What type of futurist are you?

[Saturos]

Here's a poll that I always wanted to conduct at HL2.net to all you futurist types. Do you see the future (100 years or so) as a gleaming, sparkling clean utopia with all the technology to give any of you sci-fi types a wet dream, or do you see it as a dark, drab, smoldering dystopia with concrete fallout shelters and world-wide disease and death? Or do you simply believe that science and technology will not evolve much in our lifetimes and basically not being much different than today? Very interesting poll to me indeed.:dork:

 

[Kadayi]

I think it all depends on where you live. there are some great places to live in the world at present, and some awful ones as well. I can't see that the future is going to be any different.

 

[99.vikram]

Utopian. If you look at the big picture, human society has always been advancing towards stability, peace and knowledge.

 

[Saturos]

I think it all depends on where you live. there are some great places to live in the world at present, and some awful ones as well. I can't see that the future is going to be any different.

That's true today, but we're talking about the future here. Indeed, there are many struggling third-world nations of today, but that doesn't mean that one day, the worst parts of Africa or Indonesia may actually become the first-world leaders while other nations like the U.K. and U.S. bite the dust and become a total mud-slop ghetto with no electricity or anything while the Buckingham Palace or White House becomes a shanty for the homeless and ne'er do wells.

 

[Cheomesh]

None of the above.

 

[Saturos]

None of the above.

Oh? Should I have put a "The world will simply cease to exist" option in the poll?

 

[Phobie]

Utopian. Do want. I mean, I'm not sure there WILL be political stability, but I'm into the high tech stuff.

 

[MJ12]

I expect some great technology to come, but I've always viewed the future to be 1984-esque. I expect some grim things to come during my life.

When I drive around and look at the surrounding enviroment it already seems it's starting to have a post-apocolyptic look to it. Then again it could be because I live and travel in more industrious areas.

 

[Saturos]

I expect some great technology to come, but I've always viewed the future to be 1984-esque. I expect some grim things to come during my life.

What exactly do you mean by 1984-ish?

When I drive around and look at the surrounding enviroment it already seems it's starting to have a post-apocolyptic look to it. Then again it could be because I live and travel in more industrious areas.

post-apocolyptic? You mean in the "cyber-punk" sense or in the "Postmaster/MadMax" sense? Cool either way really. Or, not cool if the moral/legality has already begun to deteriorate in the "cyber-punk" fashion of the area in which you live. Then again, people were saying the world was going downhill during WW2 too.:rolling:

I am a utopian, to some degree. While I believe technology and science will allow us to cure most diseases, increase life expectancy, and provide many wonders that we can only hypothesise about today, I don't think that people as a collective will reach some sort of state of political and/or moral enlightenment. Things are just too complicated for that.

Very true also. When most people (to my knowledge anyways) think about a utopia, they think: advanced technology + advanced social structure=utopia, and just the opposite for dystopia, though not always does a dystopian culture have to be technically "stone-aged" and vice versa. I think of the two as a generalization compared with today's society though and round to the nearest likelyhood, which is somewhere roughly in between. I guess that would be more "cyberpunk-ish" then.

 

[soulslicer]

You know, when you think about it in the big sense, it is really true. As much as the disparity in life-styles and income within Nations has widened, we are becoming a far more stable, peaceful and knowledgeable in every sense as a Human Race in certain Nations and states. Thus, I expect something great for the Human Race in the further future..but it will be far more divided than before..

 

[Druckles]

Sure, it might be perfect in centuries to come. But right now, it's not. And when I'm old, it won't be. There won't be much change to show for it when I'm crapping my diapers again.

 

[Cheomesh]

Oh? Should I have put a " The world will simply cease to exist" option in the poll?

How about a technologically advanced future where we've undone ourselves by creating the Singularity, prompting us to realize that we're no longer the dominate mind on the planet?

Technologically advanced, but with a strict social structure brought on by socialistic trends stamping out any "choice" in how we get our health care, or et cetera?

Or hell, even a technologically advanced but de-industrialised future where we've become one again with the world, and stopped the silly notion that we MUST "engineer" or "augment" ourselves? (My utopia, maybe).

Too much gray area, man.

 

[Saturos]

How about a technologically advanced future where we've undone ourselves by creating the Singularity, prompting us to realize that we're no longer the dominate mind on the planet?

Technologically advanced, but with a strict social structure brought on by socialistic trends stamping out any "choice" in how we get our health care, or et cetera?

Or hell, even a technologically advanced but de-industrialised future where we've become one again with the world, and stopped the silly notion that we MUST "engineer" or "augment" ourselves? (My utopia, maybe).

Too much gray area, man.

aww, your no fun Cheo! I guess I see your point, though I don't think I can edit and add an "other" option after all. Oh well. Just vote for whatever is closest to you liking.

 

[Cheomesh]

aww, your no fun Cheo! I guess I see your point, though I don't think I can edit and add an "other" option after all. Oh well. Just vote for whatever is closest to you liking.

I don't hold it against you. There is no way on earth a poll could actually present a detailed topic such as this.

And I am lots of fun.

...if you're an archaeologist.

 

[Krynn72]

How would the future not have electricity?

 

[Stigmata]

I'm guessing the future will be something like Futurama, but without the omnipresent humor, ridiculousness, and references to pop culture.

 

[Krynn72]

Considering how prominent the internet is getting, I think the omnipresent humor and ridiculousness may actually make it. I hope to god life turns into futurama.

 

[MJ12]

What exactly do you mean by 1984-ish?

An "Orwellian" society.

Orwellian- of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or resembling the literary work of George Orwell or the totalitarian future described in his anti-utopian novel 1984

If you haven't read 1984, you wouldn't really understand. Definately read it.
Then again you are on HL2.net, assuming you've played HL2, it's similar to the atmosphere in City 17.

post-apocolyptic? You mean in the "cyber-punk" sense or in the "Postmaster/MadMax" sense? Cool either way really. Or, not cool if the moral/legality has already begun to deteriorate in the "cyber-punk" fashion of the area in which you live. Then again, people were saying the world was going downhill during WW2 too.:rolling:

I mean in the "the earth is beginning to look like Chernobyl" sense. Although, I have been told that my style of dress sometimes reminds people of what a rebel soldier might wear in a post-apocolyptic Russia or something.

 

[Asuka]

Utopian and Dystopian both will exist. But ill be in the Utopia im just that cool.

 

[Anthraxxx]

combine the first and last choices, and you'll have my view of the future. Sure, I'll be crapping my diapers, but they'll be hi-tech diapers that automatically clean themselves.

 

[Deleted member 56031]

Utopian.

 

[redruM]

I really don't think there will be that much change during my lfetime but Utopia would be cool.

 

[Dog--]

All the best games and movies are in a post-apocalyptic world, so I HOPE it's a dystopia. I hope we all become slaves, because that means we can start a rebellion! That'd be so cool. (If you think I'm joking, you're wrong.)

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

No offence, but the poll is very limited. We may reach a utopian society. Or a dystopian one. It depends on a lot of factors. But I certainly don't believe that the world will be the same as now. I voted for utopian since I hope for that one. Whether or not we find it is another matter.

 

[Kadayi]

That's true today, but we're talking about the future here.

It is fair to say that our present lifestyle in the west is wholly unsustainable in the long term, because we are completely dependent upon a globalised transportation infrastructure built upon a rapidly diminishing energy resource. Even with all the alternative energy ideas that get thrown up, we will never be able to generate the equivalent in energy dollars that we presently expend in present petroleum usage, let alone cater for a larger population. I'm sure there will be some naysayers to that statement, but I recommend you hunt down the documentary 'The End of Suburbia' which covers the problems in depth and points out the flaws in alternative energy thinking.

The other big issue is going to be the impact of global warming, whether it is fact or fiction regarding our contribution to the problem,I'll leave to the Neocons & tree huggers to argue about. What I don't think is in dispute is that the planet is getting progressively hotter and the weather patterns more erratic. This might have an enormous impact in terms of rendering large tracts of land around the equator inhospitable and reducing land suitable for food production. There is an issue of displacement there as well.

With better diet, increased medical knowledge and better sanitation in the western world we've dramatically increased the lifespan of our populations to the point that pretty much every developed nation is grossly over populated (forget immigration being an issue). These high levels of population cannot be maintained in the long term, especially as the globalised transportation infrastructure has a finite future, and most western Countries are dependent upon food from abroad. Very few, if any western countries are able to support their own populations long term when it comes to food production. Without food imports to the UK, we'd probably be eating each other after about 3 - 4 months, that's how fine the line is between civilization and anarchy. Pre-Globalisation population of the UK was about 6 Million, we are about 10 times that now.

Now all of the above might seem quite grim, however after a few die backs in terms of population whether through, War, starvation or pandemics (Avian Flu is going to pass over to Humans eventually ..) things might not necessarily be that bad for the survivors.

 

[Phobie]

I'm guessing the future will be something like Futurama, but without the omnipresent humor, ridiculousness, and references to pop culture.

We can only hope, Dave. We can only hope.

 

[Jerry_111]

The difference between the world I live in today and the world in the
2070's (around the time i probably will die) will be bigger than the difference between the world today and the world back in the late 1930's.

That is, a HUGE difference.

 

[Wanted Bob]

I'm guessing the future will be something like Futurama

Now THATS my kinda Utopia!

 

[Dan]

Well we're definitely heading someplace different, if you look at the rate of change in the world and society and technology. But I don't think it will be dystopian or utopian. It won't be the same though, just different. Oh and not every developed country is over populated. Here in Canada we have land coming out the ying yang. And with warmer climates a lot more of it will become fertile. If the atmosphere has more energy, it is possible that the deserts in Australia and Africa will shrink, exposing more land to make up for the Netherlands drowning.

 

[[Matt]]

Im wondering how far global warming will go... If in the next 100 years the globe warms up enough (around 4c) it could be enough to tip us over the edge and we could be in for an event on the scale of the Permian–Triassic extinction in which around 3 quarters of the worlds species went extinct. This mass extinction hit marine life especially hard with 96% of all marine species simply dying out. Another event like this is within the realms of possibility so i would say we could be in for a very distopian future

 

[Gormanmod]

Utopian, but only after killer war.

 

[Asknoone]

Utopian.

 

[Cheomesh]

Fruitopian.

 

[Stigmata]

Mountain Dewtopian.

 

[Saturos]

Fruitopian.

Fruitopia's are nasty bleh.

Anyways, I'm not surprised at how many of you are so optimistic about the future, and yeah the poll choices are vague, but I was just trying to get a general idea. Never intended for a deep, philisophical debate. Opinions are opinions though.

How would the future not have electricity?

If political and economic infrastructure is non-existent, There will be no one to care for working at power companies. Unless the need for electricity is greater than the workers' self gain anyways. In an anarchy, the people with the biggest guns and the most resources would win, so then only will it become a matter of necessity again. Totalitarian/post-anarchy rule = "You don't provide us with power, you don't eat! and we take your land and your wife!" Don't say it'll never get all "caveman-like" such as this again one day, because ingrained in every human still lies that primitive and selfish "lizardbrain". Humans haven't really been around long enough to negate these instincts truthfully. All civilization learned to this day will go out the window when does our convenience takes the same route. Civilization and government is a smokescreen of the ugly truth imo.

I'm guessing the future will be something like Futurama, but without the omnipresent humor, ridiculousness, and references to pop culture.

I like Futurama too, but that's talking more into 1000 years form now as they live on a terraformed Mars, so not likely imo, and flying cars? no way in hell will that ever be practical in even Saturos the XVIII's lifetime. Technology evolves around practicality and efficiency. Stuff like that as well as "Mobile Suit Gaundam-esque" mechs are not really practical or efficient in the forseeable future. Neither are inter-stellar races as we will probably become extinct never knowing whether or not if we are "alone" out there. We will die off as a lonely race.

It is fair to say that our present lifestyle in the west is wholly unsustainable in the long term, because we are completely dependent upon a globalised transportation infrastructure built upon a rapidly diminishing energy resource. Even with all the alternative energy ideas that get thrown up, we will never be able to generate the equivalent in energy dollars that we presently expend in present petroleum usage, let alone cater for a larger population. I'm sure there will be some naysayers to that statement, but I recommend you hunt down the documentary 'The End of Suburbia' which covers the problems in depth and points out the flaws in alternative energy thinking.

Hmm, give me some more time to read this article, sounds interesting.

 

[Operational]

I am a utopian, to some degree. While I believe technology and science will allow us to cure most diseases, increase life expectancy, and provide many wonders that we can only hypothesise about today, I don't think that people as a collective will reach some sort of state of political and/or moral enlightenment. Things are just too complicated for that.

I pretty much think this. I believe that Science and Technology will be able to solve a lot of world issues and increase everyone's quality of life.
The problem is people, we have baggage that may not go away no matter how well we end up living. And then there are people on a more individual scale, we already do retarded things in the name of beauty or acceptance or whatever, the extremes of which are only going to get worse.
Having said that I did vote utopian.

 

[15357]

In the grim darkness of the far future there is only war.

 

[Gormanmod]

bah, stop being so pessimistic.

 

[Saturos]

bah, stop being so pessimistic.

I myself hope for the best, expect the worst. That way you won't set yourself up for dissapointment :thumbs:

 

[Danimal]

It better be Tex Murphey-esque.

Otherwise people die.