1623: 2016 Conversation Guide - Revision history

82.132.185.192: /* Explanation / Correcting the misaligned "not yet"+"now it is" sense of the exited sentence. (Noting the two products mentioned may be best linked. And I doubt these are the only* such examples that have comparatively achieved such statuses.)

2026-05-08T14:07:49Z

‎Explanation: Correcting the misaligned "not yet"+"now it is" sense of the exited sentence. (Noting the two products mentioned may be best linked. And I doubt these are the *only* such examples that have comparatively achieved such statuses.)

2603:6011:1F0:2A40:C5FD:DD48:3894:40A2: /* Explanation */

2026-05-08T00:11:52Z

‎Explanation

2603:6011:1F0:2A40:C5FD:DD48:3894:40A2: /* Explanation */

2026-05-08T00:10:17Z

‎Explanation

Das-g: fix typo/grammar

2025-03-26T00:34:14Z

fix typo/grammar

172.71.26.37: /* Explanation */ Completing earth->Earth, adding moon->Moon (a natural planetary satellite -> Earth's dominant natural satellite)

2024-12-22T16:50:12Z

‎Explanation: Completing earth->Earth, adding moon->Moon (a natural planetary satellite -> Earth's dominant natural satellite)

162.158.167.87: /* Explanation */ Earth = planet, earth = dirt.

2024-12-22T09:41:28Z

‎Explanation: Earth = planet, earth = dirt.

172.70.216.37: /* Explanation */

2024-12-02T15:16:25Z

‎Explanation

Tromag at 17:19, 14 November 2024

2024-11-14T17:19:13Z

Maplestrip: /* Explanation */ Example of flying cars as promised in the 1950s.

2024-02-28T12:52:07Z

‎Explanation: Example of flying cars as promised in the 1950s.

Maplestrip: /* Explanation */ Relevant paragraph in relevant section.

2024-02-28T12:48:04Z

‎Explanation: Relevant paragraph in relevant section.

@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
 A long-held science fiction vision is a robot (presumably humanoid), that can perform household tasks, taking that burden off people. Randall mentions "Jeeves", saying "he wasn't that great". This is presumably a reference to the early search site {{w|Ask Jeeves}}, which used a stereotypical butler name. The concept was that the search engine could take on tasks for you, much as a butler would. However, it was only a search engine, incapable of performing any physical tasks, extremely limited in the non-physical tasks it could perform, limited in its accessibility, and not even a particularly good search engine in the first place.
-In a broader sense, there do exist an increasing number of automated systems to do specific household tasks (such as {{w|Roomba|vacuuming}}), and voice-activated systems that can perform virtual tasks, like keeping schedules and looking up information, are {{w|Amazon Alexa|increasingly widespread}}. To date, though, a generalized robot that can perform variety of physical tasks now exists in the form of the neo x1. Robots (both humanoid and otherwise) that can move and operate semi-autonomously are under development, but are neither sufficiently advanced nor sufficiently cost effective to replace human labor in most instances.
+In a broader sense, there do exist an increasing number of automated systems to do specific household tasks (such as {{w|Roomba|vacuuming}}), and voice-activated systems that can perform virtual tasks, like keeping schedules and looking up information, are {{w|Amazon Alexa|increasingly widespread}}. Since the comic, a generalized robot that can perform variety of physical tasks now exists in the form of the neo x1. Robots (both humanoid and otherwise) that can move and operate semi-autonomously are under development, but are neither sufficiently advanced nor sufficiently cost effective to replace human labor in most instances.
 ==Transcript==

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 ;Flying car
-Various forms of {{w|Flying_car_(aircraft)|flying car}} have had varying {{w|AVE_Mizar|degrees}} of {{w|Moller_M400_Skycar|success}} (although it's debatable whether these examples are actually cars or just small airplanes), but the comic points out that the regular {{w|helicopter}} is as close as most of us would ever get to levitating personal vehicles.
+Various forms of {{w|Flying_car_(aircraft)|flying car}} have had varying {{w|AVE_Mizar|degrees}} of {{w|Moller_M400_Skycar|success}} (although it's debatable whether these examples are actually cars or just small airplanes), but the comic points out that the regular {{w|helicopter}} is as close as most of us would ever get to levitating personal vehicles. But the company Alef has successfully designed a flying car.
 ;Jetpack

@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
 A long-held science fiction vision is a robot (presumably humanoid), that can perform household tasks, taking that burden off people. Randall mentions "Jeeves", saying "he wasn't that great". This is presumably a reference to the early search site {{w|Ask Jeeves}}, which used a stereotypical butler name. The concept was that the search engine could take on tasks for you, much as a butler would. However, it was only a search engine, incapable of performing any physical tasks, extremely limited in the non-physical tasks it could perform, limited in its accessibility, and not even a particularly good search engine in the first place.
-In a broader sense, there do exist an increasing number of automated systems to do specific household tasks (such as {{w|Roomba|vacuuming}}), and voice-activated systems that can perform virtual tasks, like keeping schedules and looking up information, are {{w|Amazon Alexa|increasingly widespread}}. To date, though, a generalized robot that can perform variety of physical tasks does not yet exist in a practical form. Robots (both humanoid and otherwise) that can move and operate semi-autonomously are under development, but are neither sufficiently advanced nor sufficiently cost effective to replace human labor in most instances.
+In a broader sense, there do exist an increasing number of automated systems to do specific household tasks (such as {{w|Roomba|vacuuming}}), and voice-activated systems that can perform virtual tasks, like keeping schedules and looking up information, are {{w|Amazon Alexa|increasingly widespread}}. To date, though, a generalized robot that can perform variety of physical tasks now exists in the form of the neo x1. Robots (both humanoid and otherwise) that can move and operate semi-autonomously are under development, but are neither sufficiently advanced nor sufficiently cost effective to replace human labor in most instances.
 ==Transcript==

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 ;Jetpack
-"Where's my {{w|jet pack}}?" is a common {{tvtropes|IWantMyJetPack|trope}}. There are various systems and {{w|Astronaut propulsion unit|analogues}} that could be considered jet packs in some sense, but devices to let individuals fly on Earth would be extremely dangerous, even if they could be made practical. A functioning jetpack would risk elevating people to dangerous altitudes while potentially accelerating them to dangerous velocities, make it both difficult and dangerous to steer. The high likelihood of fatal crashes means that a viable product is unlikely to ever exist - unless technologies will allow to augment humans (such as genetic engineering or cybernetics) to such degree, what they could ram the ground at top speed and remain unharmed.
+"Where's my {{w|jet pack}}?" is a common {{tvtropes|IWantMyJetPack|trope}}. There are various systems and {{w|Astronaut propulsion unit|analogues}} that could be considered jet packs in some sense, but devices to let individuals fly on Earth would be extremely dangerous, even if they could be made practical. A functioning jetpack would risk elevating people to dangerous altitudes while potentially accelerating them to dangerous velocities, make it both difficult and dangerous to steer. The high likelihood of fatal crashes means that a viable product is unlikely to ever exist - unless technologies will allow to augment humans (such as genetic engineering or cybernetics) to such degree, that they could ram the ground at top speed and remain unharmed.
 ;Moon colony

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 ;Jetpack
-"Where's my {{w|jet pack}}?" is a common {{tvtropes|IWantMyJetPack|trope}}. There are various systems and {{w|Astronaut propulsion unit|analogues}} that could be considered jet packs in some sense, but devices to let individuals fly on earth would be extremely dangerous, even if they could be made practical. A functioning jetpack would risk elevating people to dangerous altitudes while potentially accelerating them to dangerous velocities, make it both difficult and dangerous to steer. The high likelihood of fatal crashes means that a viable product is unlikely to ever exist - unless technologies will allow to augment humans (such as genetic engineering or cybernetics) to such degree, what they could ram the ground at top speed and remain unharmed.
+"Where's my {{w|jet pack}}?" is a common {{tvtropes|IWantMyJetPack|trope}}. There are various systems and {{w|Astronaut propulsion unit|analogues}} that could be considered jet packs in some sense, but devices to let individuals fly on Earth would be extremely dangerous, even if they could be made practical. A functioning jetpack would risk elevating people to dangerous altitudes while potentially accelerating them to dangerous velocities, make it both difficult and dangerous to steer. The high likelihood of fatal crashes means that a viable product is unlikely to ever exist - unless technologies will allow to augment humans (such as genetic engineering or cybernetics) to such degree, what they could ram the ground at top speed and remain unharmed.
 ;Moon colony
-The basic {{w|Apollo_program| science and engineering}} {{w|International Space Station|exists}} exists to build some form of permanently manned settlement on the moon, but doing so would be extremely expensive. The technology to exploit lunar resources, either for construction or life support, has not yet been developed, so all equipment and supplies would need to be continually transported from Earth. Commercial potential of such a base would be extremely limited, and no organization or group has been willing to spend the kind of money it would take.
+The basic {{w|Apollo_program| science and engineering}} {{w|International Space Station|exists}} exists to build some form of permanently manned settlement on the Moon, but doing so would be extremely expensive. The technology to exploit lunar resources, either for construction or life support, has not yet been developed, so all equipment and supplies would need to be continually transported from Earth. Commercial potential of such a base would be extremely limited, and no organization or group has been willing to spend the kind of money it would take.
 ;Self-driving car

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 ;Jetpack
-"Where's my {{w|jet pack}}?" is one of the {{tvtropes|IWantMyJetPack|tropes}} addressed here, and has actually been developed in a somewhat workable fashions and {{w|Astronaut propulsion unit|analogues}}, but is dismissed as being too personally dangerous to have a {{w|The_Jetsons|Jetson}}-like ubiquity.
+"Where's my {{w|jet pack}}?" is a common {{tvtropes|IWantMyJetPack|trope}}. There are various systems and {{w|Astronaut propulsion unit|analogues}} that could be considered jet packs in some sense, but devices to let individuals fly on earth would be extremely dangerous, even if they could be made practical. A functioning jetpack would risk elevating people to dangerous altitudes while potentially accelerating them to dangerous velocities, make it both difficult and dangerous to steer. The high likelihood of fatal crashes means that a viable product is unlikely to ever exist.
 ;Moon colony
-It might be considered more reasonable to build a {{w|Space:_1999|settlement of some kind}} on the Moon. The basic {{w|Apollo_program|engineering}} {{w|International Space Station|exists}}, but the comic blames financial pressures for it not yet having come into existence. Arguably political pressures, or perhaps the lack of them, are also a factor.
+The basic {{w|Apollo_program| science and engineering}} {{w|International Space Station|exists}} exists to build some form of permanently manned settlement on the moon, but doing so would be extremely expensive. The technology to exploit lunar resources, either for construction or life support, has not yet been developed, so all equipment and supplies would need to be continually transported from earth. Commercial potential of such a base would be extremely limited, and no organization or group has been willing to spend the kind of money it would take.
 ;Self-driving car
@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 ;Floating sky city
-A much bigger challenge in levitation is the 'sky city', with various forms from fiction (e.g. {{w|Bespin}}, {{w|Mortal Engines Quartet}}). In reality, this seems highly unlikely to ever come to pass while there is perfectly good ground to lay the buildings down upon, due to the sheer mass.
+Various science fiction sources imagined the idea of floating cities (e.g. {{w|Bespin}}, {{w|Mortal Engines Quartet}}). In reality, this seems highly unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future. Absent some form of levitation technology that doesn't even exist as a concept yet, the only ways to keep things floating inside a planet's atmosphere are to make use of either buoyancy or continually providing thrust and/or lift. But "cities are heavy". The amount of mass that any kind of city would have would require either an implausibly large volume to float by buoyancy, or an incredible amount of energy (continually provided) to supply thrust or lift. With any foreseeable technology, that's unlikely to ever be practical.
 ;Hoverboard
@@ Line 35: / Line 36: @@
 ;Robot butler
-Meanwhile, the long-held science-fantasy aim to create a robot that can do odd tasks, like {{w|Robby the Robot}} or {{w|List_of_The_Jetsons_characters#Rosie|Rosie}} from ''The Jetsons'' has been {{w|Roomba|limited}} or {{w|Amazon Alexa|differently implemented}}. The ''fully'' [http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Omnicapable omnicapable] version is probably almost as far out of reach as it always was considered to be. "Jeeves" as a less than superb robot butler presumably refers to the early search site {{w|Ask Jeeves}}, and may be a reference to the robot of that name that can be "built" by characters in the popular {{w|Massively multiplayer online role-playing game}} {{w|World of Warcraft}}. "Jeeves" as a stereotyped butler name goes back to {{w|P.G. Wodehouse}} in 1915.
+A long-held science fiction vision is a robot (presumably humanoid), that can perform household tasks, taking that burden off people. Randall mentions "Jeeves", saying "he wasn't that great". This is presumably a reference to the early search site {{w|Ask Jeeves}}, which used a stereotypical butler name. The concept was that the search engine could take on tasks for you, much as a butler would. However, it was only a search engine, incapable of performing any physical tasks, extremely limited in the non-physical tasks it could perform, limited in its accessibility, and not even a particularly good search engine in the first place.
 ==Transcript==

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:52, 28 February 2024
Line 8:		Line 8:

	==Explanation==		==Explanation==
		+	[[File:Electric Flying Cars -- Advertisement, 1958 (51438281706).jpg\|thumb\|right\|1958 poster advertising an electric future of freedom and horrible crashes]]
	As each year turns (or other milestone dates, perhaps set out in popular fiction) it is common enough to remember that what is now the present was once considered ''the future!''		As each year turns (or other milestone dates, perhaps set out in popular fiction) it is common enough to remember that what is now the present was once considered ''the future!''

1623: 2016 Conversation Guide - Revision history

82.132.185.192: /* Explanation */ Correcting the misaligned "not yet"+"now it is" sense of the exited sentence. (Noting the two products mentioned may be best linked. And I doubt these are the *only* such examples that have comparatively achieved such statuses.)

2603:6011:1F0:2A40:C5FD:DD48:3894:40A2: /* Explanation */

2603:6011:1F0:2A40:C5FD:DD48:3894:40A2: /* Explanation */

Das-g: fix typo/grammar

172.71.26.37: /* Explanation */ Completing earth->Earth, adding moon->Moon (a natural planetary satellite -> Earth's dominant natural satellite)

162.158.167.87: /* Explanation */ Earth = planet, earth = dirt.

172.70.216.37: /* Explanation */

Tromag at 17:19, 14 November 2024

Maplestrip: /* Explanation */ Example of flying cars as promised in the 1950s.

Maplestrip: /* Explanation */ Relevant paragraph in relevant section.

82.132.185.192: /* Explanation / Correcting the misaligned "not yet"+"now it is" sense of the exited sentence. (Noting the two products mentioned may be best linked. And I doubt these are the only* such examples that have comparatively achieved such statuses.)