Future history.

[GeorgeOP]

"You mean to say people really fought against stem cell research? Did they like dying young? No wonder they made that barely effective junk medicine for everyone instead of the obviously better personally custom-tailored remedies of today."

"You mean people actually used stem cells in the early 21st centry? Did they also believe in phlebotomy (blood-letting) and phrenology (the study of head bumps)? What a backward people."

Religion did not cause the "Dark Ages". It was caused by the collapse of Rome as a unifying government. Religion simply stepped into the void, but wasn't big enough to fill it. If it wasn't for religious teachings and studies, the renaissance wouldn't have happened.

What aliens? If they are out there, why arent they here? This backwater part of the galaxy is WAY down the list in the timeframe of stars. Yet given our on propensities (and given our survival) a mere 100,000 years would have us all over this galaxy.

Since the chance of life on a planet are so small, isn't it just as likely the other inhabitted planets are younger then our own? Isn't there also a chance that we've had a few lucky breaks to jump our civilization forward? Wars tend to make smart people work together to push ideas forward, so you could say that a more "enlightened" species might not have had the leap in technology we are currently on. (think WWII and Cold War) Traveling to space got started because German scientists thought of a new weapon and Russia and US wanted to race to do all the firsts.

 

[Sahkuhnder]

"You mean people actually used stem cells in the early 21st centry? Did they also believe in phlebotomy (blood-letting) and phrenology (the study of head bumps)? What a backward people."

Good one. But I did say stem cell research. I like people who research ways to keep us all alive longer and it has already lead to several promising cures. But you're right, by then there will probably be something even better. Maybe a DNA treatment before birth to prevent diseases altogether?

What aliens? If they are out there, why arent they here?

Because they did some monitoring of the Civfanatics OT and decided it might be best not to get tangled up with beings like us.

 

[Plotinus]

You know about W's personal connection with God? Where do you hear such knowledge?

I didn't say I know - I used the word "questionable" - but I can infer on the basis of what he says in his speeches, of course.

 

[Veritass]

In 2057, the first major advances in generating small-scale fusion power are successful. Over the next ten years the technology is advanced to where the home fusion power source is a reality. This seems to portend an end to world water shortages (through desalination) and thus food shortages, and heralds the start of a golden age of mankind.

The technology is fought by the global warming crowd, who contend that the fossil fuels caused global warming through the indirect method of greenhouse gasses, while this new technology just directly warms the entire earth.

The point becomes moot because there are now over 15,000 assorted terrorist organizations around the world. The terrorists quickly figure out that the energy released by a home fusion unit can easily be scaled to slice targeted buildings in half and kill large numbers of people. The ensuing "fusion wars" reduce the populations of Europe, Asia, and the Americas to approximately 1/100th of what they were. The resulting famines and pestilence then reduce the populations to 1/100th of that.

The resulting 600,000 people left alive on the planet do, however, eventually unite and put aside their differences, but it takes this level of destruction before they do. The United Nations is re-formed as the United Peoples, as the concept of nations is dissolved.

On a side note, in 2064, one Victor "the Victorious" Vellum of Nova Scotia makes a startling leap in time travel and develops a time machine built in the body of an old Daewoo car. He travels back exactly one year in time, but he neglects to factor in the requisite space travel. He zaps back and finds himself floating in the vacuum of space in a location where the Earth will be in exactly one earth year. His writing are never located, as his apartment burns down when the coffee machine he left on overheats.

 

[onejayhawk]

Since the chance of life on a planet are so small, isn't it just as likely the other inhabitted planets are younger then our own?

ALL of them? Doubtful.

Here is the problem. If life is vanishingly improbable, then there is a valid reson to believe that we lucked out. We are here after all, or at least I am.

But if you have another form of intelligent life, its like the proverbial potato chip: you cant stop at one, you have to keep going. The universe is large, and old. The age wins over the size. If there is anyone out there, they would be here, or at least close enough to hear.

J

 

[onejayhawk]

Because they did some monitoring of the Civfanatics OT and decided it might be best not to get tangled up with beings like us.

Having met a mod face to face, I am inclined to agree.

J

 

[Secular]

My suggestion, read David Drakes short story "A Nation Without Walls." That looks about right.