Re: High Technology of the Future

From: Ross A. Finlayson (raf@tiki-lounge.com)
Date: Tue Dec 26 2000 - 14:25:18 MST


Harvey Newstrom wrote:

> >"Gamma Pi" <gammapi@newsguy.com> writes:
> >
> >> > >At the same time, people's lives are not so different from hundreds of
> >> > >years ago, except many more people have automobiles, high technology
> >> > >appliances and devices, and medicine, as well as entertainment.
> >>
> >> I would agree that people's lives are not so different IN A FUNDAMENTAL
> >> SENSE from hundreds of years ago. Fundamental problems remain the same and
> > > fundamental patterns of solution also.
>
> I'm not sure this is true.
>
> 1. TV: People sit for hours watching mindless entertainment on TV.
> That is different.
> 2. Information-based Careers: People develop careers that are more
> information-based and less labor-based. That is a major difference.
> 3. Education: Almost everybody has basic education today. That is
> different than in previous centuries.
> 4. Travel: Almost everybody works more than 20 miles from their
> home. This would have been impossible in the days when travel was
> not so fast. Also, most people have been outside their town, their
> county, and their state. Many have been outside their country. This
> is a major difference from previous centuries where most of the
> population was born, lived, and died in their own home town.
> 5. Free Time: We also work less time and have a lot of free time.
> That is a major difference.
> 6. Communications: Not much can happen in the world without us
> knowing about it instantly. No major wars can break out, no
> assassinations can occur, no major disasters can occur without us
> seeing it first-hand within minutes or hours of the event.
> --
> Harvey Newstrom <HarveyNewstrom.com>

Very true.

So it is like the proverb "the more things change, the more things stay the same."

Ross

--
Ross Andrew Finlayson
Finlayson Consulting
Ross at Tiki-Lounge: http://www.tiki-lounge.com/~raf/


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