Has Civilization Reached a Plateau?

[Old Rocks]

Tech has been a disaster in many ways as well. Like how an EMP could cause the weak American sheep to go into chaos and start killing themselves/each other because the narcissists cant check their fuckin facebook.

Harley, EMP is nothing new. The Carrington event of 1859 would probably set us back a decade.

A Perfect Solar Superstorm: The 1859 Carrington Event - History in the Headlines

 

[Old Rocks]

If things are constantly getting improved, isn't that progress?

Improvement is progress, but it's not innovation. I look at the plethora of new inventions my grandparents saw introduced that made their lives simpler and easier. I can only think of a few in tha past 50 years.

LOL. And I believe you, Weatherman. You are only capable of thinking of a few. That is your ignorance on display.

 

[Moonglow]

Technology changes, but the human psyche is stuck in dumb-ass mode....

 

[Old Rocks]

I think we have here in the United states. we are now outnumberd by people who has no morals, honor and pride is something they only brag about when they can step on another person or win an election by nothing but dirty politics.

. Just look at the Progressive/ democrat PARTY and their cult followers

Oh can your silly partisan whines, Staph, go roll somewhere.

 

[Old Rocks]

Now with the insults. sigh.

B2 stealth bomber. seedless watermelon. ABS, Drones..........OK enjoy your upper tier.

Yes! Seedless watermelon!

LOL. Love it. I can remember the first time I saw a watermelon for sale in February. Paid a princes ransom for it, wrapped it in a bow, and gave it to my wife for Valentines Day. Now don't try to tell me we have not made advancements.

 

[IsaacNewton]

In the late 1800's my grandmother was brought to the west in a wagon. She passed in 1975. As she lived her life she saw electricity move into the house, along with telephones, radios, TV's, air conditioning, forced air heating, refrigerators, gas stoves, and microwave ovens. Even home computers were starting to be introduced. Outside she saw automobiles, airplanes be introduced as well as men walking on the moon.

In my life I cannot think of many life technological introductions as I get up in years that are true life changers. We have smart phones, which we use to send pictures of cats with and text while driving. We have some noninvasive medical diagnostic devices. We have internet that is primarily used for pornography and ordering Christmas gifts. But pretty much everything is just a faster and improved version of what already existed 50 years ago. Cars are still cars, planes just fly faster and further, my TV gets Netflix but it's still a TV. But today America can't get a man into space, I will be lucky to obtain the lifespan of my grandparents, our education system vs what kids were learning a century ago is pathetic, roads and bridges take 10x longer to build, etc etc. There have been very few life changing technologies introduced in the last 50 years.

I think humanity hit a ceiling sometime around 1970.
What say you?

Progress isn't linear in general. It goes in starts and fits and sometimes a design is the best form possible for its purpose.

The wheel was invented thousands of years ago, but who has improved on a round wheel? They are made of steel or aluminum now, and attach differently than they used to but they are still round. It was the best solution, period. Until the aircraft was invented probably. But for ground travel a wheel 2000 years ago served exactly the same function as today.

Hand-canons, the precursor to pistols and muskets, were around in the 12th century. It took 500 years or more to get to a rifled barrel and a true modern rifle. Along with this, the musket ball took longer to be replaced by a cartridge and bullet.

The pace of invention and improvement in the last 150 years has skyrocketed and many of the forms of inventions has stabilized at the near-best iteration. Assault weapons for war haven't changed much at all in 60 years. The internal combustion engine also hasn't changed much in general.

So the next jumps in technology will be slower coming and will be very large jumps. We'll likely figure out plasma energy at some point in the near future. We've already 'transported' particles from one location to another. Computing power is poised to take one or more quantum leaps.

Long story short (well long story long at this point lol), there is no 'steady advance of technology and progress'. In the long run yes, but in the relative short term no.

Consider humans were making campfires 800,000 years ago at least. When was fire first used to forge metals? Or glass? A few thousand years ago.

 

[Weatherman2020]

If things are constantly getting improved, isn't that progress?

Improvement is progress, but it's not innovation. I look at the plethora of new inventions my grandparents saw introduced that made their lives simpler and easier. I can only think of a few in tha past 50 years.

LOL. And I believe you, Weatherman. You are only capable of thinking of a few. That is your ignorance on display.

Up to 2nd grade playground debate skills now, congratulations.

 

[OldLady]

In the late 1800's my grandmother was brought to the west in a wagon. She passed in 1975. As she lived her life she saw electricity move into the house, along with telephones, radios, TV's, air conditioning, forced air heating, refrigerators, gas stoves, and microwave ovens. Even home computers were starting to be introduced. Outside she saw automobiles, airplanes be introduced as well as men walking on the moon.

In my life I cannot think of many life technological introductions as I get up in years that are true life changers. We have smart phones, which we use to send pictures of cats with and text while driving. We have some noninvasive medical diagnostic devices. We have internet that is primarily used for pornography and ordering Christmas gifts. But pretty much everything is just a faster and improved version of what already existed 50 years ago. Cars are still cars, planes just fly faster and further, my TV gets Netflix but it's still a TV. But today America can't get a man into space, I will be lucky to obtain the lifespan of my grandparents, our education system vs what kids were learning a century ago is pathetic, roads and bridges take 10x longer to build, etc etc. There have been very few life changing technologies introduced in the last 50 years.

I think humanity hit a ceiling sometime around 1970.
What say you?

Umm...

The Internet is arguably the single most important "life changing technology" in history.

Maybe in my lifetime. But nothing compared to getting a refrigerator, car or air conditioner for the first time. Or getting on an airplane to fly to Europe instead of a voyage by ship.

Weatherman, explore the Internet more. It may not impress you, but maybe you will find something to cheer you up. I'll bet your gram was a cool ole bird. Mine, too, but she never did adjust to skirts above mid-calf. Now it's our turn to stay abreast and wonder...

 

[IsaacNewton]

In the late 1800's my grandmother was brought to the west in a wagon. She passed in 1975. As she lived her life she saw electricity move into the house, along with telephones, radios, TV's, air conditioning, forced air heating, refrigerators, gas stoves, and microwave ovens. Even home computers were starting to be introduced. Outside she saw automobiles, airplanes be introduced as well as men walking on the moon.

In my life I cannot think of many life technological introductions as I get up in years that are true life changers. We have smart phones, which we use to send pictures of cats with and text while driving. We have some noninvasive medical diagnostic devices. We have internet that is primarily used for pornography and ordering Christmas gifts. But pretty much everything is just a faster and improved version of what already existed 50 years ago. Cars are still cars, planes just fly faster and further, my TV gets Netflix but it's still a TV. But today America can't get a man into space, I will be lucky to obtain the lifespan of my grandparents, our education system vs what kids were learning a century ago is pathetic, roads and bridges take 10x longer to build, etc etc. There have been very few life changing technologies introduced in the last 50 years.

I think humanity hit a ceiling sometime around 1970.
What say you?

Progress isn't linear in general. It goes in starts and fits and sometimes a design is the best form possible for its purpose.

The wheel was invented thousands of years ago, but who has improved on a round wheel? They are made of steel or aluminum now, and attach differently than they used to but they are still round. It was the best solution, period. Until the aircraft was invented probably. But for ground travel a wheel 2000 years ago served exactly the same function as today.

Hand-canons, the precursor to pistols and muskets, were around in the 12th century. It took 500 years or more to get to a rifled barrel and a true modern rifle. Along with this, the musket ball took longer to be replaced by a cartridge and bullet.

The pace of invention and improvement in the last 150 years has skyrocketed and many of the forms of inventions has stabilized at the near-best iteration. Assault weapons for war haven't changed much at all in 60 years. The internal combustion engine also hasn't changed much in general.

So the next jumps in technology will be slower coming and will be very large jumps. We'll likely figure out plasma energy at some point in the near future. We've already 'transported' particles from one location to another. Computing power is poised to take one or more quantum leaps.

Long story short (well long story long at this point lol), there is no 'steady advance of technology and progress'. In the long run yes, but in the relative short term no.

Consider humans were making campfires 800,000 years ago at least. When was fire first used to forge metals? Or glass? A few thousand years ago.

Humans have been around 100-250k years. Human like creatures for 2-6 million years. Best to clarify.

 

[I amso IR]

Humans have been around forever. Every time civilization destroys itself, mother earth provides the green goo for it to recreate life. As long as we kill ourselves off, Mom will see to it we come back. It only takes a few million years for that to happen and earth has been around an estimated 14 to 16 billion. Why have we not found the evidence? A couple of million years destroys it all, give or take and we are dealing in billions. That is an entire sack full of millions give or take a couple. With our attempts at solving the Artificial Intelligence (AI) problems the end will soon be in sight. There are two types of people who support AI, those who have not felt real pain and those who have and want to get even. So sit tight, progress is slow in coming, as Issac Newton said above, but it is coming and all will die again, because of it. Smell the roses while you can and by all means continue playing those war/hate games on your high speed, hi definition computers.