@AndrewS The problem with flying cars is not technological but social and financial.
There's just not a lot of reason for it given that more advanced highways can be built for far less and get the same job done at a lower cost. That and I think it's pretty certain that no one wants 1000-100,000x the number of explosive, multi-ton aircraft flying over their houses hence the desire to place airports far away from civilization.
And this is exactly the attitude that will get us nowhere. Flying cars that coordinate with a network and can get you from point A to point B is the future, whether you like it or not. Perhaps some communities won't adopt them for certain reasons. It's true today where normal cars are non-existent in communities, even when you disregard economic status, communities simply chose other means of transportation.
@Branhower Teleportation will never happen because even if it's technically possible, it's one of those technologies that will put big companies out of business and cause a major economic upheaval, not to mention a complete breakdown of culture and society as we know it. Religion's going to have something to say about this as well, because of that pesky question of what actually happens to your soul when your individual atoms are being beamed all over the place and you no longer have a conscious self for those few seconds.
Teleportation sounds great when you just think about how much time you could save on your commute every day or how many extra days you could get every year sunning in Acapulco, but when you really start to think about all the ramifications of it, it is the kind of technology that would fundamentally reshape the entire world. And anybody who's interested in maintaining the status quo - e.g. about 90% of the developed world, including all of those in power - would see fighting against such technology as a life or death struggle.
The N9 has arrived. What we can say from our first experience is that we're in the presence of a fantastically designed device with a gorgeous AMOLED screen and some highly responsive performance.
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If we don't have computer-assisted flying cars in 40 years, then something went wrong.
@AndrewS
The problem with flying cars is not technological but social and financial.
There's just not a lot of reason for it given that more advanced highways can be built for far less and get the same job done at a lower cost. That and I think it's pretty certain that no one wants 1000-100,000x the number of explosive, multi-ton aircraft flying over their houses hence the desire to place airports far away from civilization.
@COCOViper
umm most airports are located within civilization... lax, jfk, heathrow i could go on...
@COCOViper And the fact that most people can't even drive on the ground. God forbid they can fly.
@COCOViper
And this is exactly the attitude that will get us nowhere. Flying cars that coordinate with a network and can get you from point A to point B is the future, whether you like it or not. Perhaps some communities won't adopt them for certain reasons. It's true today where normal cars are non-existent in communities, even when you disregard economic status, communities simply chose other means of transportation.
@AndrewS Teleportation well negate the need for all forms of transportation.
@Branhower
If that gets done in my lifetime, then I'll be the one with my mind blown away like the Senior Citizens in this poll.
@Branhower Teleportation will never happen because even if it's technically possible, it's one of those technologies that will put big companies out of business and cause a major economic upheaval, not to mention a complete breakdown of culture and society as we know it. Religion's going to have something to say about this as well, because of that pesky question of what actually happens to your soul when your individual atoms are being beamed all over the place and you no longer have a conscious self for those few seconds.
Teleportation sounds great when you just think about how much time you could save on your commute every day or how many extra days you could get every year sunning in Acapulco, but when you really start to think about all the ramifications of it, it is the kind of technology that would fundamentally reshape the entire world. And anybody who's interested in maintaining the status quo - e.g. about 90% of the developed world, including all of those in power - would see fighting against such technology as a life or death struggle.
@AndrewS
If iPhone OS 4.0 doesn't get Widgets... THEN we're all screwed!