Thoughts about the future?

[aoEAF2FBvC0MIo2Q 3,673]

 

 

So... How do you see the future? Do you think it's going to be great? Perhaps it's like the bottom panel where everything's fallen apart and societies everywhere have either been made totally uninhabitable or reverted to a standard of living much lower than what we take for granted today.

 

Well... While it's clear to me that the current economic system is under great strain and business as usualy is only going to get worse and worse, at least an alternative is out there. As the current system continues the path of its development into oblivion, people might come together and look for a way out for themselves. Even now it seems that talks about the system and its flaws are increasing in number. People, it seems to me, are starting to question the status quo in increasing numbers. Yes, things will get worse, potentially horrific but maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel once the dust settles. Things might not get pretty in the near future but I'm hopeful it will in the aftermath.

[Cactus 155]

History has had several lapses of negative times, contrary to what people I speak to tend to believe. If we are about to enter another of these periods, then so be it, but it's not the end of the world. Naturally, society will pick itself up again afterwards.

[ReGen 1,466]

I believe everything I see in video games and movies, so obviously we're going to have hoverboards in two years and a robot invasion in 2084.

 

Hey, don't say I didn't warn you. 

Edited July 26, 2013 by ReGen

[CapnKrunk 307]

I think the future in about 100 years will be based on wealth.Rich people go into a better place suited to their needs.Poor people go into a rotten place with the others.That's how I see it based on the shows,games,books,and other things I've seen.

[--Thunder Bolt-- 534]

@,

 

Both panels look like nightmares to me.  Casino Planet vs. Zombie Apocalypse?  Neither of the above, please.   I do think we have some massive problems/predicaments to face (the coming decline in conventional oil production, climate change, political and economic turbulence, etc.), but there are also a lot of great things about our present and potential for the future.  I think it's possible that techno-industrial civilization could be facing a bumpy decline and fall over the next 100-200 years.  On the other hand, I've started working my way through Abundance: The Future is Better Than You Think by Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler (video, details and link to get a complimentary copy of the hardcover for $6.95 shipping and handling here).  He gives some arguments to counter the grimdark.

 

He argues that a range of technologies that are currently advancing at exponential rates (computing power, aka Moore's Law, synthetic biology, communication, nanotech, etc.) will give us the tools to face the future's challenges.  He argues that "DIY Innovators" ("Maker" types, start-up entrepreneurs, etc.), individuals or small groups empowered by technology (Kickstarter, 3-D printers, etc.) will be able to launch initiatives that only governments or major corporations could attempt in the past.  He thinks that "technophilanthropists" (people who got rich in tech and now want to use their money to improve the world in various ways) like Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Paul Allen, etc. will be a source of major funding for beneficial initiatives, and that what he calls "the Rising Billion" (poor people in developing countries who now have access to smartphones and other tech that empowers them to learn, communicate, and share their ideas) will bring a flood of problem-solving innovation.

 

I'm only about 1/5th of the way through the book, but so far he's making a good case that we're not utterly doomed.  IIRC it was William Gibson who said, "the future is already here; it's just unevenly distributed."  I think we'll have plenty of that.  Areas that are in decline/collapse, while other areas improve.  IMO, a lot depends on how we deploy and use future technologies, and if we can find ways to deal with issues like government paralysis, keeping the top .01% from grabbing all the marbles, and finding an economic system geared to produce ecologically sustainable prosperity for everyone instead of one based on the idea of permanent exponential growth in economic throughput, which can't be sustained on a finite planet.

 

 

I think the future in about 100 years will be based on wealth.Rich people go into a better place suited to their needs.Poor people go into a rotten place with the others.That's how I see it based on the shows,games,books,and other things I've seen.

 

That's pretty much how things are now.  I'm hoping we'll be able to do better than that in the future.

Edited July 26, 2013 by InvisiblePinkUnicorn

[Twilight Dash 28]

In my opinion, global climate change will effect the world more then ever, so newer technologies would allow us to change the weather and climate to more preferred conditions. Such technologies would also allow for the prevention of extreme weather, the terraformation of planets and possibly warfare.

 

There would also be an advance in space travel. Commercial spacecraft companies will exist and people will be allowed to travel to other planets and moons that are in our solar system.

 

The fossil fuel industry may expand because of the fossil fuels fond on the other planets if there is not something that already exists to replace fossil fuels.

 

I personally hope that humanity will create intelligent colorful talking ponies that have the same rights as humans.

 

Capitalism will also eventually die and socialism will be born.

[aoEAF2FBvC0MIo2Q 3,673]

@,

 

Hm, that reminds me of something else. This book

 

 

Though I've only partially read it, from what I heard in different places, it points to something encouraging. I really should get to reading it, especially since it's free

[Super Derpy 535]

Well I think the future is pretty bleak right now. With the rapid growth in human population we will eventually not be able to support ourselves as there will not be enough food. Mass starvation, the economy crashes, etc.  And maybe we will end up living in a ruined world or we will get out shit together and have an awesome future.

[--Thunder Bolt-- 534]

@,

 

Oooh!  Free book!  Omnomnom! *clicks link*  Though, really, I should finish Abundance first before diving into this one...

 

(Guess which pony I ended up "most like" in the Bronyland Pony Personality Test)

Edited July 26, 2013 by InvisiblePinkUnicorn

[Lunas Husband 2,777]

I see it being one big shit storm.. and all of man kind being killed off and mother nature taking back what's hers.. the animal's well take over the earth too and fix everything and help this earth heal all the dmg we have done to her.

[ReverseFaller 2,484]

Ahh, the Future!

 

 

The future seems like it's going to be a very crappy place to live. However I believe if we all try to work together to make a bright future, we can pull it off. First things first, we need to get rid of those absolute morons in Washington DC!

[Splashee 28,566]

The future will be dark. Pretty much easy to guess what will happen.

[Pastel Heart 6,467]

Any hope of a happy future was lost a long time ago.

[Derpy Pon-3 5,650]

I think the human race will probably continue to develop for a very long time, there will definitely be plenty of bumps along the road, a couple more great depressions, some world wars sprinkled in here and there, but hey, that's never stopped us before, and it won't stop us again, it'll only slow us down

[Here No Longer 5,276]

I think there's several possibilities for this one, and none of them are exactly positive.

 

• Nuclear Annihilation- Most likely future I see happening. With how eager the past few (by few, I mean probably 10 or so) American presidents have been to instigate violence and war, it would very much not surprise almost anyone that I would wager in this scenario it's more than likely the US that causes this to be put into motion. Just as bad as one would expect, ending the lives of many for no reason, stopping all of humanity's progress for a two or three hundred years, and that's if we're lucky. If we aren't, well, everyone and everything is dead and we just caused a mass extinction event (after the one that's already happening because we're so selfish).

 

• Corporate Takeover- It's already happening, and I wouldn't be surprised if it gets to this point, where the world scraps the idea of the traditional state entity in favor of allowing corporations to more than just indirectly rule over every aspect of our lives. In other words, today but more technologically advanced and worse for almost everyone, aside from the 1% (or the ultra rich) who have every single one of everyone's cakes and eat all of those cakes too, while still demanding even more.

 

• Expanse- I'll just lay it out. We have a united Earth, we colonize the solar system (Mars, the Asteroid Belt, various moons...), BUT, we're still constantly at each other's throats (and go to war each other) and murdering each other because xenophobia is a wonderful thing and a great ideology that totally isn't a problem in our time... If you don't know, this is pretty much the future laid out by The Expanse. Great show, but also a much more realistic and gritty interpretation than Star Trek.

 

Any of those three ways are what I see.

Edited February 25, 2020 by Angel_Dust

[Dreambiscuit 10,094]

The future will look a lot like it does now; pretty much everything the same, just rearranged and repackaged to make it look new.