[sperry]

There are two inventions that will save the human race from our current greed based society:

1) Free (or almost free) Energy

2) Energy to Mass converter

Let's look at #1, Austin's got some good leads posted, that's the kinda thing I'm talking about. We need cold fusion, or high efficency solar cells, orbialt power generation, or cheap reliable geo-thermal energy... basically enough energy so we will never be looking for more or for cheaper energy for the next 10,000 years. Somewhere in the range of $0.01 to power the city of New York for a year. And something non-pollutant. Sounds impossible, and probably is, since we need it within the next 10 years.

And if you think that sounds impossible, then take a look at #2. The energy to mass converter. The idea is this: we already know how to convert matter to energy... it's call fission/fusion... aka a nuclear reaction. Now we need to be able to do the opposite, that is, we need to be able to assemble matter from either constituant elements at the cost of mucho energy, or better yet convert energy itself into matter (which is only theoretically possible). The device I'm talking about here would basically be something like the "replicator" from Star Trek.

With free energy and the ability to convert it into organized matter, we could potentially eliminate material greed from the world. Think of it this way: you're hungry, replicate dinner. Bam, starvation is solved. Homeless, houses are virtually free, assuming you can find land. Want to drive a Ferrari? Replicate one up. Hell we could even continue to use replicated gas if we don't mind the pollution. R&D for advanced materials would be a breeze, since we could simply built whatever materials we want at a mollecular level. The possibilities are nearly endless.

I used to worry about the social implications of these inventions, since it'd turn the world around in a very Marxist way, leveling the playing field so to speak, and we all know how well socialism doesn't work... It seems that people are naturally competitive, and that we require some sort of pecking order. People seem to need to organize themselves into leaders and followers, and groups are formed to attempt to dominate one another... hence war, and class, and discrimination, and all the bad things about society. Today's society is divided mostly by materialism... the haves vs. the have-nots. By suddenly and artifically removing these divisions, I'd guess we'd have a catacismic battle to re-organize the world order... 'course, that's where we're already heading already.

My hope however would be that these inventions would convert the world order to a meritocracy. A world where the pecking order would be based on intellectual and artistic accomplishment. Where being recognized to doing something cool would be the way to "one up" your peers. "Keeping up with the Jones'" would entail being more creative than them. Wealth would be measured in intelligence, not material posessions.

The big problem: we need to figure all this out in the next decade or so, while we still have the resources to research. We really should quit fucking around with wars, and put that money towards science for alternative fuels. Screw this homeland security crap... that's wasted research money. (Besides, even with all the money spent and loss of freedoms, I don't think we're any safer from terrorism than we were pre-9/11.)

As to what I'm doing? I'm doing jack squat. I honestly don't know what to do (short of building a self-sufficient bio-dome on an uncharted tropical island)... I guess can bitch like I have been in this thread, and look like an alarmist or an asshole, and be pissed off all the time like conspiracy theorists. But that takes way to much energy. So I'm going to go about my business as usual. I'm gonna get my racing in now while there's still 91 octane at the stations. I'm gonna have fun while there's still fun to be had, and plan for the future the best I can. But, at this point my future is in the hands of fate.

However, I'm gonna keep my eyes pealed, and ear to the ground. I know bad shit is coming our way, and I want to avoid stepping in it if possible... and if it's not possible, then I'll suffer w/ everyone else, but at least I'll know I didn't waste my time worrying and planning for something you can't plan for.