We had the middle ages. Europe was warmer, you could grow wine in regions you can't now. The middle East was a trading empire, Vikings were on the march, some Christians were planning the crusades. All things considered, you would probably be a poor peasant, half starving, and about to drop dead from plague or some other ailment at the ripe age of 30.
I would wager that most predictions from good sci-fi from the past 30 years HAVE come true...short of the ones where we are all living in space.
Frankly, I would be less worried about social unrest, insurgents, ect... and more worried about consequences of global warming, freakish weather (flood, drought), and the threat of a world wide disease pandemic...or epidemic. The world is overdue for a real superbug.
No need to dream up high-tech threats when it will most likely be the low
I love my country, but it is fucked up pretty bad when it comes to the environment.
Lets start with the great lakes...polluted mess. They are full of non-native species that are killing off all those beautiful fish that used to be there, not that it matters with all the toxic runnoff from factories and pulp and paper mills.
Speaking of pulp and paper mills, have you ever taken a plane trip over the coast of British Columbia? Its a mighty depressing sight to see the checkered landscape from all the clear cutting. Where do you think all that wood comes from that gets dumped on the US market? Sure...some is being replanted. Just come back in a century or two when it grows back;(
What about Alberta...yikes they are strip mining the whole province as fast as they can to get at all that oil. DO I even dare mention the ENORMOUS quantities of water they are using in the process? It might just make you sick. (I grew up in Alberta)
I'll tell ya something else about Canada...we are getting pretty damn selective about who can emigrate. Not that I agree with it mind you. But Unless you are educated and have a good amount of money, chances are you will have difficulty in getting into the country...let alone getting a job or buying land. Ha! Homesteading? What is this the 19th century? There are no small time farmers left in the prairies --- they have all gone corporate long ago. Planting vast tracts of genetically altered sunflower seeds and other USELESS products so we can eat our fast food and become even more obese.
I'll tell ya though, I lived in the northwest territories (north of 60) for several years and THAT my friend is what I call untouched wilderness, complete with killer bears, herds of buffalo, and northern lights so close to the ground that you can almost touch them. But its damn cold.
Anyway, in summary,
Canada has a poor environmental record. Its just that we are such a FREAKIN huge country that most people don't notice. But trust me, our giga corps are doing their best to rape our land as they are yours.
Have you ever visited south east asia? Have you ever experienced the smog cloud that exists there from the constant burning of the rain forests in places like Java? Have you visited East Africa recently where they are experiencing long term droughts? Have you visited a place that once used to be a fertile forest and is now a man made desert devoid of life? These are all man made disasters on a small scale. But now they are going global.
Consider, over 80% of fish in the oceans are under threat from extinction due to over fishing.
Consider, there is currently a honey bee plague that is killing up to 90% of hive populations in N. America. How fucked up is that?
Ground water is being used up at unsustainable rates in China and India. --- as well as in all developed countries
See, most people in the west don't hear about these disasters that are *happening* right now because they don't effect most of us... yet.
But everything is connected and eventually the shit is really going to hit the fan.
I live and work in Kenya and experienced the drought last here personally. Picture every day thousands of people carrying a small 5 gallon pail on their head, leaving slums in search of a little bit of water. Picture starving cattle --- so thin you can count their ribs, being driven into the city center to graze upon grass in the ditches and in parks. That is if they don't just drop dead on the side of the highway. (during the drought I saw...and smelled dozens of rotting carcases littering along the highway).
I"m an optimist at heart. Human can solve their problems, but MOST people have no FUCKING clue of what is happening and how it will get MUCH worse.
I'll tell you what though, democracy as we know will change. Governments WILL ration what we eat, drink, and manage the energy we consume. In developing countries this is the NORM. Soon it will be the norm everywhere. Doom and gloom??? No, just REALITY.
The simple truth is that most people are greedy bastards and will do all they can to enrich themselves and damn everyone else. I mean WTF, we are only on this earth for 60 odd years, so who cares right?
This is the world we have made for ourselves, we all have to educate ourselves and everyone needs to make better choices. However, I think increasingly we will need to rely on our governments to carry out responsible mandates if FREEDOM as well as EQUITY are to survive what is coming.
... absorbing a daily dose of toxic chemicals into the tips of your fingers strengthens the immune system, thus making us less vulnurable to the common cold. It's all explalined in the manual, somehwere near the back in smallish print.
In a century (or sooner) a private corporation could buy a piece of real estate on the moon. They could carve out a cavern to store thousands (or millions) of individual consciousnesses; all networked together. The whole facility could be powered by solar panels and maintained by androids running on nuclear power. The facility could run for thousands of years with little maintenance. The question is, would this be a heaven or a hell? What would people think about? Or would everyone just end up going insane?
I mean, after you've uploaded all of the worlds porn, just hit "shuffle" and "repeat" and collapse onto the floor drooling in perpetual orgasm until you die of thirst.
No...this technology could only help humanity.
Incidently, sign me up for version 2. Mwhahahahahaha
China, India, and the whole of east asia for that matter are turning their countries into hellish wastelands of toxic waste, blackened air, and scorched earth. When major water and food shortages start interrupting their "success" in a decade or so you will be thanking your "U.S. busniess climate" for showing a little bit of foresight...however short it is.
I just watched Serenity on cable and it reminded me of the Babylon 5 movies. If you are a fanboi they rock...but they are hardly great examples of cinematic sci-fi.
But using a stylus is annoying. They are usually smaller than a pen or pencil so they are uncomfortable to use for long periods of time.
And then what happens when you lose it? IMO iPhone uses a much better technology...human fingers.
Vilos Cohaagen: Don't touch that! Get away, get back!
Douglas Quaid: What are you afraid of? Turn it on.
Vilos Cohaagen: Impossible! Once the reaction starts, it'll spread to all the turbinium in the planet. Mars will go into global meltdown. That's why the aliens never turned it on.
Douglas Quaid: And you expect me to believe you?
Vilos Cohaagen: Who gives a shit what you believe? In thirty seconds you'll be dead, and I'll blow this place up and be home in time for Corn Flakes.
I've traveled the length and breadth of the world a few times, here are my tips:
Take half the clothes and twice the money. (I have tried this and it really works)
Oh you were wondering about gadgets. I haven't seen anyone mention packing a decked out SWISS ARMY KNIFE --- that can save your life. As for myself, I have one with a little magnifying glass, the logic being that if my plane crashes and I end up on a desert island I can start a fire. Yea, I'm that geeky, never mind the fact that planes NEVER safely land on deserted islands in the middle of the pacific.::sigh:: a man can dream...
Also be sure to bring a pack of IMMODIUM, now this WILL save your life, or at least prevent your insides from completely liquefying after you sample that oh-so delicious looking street food (you know, those little bbqed mystery meats ALWAYS look sooooo good until you try to digest them)
Also make a photocopy of your passport and keep it in a hidden place,that can save your ass.
Now, I'm Canadian eh, so I'm one of those patriotic freaks who sews a Canadian flag on my pack, I'm sure it will come in handy one of these days because hey, everyone loves Canadians! So far it has only worked to strike up conversations with cute random women while stranded in the international terminal:)
Also bring extra memory and batteries for your cam, and don't be one of those dorks who brings the telescoping lens and then regrets it later after they have been trekking around ruins in the jungle in 100% humidity. Trust me, if you want a good photo, buy one. There is nothing sillier than visiting to some ancient monument trying to savor the moment and seeing 100 people all setting up their tri-pods because they figure THEY are better photographers than the pros. I guess I just don't get it.
Final advice, don't wear a watch or flashy jewelry; you wouldn't want to entice a pickpocket would you?
Well I guess that about covers everything, and don't forget to buy travel insurance!
Slashdot Mirror
Slashdot shows its maturity once again. :)
...eww.
Indeed.
We had the middle ages. Europe was warmer, you could grow wine in regions you can't now. The middle East was a trading empire, Vikings were on the march, some Christians were planning the crusades. All things considered, you would probably be a poor peasant, half starving, and about to drop dead from plague or some other ailment at the ripe age of 30.
Power will be restored once you hit the ground.
I think not.
I use a Mac and my soul is intact thankyouvery much. I don't need to go to space.
OSX completes me.
Frankly, I would be less worried about social unrest, insurgents, ect... and more worried about consequences of global warming, freakish weather (flood, drought), and the threat of a world wide disease pandemic...or epidemic. The world is overdue for a real superbug.
No need to dream up high-tech threats when it will most likely be the low
Classic
Lets start with the great lakes...polluted mess. They are full of non-native species that are killing off all those beautiful fish that used to be there, not that it matters with all the toxic runnoff from factories and pulp and paper mills.
Speaking of pulp and paper mills, have you ever taken a plane trip over the coast of British Columbia? Its a mighty depressing sight to see the checkered landscape from all the clear cutting. Where do you think all that wood comes from that gets dumped on the US market? Sure...some is being replanted. Just come back in a century or two when it grows back ;(
What about Alberta...yikes they are strip mining the whole province as fast as they can to get at all that oil. DO I even dare mention the ENORMOUS quantities of water they are using in the process? It might just make you sick. (I grew up in Alberta)
I'll tell ya something else about Canada...we are getting pretty damn selective about who can emigrate. Not that I agree with it mind you. But Unless you are educated and have a good amount of money, chances are you will have difficulty in getting into the country...let alone getting a job or buying land. Ha! Homesteading? What is this the 19th century? There are no small time farmers left in the prairies --- they have all gone corporate long ago. Planting vast tracts of genetically altered sunflower seeds and other USELESS products so we can eat our fast food and become even more obese.
I'll tell ya though, I lived in the northwest territories (north of 60) for several years and THAT my friend is what I call untouched wilderness, complete with killer bears, herds of buffalo, and northern lights so close to the ground that you can almost touch them. But its damn cold.
Anyway, in summary,
Canada has a poor environmental record. Its just that we are such a FREAKIN huge country that most people don't notice. But trust me, our giga corps are doing their best to rape our land as they are yours.
Consider, over 80% of fish in the oceans are under threat from extinction due to over fishing.
Consider, there is currently a honey bee plague that is killing up to 90% of hive populations in N. America. How fucked up is that?
Ground water is being used up at unsustainable rates in China and India. --- as well as in all developed countries
See, most people in the west don't hear about these disasters that are *happening* right now because they don't effect most of us... yet.
But everything is connected and eventually the shit is really going to hit the fan.
I live and work in Kenya and experienced the drought last here personally. Picture every day thousands of people carrying a small 5 gallon pail on their head, leaving slums in search of a little bit of water. Picture starving cattle --- so thin you can count their ribs, being driven into the city center to graze upon grass in the ditches and in parks. That is if they don't just drop dead on the side of the highway. (during the drought I saw...and smelled dozens of rotting carcases littering along the highway).
I"m an optimist at heart. Human can solve their problems, but MOST people have no FUCKING clue of what is happening and how it will get MUCH worse.
I'll tell you what though, democracy as we know will change. Governments WILL ration what we eat, drink, and manage the energy we consume. In developing countries this is the NORM. Soon it will be the norm everywhere. Doom and gloom??? No, just REALITY.
The simple truth is that most people are greedy bastards and will do all they can to enrich themselves and damn everyone else. I mean WTF, we are only on this earth for 60 odd years, so who cares right?
This is the world we have made for ourselves, we all have to educate ourselves and everyone needs to make better choices. However, I think increasingly we will need to rely on our governments to carry out responsible mandates if FREEDOM as well as EQUITY are to survive what is coming.
... absorbing a daily dose of toxic chemicals into the tips of your fingers strengthens the immune system, thus making us less vulnurable to the common cold. It's all explalined in the manual, somehwere near the back in smallish print.
Incidently mine is in the shop with a dead processor cooling fan unit, soon to be replaced. Just testing the faith in the black monolith, thats all.
Flashback to "The Gamesters of Triskelion"
In a century (or sooner) a private corporation could buy a piece of real estate on the moon. They could carve out a cavern to store thousands (or millions) of individual consciousnesses; all networked together. The whole facility could be powered by solar panels and maintained by androids running on nuclear power. The facility could run for thousands of years with little maintenance. The question is, would this be a heaven or a hell? What would people think about? Or would everyone just end up going insane?
Hitting restart could open a whole new can of philosophical beans. Are you still you? Or...does something change after a reboot?
No...this technology could only help humanity.
Incidently, sign me up for version 2. Mwhahahahahaha
I just watched Serenity on cable and it reminded me of the Babylon 5 movies. If you are a fanboi they rock...but they are hardly great examples of cinematic sci-fi.
No worries, this is Slashdot, all is forgiven. It's just my way.
This is slashdot; brotherhood of tech poets, code warriors, immortals of nerdome. We don't need no grammar.
This is slashdot, brotherhood of tech poets, code warriors, immortals of nerdome. We don't need no grammar.
Robot Villager: You might as well ask how a Robot works.
Professor Hubert Farnsworth: It's all here, on the inside on your panel.
Robot Villager: [closes panel] I choose to believe what I was PROGRAMMED to believe!
But using a stylus is annoying. They are usually smaller than a pen or pencil so they are uncomfortable to use for long periods of time. And then what happens when you lose it? IMO iPhone uses a much better technology...human fingers.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but I think your argument is a few thousand years too late.
Douglas Quaid: What are you afraid of? Turn it on.
Vilos Cohaagen: Impossible! Once the reaction starts, it'll spread to all the turbinium in the planet. Mars will go into global meltdown. That's why the aliens never turned it on.
Douglas Quaid: And you expect me to believe you?
Vilos Cohaagen: Who gives a shit what you believe? In thirty seconds you'll be dead, and I'll blow this place up and be home in time for Corn Flakes.
Take half the clothes and twice the money. (I have tried this and it really works)
Oh you were wondering about gadgets. I haven't seen anyone mention packing a decked out SWISS ARMY KNIFE --- that can save your life. As for myself, I have one with a little magnifying glass, the logic being that if my plane crashes and I end up on a desert island I can start a fire. Yea, I'm that geeky, never mind the fact that planes NEVER safely land on deserted islands in the middle of the pacific. ::sigh:: a man can dream...
Also be sure to bring a pack of IMMODIUM, now this WILL save your life, or at least prevent your insides from completely liquefying after you sample that oh-so delicious looking street food (you know, those little bbqed mystery meats ALWAYS look sooooo good until you try to digest them)
Also make a photocopy of your passport and keep it in a hidden place,that can save your ass.
Now, I'm Canadian eh, so I'm one of those patriotic freaks who sews a Canadian flag on my pack, I'm sure it will come in handy one of these days because hey, everyone loves Canadians! So far it has only worked to strike up conversations with cute random women while stranded in the international terminal :)
Also bring extra memory and batteries for your cam, and don't be one of those dorks who brings the telescoping lens and then regrets it later after they have been trekking around ruins in the jungle in 100% humidity. Trust me, if you want a good photo, buy one. There is nothing sillier than visiting to some ancient monument trying to savor the moment and seeing 100 people all setting up their tri-pods because they figure THEY are better photographers than the pros. I guess I just don't get it.
Final advice, don't wear a watch or flashy jewelry; you wouldn't want to entice a pickpocket would you?
Well I guess that about covers everything, and don't forget to buy travel insurance!