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7. Future Technologies (Part 2)
Part 1: 1-
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8. Blaze
Designed to save lives of cyclists on the road, Blaze is a student imagined piece of tech that is attached to the front of a bicycle and then on busy road, projects a laser image onto the ground. This is supposedly meant to let other motor vehicle drivers know that cyclists are there before meeting on the road, preventing accidents and promoting awareness for those who have been lost on the roads. A great and simple idea that should be marketed immediately.
Let’s assess the other side of the problem though, namely careless drivers who don’t look properly before manoeuvring their vehicles. I have no doubt that this device will make people more aware of their actions, but if some drivers were a little more careful perhaps in the first place – many lives would be saved. Oh, and I know that helmets look stupid, but they stop your brain rattling around in your head after being struck hard by something. A car for example.
It’s quite poor of this society that things have to be invented as a result of human stupidity, but if we need help in staying alive, so be it.
Let’s assess the other side of the problem though, namely careless drivers who don’t look properly before manoeuvring their vehicles. I have no doubt that this device will make people more aware of their actions, but if some drivers were a little more careful perhaps in the first place – many lives would be saved. Oh, and I know that helmets look stupid, but they stop your brain rattling around in your head after being struck hard by something. A car for example.
It’s quite poor of this society that things have to be invented as a result of human stupidity, but if we need help in staying alive, so be it.
9. The Air Car Project
Finally! Flying cars have been announced!!
Those awesome individuals at Trek Aerospace have announced that after the success of commercial flying devices such as the Parrott (iPhone controlled remote control flying machine) and their own Springtail Exoskeleton Flying Vehicle, (catchy name huh?) they are going to begin assembling and testing a machine they claim will be a run by a fuel/electric powered engine. Not only will there be flying cars in our future, but they will be hybrids ladies and gentlemen!
As I understand it, their previous flying contraption looked and operated like a four propeller Hoverbike extension.
So will our streets outside look like those in the Fifth Element or Back to the Future Part II? Being that everyone seems to want to spread their technological wings lately, I know that we’ll be enjoying the sky roads pretty darn soon. Enjoy being grounded while it lasts, dear readers.
Those awesome individuals at Trek Aerospace have announced that after the success of commercial flying devices such as the Parrott (iPhone controlled remote control flying machine) and their own Springtail Exoskeleton Flying Vehicle, (catchy name huh?) they are going to begin assembling and testing a machine they claim will be a run by a fuel/electric powered engine. Not only will there be flying cars in our future, but they will be hybrids ladies and gentlemen!
As I understand it, their previous flying contraption looked and operated like a four propeller Hoverbike extension.
So will our streets outside look like those in the Fifth Element or Back to the Future Part II? Being that everyone seems to want to spread their technological wings lately, I know that we’ll be enjoying the sky roads pretty darn soon. Enjoy being grounded while it lasts, dear readers.
10. The Concept Plane
The Paris Air Show earlier on this year was the set of a grand unveiling by Eads Innovation Works. Primarily working in aeronautics, the company announced their new concept plane (dubbed ‘Zehst’) and reported that they would be able to solve some problems to do with the combination of comfort and speed.
You see, when planes go faster they will inevitably need a larger engine, which means more noise or ‘air pollution’ as the environmentalists call it and more degradation of environments in higher altitudes. Think what happens when a space rocket takes off and how massive the explosion looks like when it comes out of the bottom exhaust funnels.
The folks at Eads have said that their plane will be a commercial flyer and as well as taking care of the previous problems – it will be able to get from London to Tokyo in two hours as opposed to the normal flight time of ten to twelve hours. The longest flight I’ve been on is one over the Atlantic to Colorado in the States, which took fourteen hours as I remember it. It was the most boring and annoying thing I have ever done, but the end result of being surrounded by American snow for Christmas was definitely worth it.
Most certainly something I can get on board. No pun intended.
11. Cultured Meat
Unfortunately we as a population are increasing too fast and eating too much. Not necessarily a bad thing, until you think about the costs of more animal farming, the environmental cost of depleting food sources, the amount of endangered species in the ocean (BAD, especially since 80% of our oxygen comes from the oceans) and the ethical treatment of slaughtered animals. This is really not a good thing I suppose.
Cultured meat or In-Vitro meat as it is supposed to be called; is flesh of animals that is grown in a laboratory. It has never been part of a live animal, so the ethics of clones and their potential treatment won’t come into it. The animal won’t have to go through a horrific death, and it will leave all of the live animals to re-populate themselves to keep up with us. Eventually this theoretical process will be that we can just simply grow our meat whenever we need it. The next step of course if this is successful, is to grow organs for human being who need them – but let’s not get into that one right now.
I know it sounds quite disgusting, but the positive aspect of this is being able to feed the starving across the world without depleting our livestock in the process. One day, when most of the animals do become extinct (and they will judging by how fast our population is increasing) this process will be the only way to feed ourselves.
At the moment again, this is only theoretical. Think back to Dolly the sheep though, so cloning is definitely possible in this day and age. I look forward to thinking whether chicken will still taste like chicken..
12. Wireless Energy Transfer
Here is something amazing – because it solves the problem of my mother tripping over my laptop cord when she goes into the kitchen. After unrepeatable swearing from her, I realise that every time it happens that not only is it annoying my mother, but my laptop charger is also at risk of being damaged.
So since I’ve heard of this new technology idea, I’ve been very excited.
Wireless energy transfer is going to be the act of switching on the power in our homes, and not needing a cord or batteries to power our electrical gadgetry. I’m not sure entirely sure how this would work, but it sounds marvellous does it not?
Yet the word ‘wireless’ puts me off. I’ve already had enough problems with my broadband Internet thank you very much, I know that I’m going to be ringing up someone at Scottish Power and complaining for relatively the same problem. It’ll be like Déjà-Vu for me.
13. Artificial Intelligence
The scariest one on the list. Science fiction novels have warned us, as has Morpheus from the Matrix – but this is a reality people. Machines have already been programmed to learn and retain information at a level that could almost mimic the human brain.
Will machines have souls? Could we transfer our consciousness to machines and live forever? Will machines see us as obsolete and dispose of us? Lots of questions, but very few answers exist at the moment to settle our minds.
All that is known is that A.I. would make things safer for us at the moment, especially machines that could operate for the military. Sending in self-aware drones could save lives, or end them if you’re thinking of the other side – but it could create a lot of problems too.
However the world’s scientific minds decide to solve this debate, I guess we’ll have to trust their judgement. It is up to us however, whether we decide to think for ourselves – or let the toaster make our decisions for us in the future.
You see, when planes go faster they will inevitably need a larger engine, which means more noise or ‘air pollution’ as the environmentalists call it and more degradation of environments in higher altitudes. Think what happens when a space rocket takes off and how massive the explosion looks like when it comes out of the bottom exhaust funnels.
The folks at Eads have said that their plane will be a commercial flyer and as well as taking care of the previous problems – it will be able to get from London to Tokyo in two hours as opposed to the normal flight time of ten to twelve hours. The longest flight I’ve been on is one over the Atlantic to Colorado in the States, which took fourteen hours as I remember it. It was the most boring and annoying thing I have ever done, but the end result of being surrounded by American snow for Christmas was definitely worth it.
Most certainly something I can get on board. No pun intended.
11. Cultured Meat
Unfortunately we as a population are increasing too fast and eating too much. Not necessarily a bad thing, until you think about the costs of more animal farming, the environmental cost of depleting food sources, the amount of endangered species in the ocean (BAD, especially since 80% of our oxygen comes from the oceans) and the ethical treatment of slaughtered animals. This is really not a good thing I suppose.
Cultured meat or In-
I know it sounds quite disgusting, but the positive aspect of this is being able to feed the starving across the world without depleting our livestock in the process. One day, when most of the animals do become extinct (and they will judging by how fast our population is increasing) this process will be the only way to feed ourselves.
At the moment again, this is only theoretical. Think back to Dolly the sheep though, so cloning is definitely possible in this day and age. I look forward to thinking whether chicken will still taste like chicken..
12. Wireless Energy Transfer
Here is something amazing – because it solves the problem of my mother tripping over my laptop cord when she goes into the kitchen. After unrepeatable swearing from her, I realise that every time it happens that not only is it annoying my mother, but my laptop charger is also at risk of being damaged.
So since I’ve heard of this new technology idea, I’ve been very excited.
Wireless energy transfer is going to be the act of switching on the power in our homes, and not needing a cord or batteries to power our electrical gadgetry. I’m not sure entirely sure how this would work, but it sounds marvellous does it not?
Yet the word ‘wireless’ puts me off. I’ve already had enough problems with my broadband Internet thank you very much, I know that I’m going to be ringing up someone at Scottish Power and complaining for relatively the same problem. It’ll be like Déjà-
13. Artificial Intelligence
The scariest one on the list. Science fiction novels have warned us, as has Morpheus from the Matrix – but this is a reality people. Machines have already been programmed to learn and retain information at a level that could almost mimic the human brain.
Will machines have souls? Could we transfer our consciousness to machines and live forever? Will machines see us as obsolete and dispose of us? Lots of questions, but very few answers exist at the moment to settle our minds.
All that is known is that A.I. would make things safer for us at the moment, especially machines that could operate for the military. Sending in self-
However the world’s scientific minds decide to solve this debate, I guess we’ll have to trust their judgement. It is up to us however, whether we decide to think for ourselves – or let the toaster make our decisions for us in the future.
Penny Glen Investigates