One way time travel: a poll

I tend to think exactly the opposite—that the change is accelerating faster and faster. I think 2100 will be even more alien to us than now would be to someone from 1900.

I disagree. Think back to 1990. What in our life has changed qualitatively since then? Cell phones? Not widespread then, but I daresay most of us who were there knew what they were. Internet? E-mail? Same story. I cannot think of any technology that would be completely alien and inexplicable to me if I were to have been thrown from 1990 (or, if I were really technologically knowledgable, even 1970! After all, cell phones are just new and improved two-way multi-band radios; Internet is the logical extension of ARPANET, etc…) to today.

Granted, during much of the 20[sup]th[/sup] century prgress was extremely rapid – but IMHO this has slowed down considerably in the past 20-30 years. And that period of rapid progress should be seen as an anomaly rather than as the norm.

YMMV, of course.

Unless of course Nano Technology changes everything the same way electricity and the ICE engines did.

Jim

I think it just seems slower because you lived through it.

I would be a little hesitant, but could possibly agree. I would pick the near future though. A 30-50 years jump, maybe. Long enough for some interesting changes and novelties, short enough to not be a completely alien environment to me.

OTOH, I’m likely to live to actually see this era, so my choice is perhaps a little timid. Anyway, I wouldn’t make a jump longer than 100 years.