Editing 1623: 2016 Conversation Guide
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | + | {{incomplete|Open to editing, but perhaps a useful start.}} | |
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!'' | ||
− | This [[:Category:New Year|New Year comic]], published just prior to the start of the {{w|New Year}}, 2016, aims to clarify a number of the things one might have expected by now | + | This [[:Category:New Year|New Year comic]], published just prior to the start of the {{w|New Year}}, 2016, aims to clarify a number of the things one might have expected by now. |
− | + | The classic target of personal futurology is the ability to levitate or fly, to varying degrees. "Where's my {{w|jetpack}}?" is one of the [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IWantMyJetPack memes] 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. Similarly, various forms of {{w|Flying_car_(aircraft)|flying car}} have had varying {{w|AVE_Mizar|degrees}} of {{w|Moller_M400_Skycar|success}}, but here are ignored to point out that the regular {{w|helicopter}} is as close as most of us would ever get to this technology. The {{w|Hoverboard|levitating Hoverboard}} has been popularised by the {{w|Back_to_the_Future_Part_II|Back To The Future franchise}} of films, with several attempts to fully emulate such a device with air-blast or magnetic levitation, but the ''term'' Hoverboard has ended up being applied to a {{w|Segway}}-like {{w|Self-balancing_two-wheeled_board|personal transport system}} that has at least become a mass-produced device (albeit with a number of {{w|Self-balancing_two-wheeled_board#Safety|safety concerns}}). This is of course a reference to the game [[1608: Hoverboard]] where it is shown how a real hoverboard should work... | |
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− | + | The very concept of the hoverboard, in particular, is predicted to be reduced mostly to arguments between opposing camps of opinions; and then, in the title-text, the conclusion that giving up and resorting to old-fashioned walking is inferior to ''any'' of the possible alternatives... | |
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− | + | 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 when there is perfectly good ground to lay the buildings down upon, due to the sheer mass. (But never say never!) 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.) | |
− | 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. | ||
− | + | From the fields of automation, the {{w|Autonomous car|self-driving car}} has had a lot of recent development put into it, with many and varied protypes being tried out, and may actually end up featuring in our immediate future, even if not in 2016. Google has built a very good prototype but it needs improvement. Meanwhile the long-held science-fantasy aim to create a {{w|Robby the Robot|robot that can do odd tasks}} has been {{w|Roomba|limited}} or a {{w|Ask.com|differently implemented}} and the ''fully'' omnicapable version is probably almost as far out of reach as it always was considered to be. | |
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==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
− | :[A chart with three | + | :[A chart with three rows of text with only one entry to the left - which is written in the middle of the panel. Then there is one line going right and soon splitting into seven lines going up straight or down ending in arrows that points to the next column with seven entries for different possible future inventions. From each of these entries a horizontal arrow continues to the last column at the right with seven more entires commenting on these inventions.] |
− | + | :It's 2016 - Where's my... | |
− | :It's 2016 | ||
− | ::Flying car | + | ::Flying car --> They're called "helicopters" |
− | ::Jetpack | + | ::Jetpack --> Turns out people are huge wimps about crashing |
− | ::Moon colony | + | ::Moon colony --> No one has put up the cash |
− | ::Self-driving car | + | ::Self-driving car --> Coming surprisingly soon |
− | ::Floating sky city | + | ::Floating sky city --> Turns out cities are heavy |
− | ::Hoverboard | + | ::Hoverboard --> This question is now ambiguous thanks to a new scooter thing |
+ | :::::: (and will lead to an argument about the meaning of "hoverboard" | ||
+ | :::::: which is way less interesting than either kind of hoverboard) | ||
− | ::Robot butler | + | ::Robot butler --> He was called "Jeeves" and he wasn't that great |
{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
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[[Category:Charts]] | [[Category:Charts]] | ||
[[Category:Robots]] | [[Category:Robots]] | ||
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