What things that we are now afraid of worried about will our kids look back at and be amused?

gitfiddle · October 28, 2010, 1:27pm

Going along with this thread:

I got to thinking about the article recently that talked about how Google was creating a self-navigating car. What has struck me when I talk about it with people, they are universally scared of the prospect. I’m not mocking them either, I don’t think such a prospect is without risks, but my first thought is, “Humans don’t exactly have a flawless track record when it comes to driving.”

The way I look at, my kids could very likely be shocked and amused that we would ever be more scared of a machine that can simultaneously monitor all directions for movement and run calculations about its velocity and whatnot over a person who can only look in one direction, who is listening to the radio, who is thinking about what he or she needs at the grocery store, etc.

So, looking back, what kinds of technology, new philosophies, medical procedures, etc. were feared by contemporaries, but now seem quaint to us?

What things will our kids look back on think, “Why the hell were you so worried?”

John_Mace · October 28, 2010, 1:36pm

Cloning. It’ll be the IVF of the future.

LonesomePolecat · October 28, 2010, 1:42pm

Global warming.

ramel · October 28, 2010, 1:42pm

Immigrants.

Nah, I doubt it. People have been terrified of immigration since the start of history. I doubt it’ll stop any time soon.

BobLibDem · October 28, 2010, 2:03pm

Gay marriage.

villa · October 28, 2010, 2:03pm

Gay marriage, without a doubt.

Moving away from physical money.

Malthus · October 28, 2010, 2:08pm

Already the case, here in Canada. It has very quickly become a total non-issue.

Der_Trihs · October 28, 2010, 2:11pm

Same sex marriage probably.

2012, when it passes it’ll become just another in the long list of apocalypses than didn’t happen.

Race; because eventually people will be so genetically engineered, cyborged and interbred that the old categories will lose meaning, and there’ll be whole new groups to be prejudiced against.

John_Mace · October 28, 2010, 2:48pm

SSM is going to pass in 2012? Do you mean on the national level?

*Gatitca *was a good movie, and I could see something like that hapening.

Damuri_Ajashi · October 28, 2010, 2:53pm

I will espouse the opposite viewpoint and say that I think they will wonder why we were so afraid of dollar coins jingling in our pockets.

Rune · October 28, 2010, 2:55pm

Cancer. AIDS. etc.

XT · October 28, 2010, 2:58pm

Gay marriage. Genetic engineering. Cloning. Stem cell research. Peak Oil.

-XT

Ace309 · October 28, 2010, 2:59pm

I believe he meant the Mayan calendar kerfuffle about the world ending in 2012 and punctuated it oddly.

villa · October 28, 2010, 3:01pm

You’ll get mugged for your jingling coins while I am happly using my biochipped debit card.

Blalron · October 28, 2010, 3:02pm

The “evils” of “government run” healthcare.

Buck_Godot · October 28, 2010, 3:03pm

Nuclear power and GM foods

Lobohan · October 28, 2010, 3:20pm

And you’ll be holding a stump while cyborg-troll-immigrants press your severed hand to an ATM.

The google car is a good point. Automation in general is another. I think over the next thirty years the economy is going to retool around the idea of cheap, untiring, robotic labor.

Hopefully the next generation will look back in shame over how utterly stupid and anti-science a large chunk of the population is. Denying evolution, global warming and basic economics will be seen as a dementia that we get over.

Or more likely it’ll be just as shitty.

BrainGlutton · October 28, 2010, 3:20pm

Jihadists.

villa · October 28, 2010, 3:21pm

What can I hold the stump with if they have severed my hand? Didn’t think of that one, did you!

Lobohan · October 28, 2010, 3:22pm

Granddad, what was it like when people only had two arms?