icarus

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I was pondering this the other day. So after we've perfected everything, and everybody gets along what happens? Does everything just start over or what? It seems like humanity and everything on this world strives to be better, it is the smarter thing to do, but what happens once theres nowhere left to go, or nothing left to do. Ill take religious or non answers. Im just a bit confused about life, and its purpose.

GoofyBadger

Even if humanity comes to a point where we're all living peacefully, and science has been completely fleshed out (and I doubt this will ever happen), the individual choices made by people will continue to destabilize the system. Never will there be nothing to do, as humanity is incredibley gifted at finding new ways to push boundries. Even if some point is reached where there is no strife, it is unlikely that we'd ever give up on trying to improve ourselves as individuals in some way, intellectually, physically, emotionally, etc.

But perhaps what will happen is a big screen will pop up on God's computer giving him a final score and he'll hit the reset button. But I think that point is far enough off that it borders on never.

Bigeme

I was actually thinking about this the other day. I read two articles from a fairly reliable source talking about advancements in technology that would really change everything. The first and by far most important is a system that increases energy releases greatly. So called "zero point energy." A kind of perpetual motion machine idea that would multiply the amount of energy you put in by a certain amount. This could effectively end any energy shortages as long as people would get over there stupid biases against nuclear power.

The second had to do with a spaceship propulsion drive. In theory it would create an extreme magnetic field around the craft that would somehow change the constraints of physics (a la special relativity) and allow speeds close to and possiblely faster than light. The theories behind this were highly debated and there is a great deal of doubt as to it actually working, but the article said something about the air force being ready to conduct a test as early as 2008.

Now between the two of those, the world would be turned on its head. Economics is simply the exchange of energy. No matter how you look at it, if there is surplus energy than everything is gravy. You can fix a lot of problems here and provide a great many services.

Anyway, people thought that all the advances that could be made in science had already been made at a great many points in history. Considering 90% of all scientists ever are still alive today, I think theres plenty of advancement to be made.

This assumes people get over their retarded religious biases and racial conflicts that serve no one in anyway and are usually thinly disguised economic wars.

Cheeba Monkey

With Bigeme's response I agree. We are going to advance in technology very rapidly and very soon. If you look at the way science has progressed in the last millenium, it can be broken into five groups: 1000-1500, 1500-1750, 1750-1950, 1950-1995, 1995-present. From 1000-1500 was the rise out of the Medieval period and into the age of exploration. Mathematics is becoming incresingly important for navigation and economics. 1500-1750 was the era of scientific theory and physics. Notice how the era is half of the first. With the introduction of the Industrial Revolution in Britain around 1750 began the era of manufacturing, mechanics, engineering, etc that would go one til around 1950 with the creation of computers. Now we had a machine that, after programming, could perform 10 fold what a human could. I have the next period starting the the introduction of the internet. With this sole invention, the entire world has become connected. When you think of this, it is a huge acheivement. This era of technology is still going on.

But as Bigeme said, technology is moving forward, and soon things we have today that are "exceptional" will inevitably become outdated. Each period is growing smaller and smaller in year lengths. Soon there will be an innovative advancement every decade. Is the world economy strong enough for the adaptability that will be required? I don't know. Fossil Fuels will soon be outdated. Notice how all of a sudden, its popular to have a car that runs on vegetable oil instead of gas. That's why a whole new breed of hybrids are being created. Manufacturers know solutions to current problems, but I feel they hold on to the technology until it becomes an optimal time to release it. In this case, as soon as gas prices became an issue to "the man", solutions came from them (so they could make the most money).

The problem is in the movie "Chain Reaction" with Keanu Reeves and Morgan Freeman. Would the population be strong enough to withstand drastic commercial changes or would depression ensue. Don't know, but to move forward as a race, we have to try.

jmkiii

For the simple fact that the universe is infinite, we will never run out of things to do.

As far as purpose goes, i believe that it is arrogant to believe that just because we are here we have some purpose(whatever gets you through your day). in my opinion, purpose is also somewhat of a detriment. When you have purpose you know you are right. There are too many people who are Right on both sides of too many issues.

Those are my two cents.

schawks9900

I believe when we reach that point of perfection, very little time will pass after until there is an evolution of the human race. Either we will be wiped out by machines, because we become defensless against what we create as we try and enable them to do more and more or we as a race will gain/lose some dramatic feature that makes/takes from us our humanity. I.e. we end up being reminiscent of Ann Ryand's book our the lack of I, there is only we(I forget the title of it at the moment). We may not become a we society, but the extreme opposite I society, where we rarely interact with others and basically live in our own little worlds....freaky...you probably wouldn't even get laid....i better go have all the sex i can for the good of humanity...

GoofyBadger

I agree that advancements in science are incredible, and will only become more so in the future, but that really doesn't answer the real question. Ttyl's post centered around the notion of just being done. Humanity would have learned everything, perfected everything, and everyone got along. Zero point energy and grav drives are pretty amazing, and they'll drastically change society, but it doesn't get to the heart of what humanity will become at the moment of being done. To repeat my earlier post, I simply don't believe we can ever reach a point of being done.

All that said, grav drives really are pretty wicked. I was reading about them on slashdot, I believe, and they looked absolutely amazing. If a prototype moves in 2008, I may have a heart attack simply out of awe.

mr_albest

Why do most visions of future technology involve some type of major problem that humanity must endure. Perhaps we will reach a stage of blissful utopia where machines, instead of trying to wipe us all out, actually do what they are supposed to do and cater to our every material need.

Now of course individuals crave recognition, either through wealth, power, the arts, etc., so fields of individual acheivement may be diminished due to the socialist type governmental structure. The upside is humanity would then focus on the arts, and what type of utopia would it be without a focus on the arts.

I like to think we are working towards something like this, instead of a bloody war against the machines.

speegs

The earth and all living things will be destroyed by mankind because of GREED. As long as their is man, it's inevitable. Just have fun while your here.

icarus

speegs what a negative outlook. On the good side though i think your correct, we should be happy with our lives while we're here. I think that, well i'm hoping mankind will find a way to live in harmony eventually. At that point it would seem to me that things are too good...As goofybadger said then i belive god (if there is one), will just hit the reset. Thanks for the imput guys.

JacksonAces

Technically, the universe isn't infinite.

Given, it is expanding at an increasing rate, but at this point, scientists are pretty sure that it is finite, and is simply really, really, unimaginably big.

There was a neat logical proof of why the universe can't be infinite, but I seem to have lost the link; If I find it, I'll post it. it was a really neat one.

~jack

bocasbeachbum

In 1906 the director of the US Patent office siad that the government should close down the patent office since everything useful that could be invented had been invented. Every other generation or so has the same feeling somewhere along the line.