension. We have already imagined way beyond what we will ever achieve. Maybe millions of years in the future if we are still going we might somehow advance past the most absurd science fiction but even then it's still conceivable, I bet sci-fi gonna be pretty fucked up in 50 years lol.
lol its gonna be a bitch. First, because there is a whole list of things that will happen. Economics will collapse, ok it may not, but our current econimc crisis is not over - we are just hanging by with a minimum of margin atm. Africa just gonna be war upon war. There is no food in Africa and as we approach 9000000000 ppl on earth the lack of food gonna spread to other continents. With hunger and farmine spreading so will wars. Furthermore oil gonna run dry, not completely dry cause thats gonna take another 100 years, but enough so that oil gonna cost like too much, so only the most important things will have enough priority to get transported, say between Europe and China. Thus all kinds of daily things will get more expensive. Having cars running on gas will be too expensive and we would be forced to live closer to our place of employment + the places where we do our shoppings.
So then we have global warming. The earth is at least destined to go 4 degree warmere (at the current pace) since the industrial revolution and thats like a global catastrophe anyway right there. Usa and China could be fighting over who is the "best" country in the world. The dollar is gonna loose its status as global currency. I dont really have an idea what the consequences of this will be, but im sure its not nothing.
Usa, Europe and China is like gonna stop sending help to the developping countries, and close their borders cause the ppl who live in the developping countries are gonna make an exodus and flee to the industrialised countries. With so many ppl on the run the industrialised countries are gonna make a "wall" or something to keep the masses out and the places just outside the borders are gonna be a place for desease and illnesses because its gonna be too crowded there.
Ofcourse if you are 50 year old already you can just ignorre all of this, and i wish i was 50 year old now but im not
About 70% optimistic. With science evolving, farming will get better and better. Food production will become more and more efficient. Water will be better recycled. When less developed countries catch up in development, their populations will stabilise.
Plus if you want to look at history you should look at the Cold War and how not one nuclear missile was released.
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