What is the next technological breakthrough in our lifetime? (by 2062)

[dainthomas]

fusion.

Unless this is developed, our current civilization will slowly but inevitably start to disintegrate once oil production really starts going down. So I hope you're right.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Need a breakthrough in battery tech + gas

This. Current electric cars are still a joke. The Nissan Leaf is impractical with its ~80 mile range (less if you drive it in cold or hot weather and need to use the climate control system), not enough for many commuters. The Volt is maybe even more embarrassing, being expensive and getting very little range out of its batteries before the engine kicks in.

The highest end Tesla Model S can theoretically get up to 300 miles on a charge, which is closer to what a gasoline-engine car can get, but it costs a ton.

 

[IcePickFreak]

1. Self driven cars, how would they handle the mess that is driving in the wintery north. Or when some little twirp figures out how to hack the massive network where all vehicles are connected and thinks it would be funny to change some stuff?

2. Additive manufacturing. I couldn't imagine the mess the DRM would be for that.


My prediction, probably quantum computer or some other form of advanced computing. Something that would truly be a huge advancement at this point, IMO, would take longer than 50 years just for a reasonable terms of service/use and federal laws to be set just so that it can actually have a big impact on the general population.

 

[Matthiasa]

Probably the total regrowing of all internal organs.
Something to keep the mind sharp would also be nice, but might be asking to much.
Or some for cyberization if the last one turns out to be a dead end.
Most likely optical computers.
Maybe functioning high qubit quantum computers, but only maybe.
Extended lifetimes most likely as well, but until the mental issues, brain deterioration, are worked out there isn't much point.

A cure to a wide range of genetic disorders would also be nice, but again may be asking to much.

Wireless electricity would be amazing.

How do you think transformers, ac motors, capacitors, etc. work?
And that is just counting the really old stuff.

 

[AstroManLuca]

DNA tagging of socks. Socks will automatically pair up in the dryer.

Memory fabrics will allow for shirts that turn themselves inside right.

I like the sock idea

I do think reversible clothing is made though. Although it's probably a lot more expensive.

 

[Beev]

How do you think transformers, ac motors, capacitors, etc. work?
And that is just counting the really old stuff.

Come on. You know what I meant . Stuff like TVs and computers. Small stuff.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I'm thinking home automation, though I don't know if that would really be considered a breakthrough. Most of it is simple, and would just use existing technologies, it's just the thing of putting it all together.

But I think it will get to a point where all home appliances, even stuff like blinds will have ports to connect to a central system to control it. In fact I don't get why it's not already like this. :awe:

One thing I'd really like to see is a break through in energy storage. Whether it's a battery type, or perhaps some kind of renewable gas that can be stored and can pack a big punch. Think hydrogen, but something that has more energy per volume.

The issue with anything energy though is the oil industry will put an end to any breakthroughs unless they can control it.

 

[Matthiasa]

Come on. You know what I meant . Stuff like TVs and computers. Small stuff.

But really, Efficiency issues might put a stop to using it for things like those.
Wires are just so much more efficient over distance, and if we ever get room temperature superconducting even more so.
There would definitely be a convenience about it though.

 

[Doppel]

Substantial automation to transportation; self-driving cars. Not kidding.

 

[Anonemous]

Cure to cancer followed by zombies/walking dead.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Substantial automation to transportation; self-driving cars. Not kidding.

Google has done it, I could see it plausible as an everyday thing. The biggest barrier is safety in case something goes wrong, but like anything new, there are always concerns.

Imagine stuff like delivery trucks being automated. It's not like the driver actually knocks at a house anyway. They could just have this little vehicle that goes up to put the sticky note on all the doors. :biggrin:

 

[KLin]

reusable energy sources that will eliminate the world's reliance on fossil fuels.

 

[Exterous]

I am going to say the low cost mass production of carbon nanotubes will be the new plastic

My predictions, guaranteed to be wrong in 40 years:

• We'll view the cancer treatment of today much the same way we view leeching now. Treatments will be better targeted and tailored to the root cause of the particular type of cancer (this is already happening with breast cancer).

And how we do surgery now. "Wait - you actually cut someone open??!!"

 

[SagaLore]

I think we will figure out anti-gravity.

Once that happens, we're going to see all sorts of new propulsion technologies created, and may make space travel a reality.

 

[Jadow]

better quality toilet paper

one day the top of the line TP will be a dream, and the crappy stuff they put in gas stations, stores, etc... will be like cottenelle today.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

carbon

 

[IronWing]

carbon

Isn't that a Marty Robbins song?

Carbon..Carbon...Carbom...
Tonight I am aching, my body is shaking
Tonight Carbon's coming back home
Tonight there'll be no room for tears in my bedroom
Tonight Carbon's coming back home.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

Isn't that a Marty Robbins song?

Carbon..Carbon...Carbom...
Tonight I am aching, my body is shaking
Tonight Carbon's coming back home
Tonight there'll be no room for tears in my bedroom
Tonight Carbon's coming back home.

homie, please

 

[SillyOReilly]

Cloning for sex slaves.
I'd like to order one adult Laetitia Casta and one Kate Beckinsale please.

 

[SillyOReilly]

A talking realdoll.

WTF would you want that?

So you can make it cry a little while you do it?

So she can tell you she has a headache.

 

[SKORPI0]

Cloning for sex slaves.
I'd like to order one adult Laetitia Casta and one Kate Beckinsale please.

But you'll have to wait 18 years for them to mature.... :hmm:

 

[Juddog]

I don't think something like this will come to pass. At least not in the near future. People, imo, don't want cars that drive themselves. You have to consider a good amount of people enjoy driving. Cars that drive themselves would be contested greatly. Not to mention I doubt many people would put their faith into something like that so easily.

Maybe cars with the option to drive themselves but even then I don't see it. There's just too much to factor in a driving situation for a computer to respond to. Driving requires a lot of parrallel processing that brains are good at (minus human stupidity) unlike most CPUs which are good at linear processing.

People do want cars that will drive themselves, to avoid getting pulled over for DUI, DWI, etc.. I would rather have an automated driver than a drunk one any day of the week.

Regarding the "too much information" bit, I think that isn't the case. When you have technology like the Microsoft Kinect, combined with the incredibly fast CPU's of today, we already have the technological potential to make a car that will drive better than 99% of the population. The computation is there, with today's technology, to make this happen, and make it happen in a safe way.

Look at many of the recent technologies regarding cars, for example antilock breaking. No human could break that fast - it's just not possible. The car controls the breaking to allow for better breaking when it detects that traction is lost.

In the same fashion, as the AI gets better and better each generation, the car's ability to react becomes quicker than the human eye can even detect. You have the potential to have the equivalent of a race car driver in every car that never blinks, never gets tired, never had too much to drink, never got too distracted on their cellphone, etc..

Automated cars need to happen, and the sooner it happens the better. There are literally more people that die every year from drunk driving than the terrorist attack from 9/11. Innocent people, people with bright futures, their lives extinguished because of some a$$hole who decided he thought he was sober enough to drive.

Yes, I do see this coming. Not just cars driving themselves, but communicating with the other cars in almost real time, tracking trajectories, as well as avoiding obstacles. All while maintaining very high speeds. It could cut commute times down by 70-80% and injury/death rates on the road by 99%. Because cars could safely travel with extremely close following distances, and because almost no fuel would be wasted with "stop go" type traffic .... fuel economy would rise significantly as well...

Now we just need to start worrying about the Chinese autocar virus of 2044 which will make all autocars worldwide stall out and require bribe money to go to China.

The communication is essential. When the driving grid becomes "smart", then traffic congestion diminishes greatly. Not only does congestion diminish, but it also increases safety because you don't have traffic moving at 65 mph and then suddenly have to slam on the breaks because there is gridlock. Fuel efficiency is a big ++ as well, like you mentioned.

Yeah.
There'll probably be a day when the idea of driving a car yourself is just stupid and crazy.

"The car can begin to react to a problem in less than a microsecond. Are you nuts??"

Exactly - no human can react with sub-ms response time and have the car obey their wishes at the same time. No matter how fast one can think, the actual impulse to hit the breaks, or turn the wheel, etc. has a "lag time" since your brain has to issue the command, which then has to travel to the arm / leg / hand / foot to actually perform the action.

The automated car thing is very hard to predict because it won't be an "all-or-nothing" thing. Some people will want to drive, and you don't want people on the road who have never driven before. What happens if the automation breaks? Is someone who doesn't know how to drive stranded?

I would say the first step for automated vehicles is to mandate that when any car gets on a highway, the automatic driving takes over. This would control speeds (with everyone going the same speed, the "speed limit" would be able to increase). Also, traffic jams would no longer be a problem because cars would communicate with each other.

I don't see this happening in the next 50 years though.

Not in the next 50 years? It's already in the works right now!

Think about it - the big advantage of computers right now is not just that they're fast, but also that they're lower powered and combined with technology like SSD's, you can allow for an in-car computer that doesn't have to worry about bumps making the hard drive get messed up, etc..

Google has had it's self-driving car on the road in California for a while now, and BMW is also working on an AI-assisted driving computer that is becoming better and better.

While it's true that some people will always want to drive, the self-driving cars will first start off with the quick adopters, the people with more money to blow. Once the poor folks see the fancy cars driving themselves, they'll want one too. That technology will trickle down to the masses and become more and more common, eventually more and more people will want it as they see the advantages of it. The laws for the technology will adapt, and the technology will mature and become more and more safe.

At the half century mark, we'll be dealing with cars that drive safer than the vast majority of the population. Not getting a car with AI will be considered "stupid" or backwards, eventually it will become the norm.

 

[Train]

People may be surprised to know Google has had cars driving themselves up and down the PCH for a couple years now. A professional driver behind the wheel ready to take over at any time though. An engineer with a laptop in the passenger seat analyzing the data in real time.

EDIT: Juddog beat me to it

 

[sdifox]

I can't wait for the smart highway to take over the driving.

 

[njdevilsfan87]

The technological singularity.