# What's the most bizarre technological advance that seems juuuust plausible within your lifetime? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 8, 2013, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-bizarre-technological-advance-that-seems-juuuust-plausible-within-your-lifetime/665705 "2013-08-08T14:43:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-bizarre-technological-advance-that-seems-juuuust-plausible-within-your-lifetime/665705/81 "2013-08-11T16:39:32Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > Actually, I should have thought of this earlier, and arguably it isn’t purely a “technological advance”, but: > > Receiving unambiguous signals from extraterrestrial civilizations! > > I don’t mean communicating with them, because back-and-forth signal travel times would be longer than I’m likely to live. But I think there’s a pretty good chance we will see something that everybody agrees originated with intelligent beings and not a simpler inanimate natural process. > > The Drake equation speaks to how common intelligent civilizations are out there. It has loads of uncertainty, but various parts of the equation (which all multiply together) keep getting less uncertain. Some of the estimates have gotten way bigger. Thus lower estimates of the number of planets that are astronomically and geologically compatible with life as we know it have steadily gone up. > > Also, our sensitivity to whatever intelligent communications may be flying around is growing exponentially and rapidly, because of computer and other electronic technology. > > It’s pretty hard to know what to expect, but I am optimistic that something will turn up within the roughly 3 decades I have left. Either that, or having developed the ability to spot any oxygen-atmosphere planets or planetary/system scale giga-engineering out to several thousand light years, we will be astonished to find that against all expectations our galaxy appears to be a desert. Then the Fermi Paradox will be reformulated as “where’s all the life that should be there?”. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-bizarre-technological-advance-that-seems-juuuust-plausible-within-your-lifetime/665705/82 "2013-08-11T16:55:59Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > And imagine how much more effective it’d be if we didn’t have to rely on pictures but rather just have a repository of everyone’s DNA on file. My only argument against this would be - _how_ do you know which miniscule trace in a bank visited by hundreds to thousands of people is the one specific to the single person who stuck it up? I have a distinct distaste for leaving a sample of my DNA as I can see a reason for me to be almost anywhere, dropping skin and hair debris legitemately and would really not want to get arrested for having done my routine banking. Hell, if you did a luminol scan of our house it would probably look like an axe murder took place between a pair of my dogs getting into a fight in the living room, to me slogging from various places to the bathroom bleeding out menstrually for almost 20 years. I feel like one of those ads - Talk to me about the benefits of hysterectomy!! :dubious:☹ and mrAru cutting himself variously doing projects around the farm. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-bizarre-technological-advance-that-seems-juuuust-plausible-within-your-lifetime/665705/83 "2013-08-11T19:33:18Z")
Leaving behind DNA isn’t a crime. You’re not guilty simply because you were there at some point. If one of your dogs got axed in half, and we found residue of yours and only your menstrual blood at the scene though, it could be used as a PIECE of the evidence though. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-bizarre-technological-advance-that-seems-juuuust-plausible-within-your-lifetime/665705/84 "2013-08-11T20:28:20Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Either that, or having developed the ability to spot any oxygen-atmosphere planets or planetary/system scale giga-engineering out to several thousand light years, we will be astonished to find that against all expectations our galaxy appears to be a desert. Then the Fermi Paradox will be reformulated as “where’s all the life that should be there?”. That’s my biggest fear: The parties are all happening in the next galaxy over, and we just happen to be located in the middle of Kansas. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-bizarre-technological-advance-that-seems-juuuust-plausible-within-your-lifetime/665705/85 "2013-08-11T20:54:25Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > That’s my biggest fear: The parties are all happening in the next galaxy over, and we just happen to be located in the middle of Kansas. Or maybe it’s like two lines I remember from a _Star Trek_ novel (which would also be good for the Two Sentence Horror Story contest): “As expected- or feared- the sensors still showed no evidence of life.” “There was, however, ample evidence of death.” ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-bizarre-technological-advance-that-seems-juuuust-plausible-within-your-lifetime/665705/86 "2013-08-11T22:35:48Z")
I’m pleased to see the growing number of believers in automated cars/roadways. Puny humans shouldn’t be making all those high speed decisions and the technology is improving steadily. For my fellow advanced transportation geeks, a reminder that Elon Musk is scheduled to reveal his high speed people moving concept tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-bizarre-technological-advance-that-seems-juuuust-plausible-within-your-lifetime/665705/87 "2013-08-11T23:31:09Z")
Innovation comes in pairs. In my lifetime we could very well see: \*\*Dome-Covered Intelligence; Artificial Cities Moving Organs; Vat-Grown Sidewalks Cold cars; Flying fusion\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-bizarre-technological-advance-that-seems-juuuust-plausible-within-your-lifetime/665705/88 "2013-08-11T23:44:31Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > The ST replicator is an interesting idea, and I think holodecks might be possible in the next 50 years. Video game AI is currently as smart as your average dumbass. To have a fully immersive holodeck would require computing and programming power that we don’t have now and may never have. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-bizarre-technological-advance-that-seems-juuuust-plausible-within-your-lifetime/665705/89 "2013-08-11T23:45:42Z")
Dishwashers that don’t require pre-rinsing. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-bizarre-technological-advance-that-seems-juuuust-plausible-within-your-lifetime/665705/90 "2013-08-11T23:46:09Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Restore hearing to the deaf and sight to the blind. I really can’t figure why tons of money is not spent on hearing restoration research. Virtually every old fart needs help with that. Coclear implants can restore hearing in some people and research is continuing to be done to improve them. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-bizarre-technological-advance-that-seems-juuuust-plausible-within-your-lifetime/665705/91 "2013-08-12T01:55:12Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Dishwashers that don’t require pre-rinsing. Hey man, the future is here now! Maytag’s JetClean range seems (in my experience) not to require pre-rinsing; as a matter of fact the book says not to. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-bizarre-technological-advance-that-seems-juuuust-plausible-within-your-lifetime/665705/92 "2013-08-12T02:36:33Z")
> [@Yarster](#): > > There will definitely be true virtual reality porn in our lifetime… > [@Terr](#): > > Fully immersive VR - with direct neural connections so that it will be theoretically indistinguishable from reality. Practically, of course, it will be somewhat limited, at least at first, in scope and depth, and probably legislated to have some features that would tell you you’re not in real world. The combination of these to is going to result in people being able to indulge in all kinds of stuff that’s illegal or simply impossible to today. Wanna experience sex from the other sex’s perspective; sure go right ahead. Indulge in paedophilia and/or bestiality to your heart’s content? Tentacle porn; would your rather be the squid or the person? Torture and murder political figures/celebrities/friends/family/etc all you want. How’s society going to deal with _that_? > [@terentii](#): > > I hope they master the art of growing new body parts _in vitro_ fairly soon. Not long ago, I saw the episode of _ **Voyager** _ where they had to transplant one of Kes’s lungs into Neelix after his were stolen. :rolleyes: What, they still haven’t developed _in vitro_ technology in the 24th century?!?.. IIRC the problem wasn’t that the Federation didn’t have that technology; it was that Voyager didn’t have the necessary facilities on-board. If it happened closer to home Neelix wouldn’t just been put in stasis until they could transfer him to the nearest equipped starbase. It was already established that the replicators can’t create living matter (yes, I know this opens up all kinds of plot holes regarding the transporters or why can’t they just replicate a bionic lung). > [@aNewLeaf](#): > > If I could have an ID chip implanted, rather than carrying a driver’s license everywhere, I might just do it. > I’d sure want for it to be optional, not mandated. But I can imagine incentives in place to encourage the procedure. Health insurance companies would probably love it. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-bizarre-technological-advance-that-seems-juuuust-plausible-within-your-lifetime/665705/93 "2013-08-12T04:00:20Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > Interesting that you’re optimistic for the funding of space but not fusion. It seems the only benefit of space access would be either tourist-based, or scientific in nature whereas fusion has much far reaching economic implications. Well, fusion has been pretty well funded already for many decades and the more we test and learn, the more complicated it turns out to be. No one really knows when or if it will ever be commercially viable, and throwing more money at it probably won’t speed it up. Space represents infinite energy, resources and living space. Regular funding results in regular improvements in various technologies. We’d be lost without satellites for instance, and that alone makes it worthwhile to bring the cost of space launches down, and make access to space a routine, affordable and relatively safe endeavor. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-bizarre-technological-advance-that-seems-juuuust-plausible-within-your-lifetime/665705/94 "2013-08-12T04:05:50Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Hey man, the future is here now! Maytag’s JetClean range seems (in my experience) not to require pre-rinsing; as a matter of fact the book says not to. You sound like a commercial. Hahaha. Sorry ☹ ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-bizarre-technological-advance-that-seems-juuuust-plausible-within-your-lifetime/665705/95 "2013-08-12T05:08:45Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > You sound like a commercial. Hahaha. Sorry ☹ But he’s right. Regardless of brand name. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-bizarre-technological-advance-that-seems-juuuust-plausible-within-your-lifetime/665705/96 "2013-08-12T14:19:47Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > You sound like a commercial. Hahaha. Sorry ☹ My post was actually half tongue-in-cheek trying to sound like a 1950s commercial, so I succeeded! But yeah, the newer good dishwashers don’t require pre-rinsing. The cheapo models, not so much. We bought a GE for about $400-450 a couple of years ago, and it sucked- we basically had to pre-WASH everything, lest it still be greasy and/or get crap from other dishes stuck to it. We got our kitchen renovated recently and got a new dishwasher (the Maytag JetClean I mentioned earlier), and it doesn’t require pre-rinsing, just knock the big chunks off, and go. It doesn’t even require particularly high-end detergent; cheap stuff will do just fine. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-bizarre-technological-advance-that-seems-juuuust-plausible-within-your-lifetime/665705/97 "2013-08-12T14:31:54Z")
Another vote for organ replication. They’ve already done this successfully with a trachea using stem cells and a 3-d printer. It’s possible that within my lifetime, most organs will be fully replicable, except the brain. The brain might be replicable as well but if you get a brain transplant it wouldn’t really do you much good. I don’t think we’ll be able to master a partial brain transplant that would still leave you “you” within my lifetime. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-bizarre-technological-advance-that-seems-juuuust-plausible-within-your-lifetime/665705/98 "2013-08-12T14:42:56Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > The brain might be replicable as well but if you get a brain transplant it wouldn’t really do you much good. I dunno, you’d just have to program it to say “What?” and “I don’t understand!” and “Where’s the tea?” Who’d know the difference? ---
**Author:** ![Time\_Shift](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Time\_Shift](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Time_Shift)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-bizarre-technological-advance-that-seems-juuuust-plausible-within-your-lifetime/665705/99 "2013-08-12T15:12:23Z")
I’m 28, so… - Moon Colony - Full Human Cloning - Wireless electricity ---
**Author:** ![NotDeadYet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NotDeadYet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotDeadYet)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-bizarre-technological-advance-that-seems-juuuust-plausible-within-your-lifetime/665705/100 "2013-08-12T15:41:08Z")
Wireless transmission of electricity, doing away with the need for cords and to plug anything into the wall. We already have the technology to do away with all LAN cables, it just is a bit too expensive for the average consumer. According to a friend in the business, the hardware is out there for a totally wireless home – phone, TV, Internet. Problem is who will go first? Right now there are devices that convert your cell phone signal into a landline device, smart TVs and of course, wireless devices of all kinds. Imagine a single “black box” with one cable going in and nothing coming out – just a strong enough signal to run every tech gadget in the house. Now, go the next step and run all your gadgets without power cords. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-bizarre-technological-advance-that-seems-juuuust-plausible-within-your-lifetime/665705.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-bizarre-technological-advance-that-seems-juuuust-plausible-within-your-lifetime/665705.md?page=6)