Re: OT: How Amazing
 

I would like to see more sight and hearing technology being developed myself. I'm 41, and not getting any younger. When I was a child, I had a surgical procedure to correct a "lazy eye" in my left eye. I think it's back. I find it very hard to focus on the same spot when I'm reading. And when I'm not doing computers or vegging in front of the tv, I read a lot. It gets frustrating at times. Also, about 5 years ago I developed a constant buzzing in my right ear. No matter how many times I see the doctor about it and I get a temporary reprieve, it comes back. It does make listening on the telephone kind of hard, as that's one of my functions at work, and being right-handed, I usually try to listen with my right ear. I'd probably go to the doctor more often, but they always want to talk about possibilites of high-blood pressure or other such stuff, as I'm a few pounds overweight. And Last year when I got my eyes checked for new glasses, the optometrist didn't even mention anything about the lazy eye, even though it was apparent to me, and I thought to her, that I was having trouble focusing. So yeah, I'd be interested in more advances in the above techonogies.

Re: OT: How Amazing
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">can you please explain the significance of the sigh. Without jumping to conclusions I would like to know what it means. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Yeah...it's unlikely. Costs to much, to many concerns. See Jack's post for a summery.

Re: OT: How Amazing
 

Talking about alternative energy... I was driving to my brother's the other day, which involves spending half an hour on scenic country roads going through quaint villages. Every now and again on roads like this you'll see signs campaigning for local causes- "We need a bypass" or "No open prison in our village".

However the other day I saw signs saying something like "No to giant wind turbines on our hills". I felt like putting up a sign beneath it sayin "Yes to oil-burning power station."

What the hell is wrong with these people? What's wrong with wind turbines? I think they are beautiful to look at, and even if I didn't I would rather support a clean, renewable energy source than continue with what we have.

Re: OT: How Amazing
 

We have wind turbines here in Tasmania. You'd think conservationists would love them, I certainly thought so. But the local "Green" party hates them (but then agin they hate everything. I sometimes thinks their stance is to be against everything). Whats the problem?. Well, think birds flying along peacefully. Suddenly theres this big fan in front of them. They keep flying. You can see the problem. I try not to hate anyone, but when I see the Greens on TV its hard. Now I like nature, being Tasmanian I can't help it, but these people love trees more than people. Its "kill people when there a problem, but god forbid we harm a tree"

Re: OT: How Amazing
 

I was thinking about this the other day.

If by chance we do begin to explore the stars our technology, even though advanced, would be compareable to the old wooden sale vessels that we used for centuries here on Earth.

Those wooden ships were the ticket for how many centuries before the invention of steam came along and then metal ships and ultimately neuclear power?

When we start exploring space, and I believe we will never do this, but the ships used will be a standard design for many decades.

Think of it this way, we used those wooden ships for centuries before Steam power was developed, and a new form of locomotion was adopted. The same can be said here. We will use the technology we have at the time and it will slowly improve until one day a major break through will occur that will propel our understanding of space flight technology forward by leaps and bounds.

How long that will take only time can tell us.

Re: OT: How Amazing
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">They wouldn't be PETA members, by any chance? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: OT: How Amazing
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">can you please explain the significance of the sigh. Without jumping to conclusions I would like to know what it means.

Re: OT: How Amazing
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">They wouldn't be PETA members, by any chance? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I doubt it, "Greens" don't have ethics (or if they do they are the opposite of what I consider ethical). These are people who protesting against sheep being exported to Muslim countries broke in and fed the sheep ham. Apart from the fact that now the sheep can't be sold and the farmers (in the middle of a drought) lose money, it is also an insult to Muslims.

Re: OT: How Amazing
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I think in part it will depend on the government. I'm not sure how long NASA held onto microwave ovens and velcro, but I don't remember them being out until the late 70's. If by some chance a cure for cancer or some other deadly disease is discovered, do you truly think that with the government as it is now, beholden to every lobbyist under the sun, would release that knowledge to the general public? I don't think so. I think that whatever doodads come out will be more time-saving things, like microwaves were 30 years ago. Stuff to make us more fat and lazy, and not wonder about all of the vast scientific knowledge we should be accumlating. Maybe in a century or so things will change so that the government will release more of this life-saving techonology without costs, but I don't think that will happen anytime soon.