What the future may bring...

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Got an email yesterday (mostly meant as a humorous piece) but it points out a few generational differences between the College freshman class of today and older generations. It made me think about some of the things that we consider a part of our lives which future generations may not even know about. What do you think? What does the future look like?

Below are the email (partial) I got and a few of my thoughts, would love to see what others think.

>> Just in case you weren’t feeling too old today, this will certainly
change
>> things. Each year the staff at Beloit College in Wisconsin puts together a
>> list to try to give the faculty a sense of the mindset of that year’s
>> incoming freshmen.
>>
>> Here is this year’s list:
>>
>> The people who are starting college this fall across the nation were born
>> in 1982.
>>
>> They have no meaningful recollection of the Reagan Era and probably did
>> not know he had ever been shot.
>>
>> They were prepubescent when the Persian Gulf War was waged.
>>
>> Black Monday 1987 is as significant to them as the Great Depression.
>>
>> There has been only one Pope.
>>
>> They were 11 when the Soviet Union broke apart and do not remember the
>> Cold War.
>>
>> They have never feared a nuclear war.
>>
>> They are too young to remember the space shuttle blowing up.
>>
>> Tianamen Square means nothing to them.
>>
>>
>> Most have never seen a TV set with only 13 channels, nor have they seen a
>> black-and-white TV.
>>
>> They have always had cable.
>>
>> There have always been VCRs, but they have no idea what BETA is.
>>
>> They cannot fathom not having a remote control.
>>
>>
>> They do not care who shot J.R. and have no idea who J.R. is.
>>
>> The Titanic was found? They thought we always knew where it was.
>>
>> Michael Jackson has always been white.
>>
>> Kansas, Chicago, Boston, America, and Alabama are places, not groups.
>>
>> McDonalds never came in Styrofoam containers.
>>
>> There has always been MTV.
>>
>> They don’t have a clue how to use a typewriter.
>>
>> Do you feel old yet? pass this on to the other old fogies.

A few of my thoughts on Future Generations:

They will not recognize a “keyboard” since all the inputs to computers will be either voice or direct brain/computer links.

They will not know what a “car” is since they will all use the PerTransU (Personal Transportation Units) which include Ground, Air and Water transportation.

They will not recognize a “Hamburger”, because by then all unhealthy food will be illegal

They will never know that a cigarette is

They will not understand what we mean by “PC” or “Mac” since computing will be part of everything

They will not ever see a supermarket, since all food will be delivered (automatically ordered by refrigerator and cupboards, which are wired to the internet)

etc, etc.

2

Oh, and for the truly sinical:

Future Generations will not know what {insert country name} is since we will have a “One World” Government

3

These e-mails aways bother me. Summing up the entire scope of knowledge of an entire generation is offensive at best. The one that came out my senior year in high school said that I wouldn’t remember the Berlin wall falling down or Teinenman (sp? I’m on lunch) Square. I cried watching the news during both of those incidents, so I’d say I had a pretty good memory of them.

4

Gosh, I wish this would happen in the future (heck, now for that matter), sadly though, BIG BUSINESS still runs the world, and until they can think of how they can profit from your predictions, I doubt these will go away :frowning:
sigh In a perfect world… (insert comment here).

5

SwimmingRiddles, I think this should be seen for it’s more humorous side (at least that’s the way I look at it). It may be fun to think about things which will change so much in such a short time. Like my parents generation would have never thought (30 years ago) that their children and grandchildren would be able to look up the family tree on a machine located in their very house, connected to thousands, no millions, of other machines… I doubt very much an entire generation will truly forget about serious events like the ones you mentioned.

Here’s one more:

Future Generations may never see an episode of “Buffy, The Vampire Slayer”
Xelakann, I put those in with “tongue in cheek”, I really hope they do not go away, but that’s a whole other story, probably one for Great Debates…

Sili

6

Sili, how are ya?

How about my kids laughing at old re-runs of variety specials (Donny and Marie, Carol Burnett Show, etc.) and asking if I seriously watched them. They get a real kick out of old game shows (Match Game…)
Or this really amusing one, my youngest doesn’t have a clue what a Walkman is.
They wonder how we got along without microwaves. Or fax machines. Or cellular phones. Or video games outside the arcades (or PONG). Or cable tv.
(It was a lot quieter, for one thing.)
And they’re amazed that commercials actually had original music. Put poor old Barry Manilow out of a job…

7

My question is:

What the hell did you old folks do before we had ATMs?

8

A generation that doesn’t know BUFFY, say it ain’t so (tears gushing from my big sad brown eyes)!!!

I just hope cable TV keeps it alive in syndication :slight_smile:

9

you suck. that was just mean.

10

I’m always insulted and saddened by these lists. Insulted because I, for one,

Was born in 1981.

Remember Reagan, and, while I was very young when he was shot, know that he was, where he was, how he was, who shot him, and why. And NOT because of Forrest Gump.

Remember CNN reporting ‘live’ from Tel Aviv during Desert SHIELD!

Know nothing about Black Monday other than it was a bad day for the markets.

Only know one pope, but am aware and knowledgeable about his predecessors.

Remember USSR and the Cold War.

Still OWN a b&w TV w/ only 13 channels.

Had cable till I was 9, moved, and didn’t get Satillite until Christmas this year.

Still own a BETA and remember the day dad bought it.

Know, but don’t care, who JR is.

Know who Michael Jackson is and was.

Kansas, Chicago, Boston, and Alabama are still awesome.

Remember McStyrofoam. Hell, I remember the days before Value Meals.

Learned how to type (83 wpm max) on an old typewriter.

And saddened because this list is true about a great many of my peers.

–Tim

11

Homer, good for you! Please help bridge the gap between your generation and us old farts. (I’m 1965 vintage myself).

B_Line12, Huh?

xelakann, cable will be replaced by some sort of wireless system where all channels, all movies, all sports, all will be available at all times. And the TV will also be long forgotten, since you can get all this on any number of appliences in the house, PerTransU, or your wrist-mounted utility (includes audio and video communications of any kind; replaces the cell phone, pager, PDA, portable radio and TV, and laptop.)
struuter, I’m great! Nice to see you here. I’m still waitng for that tight cat-suit!!!:wink: My son also makes fun of some of the shows he sees on Nicholodeon. “So this is what you guys thought was funny?”
ReservoirDog, I remember this well - I had to plan cash expences at least a day in advance, or be reduced to mooching off my friends!

Sili

12

Maybe the can just install a chip in our eyes and ears, and we can access any type of media form, anytime we want without having to actually look at something.
I want my chip to be all Dave Matthews, all day long… yummy!

13

xelakann, it’s not too far off - pervasive computing, he he. There are computers available today with the display portion mounted on one lens of your glasses, so there is no problem with simply “installing” this portion on the body somehow. After all, there are some really creative body piercers out there.

but Dave Matthews, who dat?

Sili

14

I think that I have seen those glasses in that store in the mall, (every mall has that store… the one with all the cool inventions and stuff that would be really cool to have but way too expensive to buy.)

As not to insult, I will answer your Dave Matthew’s question assuming you are serious when you say “who dat”: To be correct its the Dave Matthews Band, which is sort of a rock, jazz, folk, pop band, that uses acoustic guitars, saxophones, violins, and soulfully passionate lyrics, that just makes you smile and love life!
Dave is the lead singer (and main songwriter), he’s really sexy, not really based on looks, but on his ability to “SING SEX”.

So, if I had to undergo the painful task of piercing or getting eye/ear chips, just to get Dave 24/7, sign me up!

15

xelakann said:

“So, if I had to undergo the painful task of piercing or getting eye/ear chips, just to get Dave 24/7, sign me up!”

I knew/know a female in college who is probably more obsessed with DM/DMB than you are. She’s said on more than one occasion that she’d like to screw him until she was raw and bleeding, then come back for more. Or possible cum back for more. We never asked her to spell.

The question, though, is: would DM want to screw you 'til you were raw and bleeding? Discuss

16

I wouldn’t say that am I obsessed with DMB (denial), I just think that I wouldn’t get sick of seeing him or hearing him 24/7.
And yes, If dave and I ever met, He’d want me BAD!

Sorry, sili, didn’t mean to get off the subject of your OP

17

Actually, if you all read Scientific American (or was it Popular Science?) you’ll remember reading that they have invented a small CMOS to attach directly to the retina and eye-ball-ular nerve and transmit images directly to the brain. It’s being test marketed for the blind, but I see it crossing over really quickly once it becomes more established.

–Tim

18

gosh, I know half of that was mentioned. Although I graduated last year, but I feel close enough to respond.
I rember Tianamen Square & The wall falling down. nad what they stood for. & I Clearly rember tension between US and USSR, damn, I rember Gorby resiging on TV like It was yesterday. I’ve seen a typewriter before. but where is the screen? (JOKE). My dad made the BETA mistake, but Lazer disc is a different story.

But I think in ten to 20 years children Will not know what life is like without the net in some from.
Nor will they load a camera with film and drop it off at a drug store to develop them.
They will laugh at phones with cords.
They will have no Idea how to work the Dewy Decimal system
They will not dream of becoming an Astronaut.
they will never own a Cassete tape, or CD
they will never see the night sky full of stars. Hell, that is hard to pull off now.
“what the hell is a muscle car?” they will ask.
& “where is the wilderness?” (urban sprawl will take over)
VCRs and 8mm camcorders are antiques to them.
no icecream man for them to chase on hot summer days.
the names Jordan or Gretzky won’t mean anyhting to them.
And when I say that I graduated in the 20th century class of 1999), they will stare at me like Im a artifact.

Just a few of the many things that are familiar to me will soon fade into the fabric of time that is the chapter of the late 20th century.

19

My. How inconvenient!

20

xelakann, iampuhna - no problem, carry on your discussion, it’s getting quite interesting…By the way, I had similar feelings about Kim Basinger (sp?) before I got married, of course!

homer, thank you, I will try to find this story, I really like truly useful use of technology.

realm, thank you for adding here. I like some of yours, but I have to tell you that “no icecream man for them to chase on hot summer days.” is not a problem for some on this board! At least not the ‘shaved ice’ man, but that;s another story. My Son already has a camera with no film (download to computer), and he does not like phones with cords…Oh well.

ReservoirDog, “My. How inconvenient!” If you only knew… You wanna know what else was inconvenient? The motorcycle falling over on a hot day ('cause the asfalt got soft) before they invented covered parking spaces!

Sili