The future is scary as hell, and here's why!

[Carmakazie]

I tend not to worry about all these "apocalyptic"things the government is making or that nature is impending on us. I realize they exist, but i don't want to become a paranoid schizophrenic who doesn't leave their house and thinks everybody is watching them.

The only thing i think is viable as a sort of "doomsday device" is either nuclear war/bio terrorism. Although, the things arent as bad as they were back in the cold war, lots of people still have nukes. all we can hope is that a madman doesnt get his hands on them and wipes out planet back to the stone age. to quote einstein
"I am not sure what weapons World War 3 will be fought with, but i know World War 4 will be fought with sticks and rocks"
This quote still holds true today. Mutually Assured Destruction is pretty much the only outcome of nuclear war.

On the subject of bio terrorism, this could also be extremely dangerous. Since most people are obsessed with taking anti-biotics, using hand sanitizer and never getting dirty, our species is slowly becoming more susceptible to germs. because alot of people are constantly inoculating themselves to bacteria, they are loosing their natural immunity. also, with all these anti-biotic things availible, bactera/virus's are evolving to be resistant to them. is this continues, a Superbug is inevitable. a superbug is a bacteria/virus that is immune to any anti-biotic/anti-viral treatments. However, certain qualities are needed for a superbug to become a huge problem. 1. Easily communicable (Airborne is the most viable) 2. Not to virulent, that means the bug cannot kill you so fast that you don't have a chance to spread it. and 3. has to mutate easily. if the bug isnt able to mutate quickly to become resistant to drug therapy, then it will either be treated or just die out.

Now, in the past there have been a few very nasty virus's out there. Ebola had several outbreaks in Africa. Ebola is especially scary because it essentially makes you bleed out, internally and externally i.e out your eyes, ears, nose, and skin. But, we were lucky because Ebola was extremly virulent and only transmitted through bodily fluids. From exposure to death was around 48 hours, and you literally had to spit in a persons face in order to transmit it. so, the CDC just quarantines the villages that Ebola existed in and just waited for every villager to die. it sucks, but it prevents it from getting to a major population area.

Also, with HIV, that could have also been scary. luckily for us, HIV is only transmitted sexually, so it is hard to catch. they actually traced Patient Zero (first carrier) to a canadian flight attendant who they think is responsible for spreading it from continent to continent. If HIV was airborne, we would all be dead most likely. But, thanks to millions of dollars worth of research, AIDS caused by HIV is no longer a death sentence. the drugs are usually very effective in treating it.

So yea, it sucks how fragile it all is. just have to life our lives and not freak out over every possibility no matter how likely it is.

P.S If you are paranoid about germs, do not take a class in Microbiology, you will end up wearing gloves and a breath mask the rest of your life

[Crownos]

Robots that eat stuff for fuel cool. Would be funny to see it in the woods picking up some magic mushrooms or weed plants. Although I know they wouldn’t react to such things but would be funny if they did :P
I have this image of them in my head going something like this.

"FUUUUCK EATR-2 did you see that shit! I..I..I think I saw a UFO!"

"Duuuuuuude that’s cool man... I ate this weed I saw on the floor and I’m toooootally wasted man...I...I have this sudden urge to eat and eat and eat! You got food on you EATR-1?"

"Yeah maan i got some twigs on my back!"


"Shit EATR-1 thats no twig maaaaan thats a fucking tree!"


"Fuck maaan no wonder I can’t move"


"Anyway dude I want some meat! Grrr need to find me some MEAT maaan!!!"


"Sarge I found the EATR bots 1 and 2 ARRRGHHHHHHHDWUIDHUWIH"


"EATR-2 WTF MAN!? That was the sarge dude! You gonna get us in some deep shit bro”


“Hunger waits for no one maaan thats my new program now.”

[Gorllin]

EATR is giving me nightmares already...
I mean, a semi-sentient robot that eats plants and creates more of itself. And its sole purpose is to kill? Why?!?

[Zeta333]

I would think to kill would be the reason.

[belfpala]

I think there are many things, especially in combination, that are at least as scary as a robot that can do stuff cows, pigs, sheep, humans, and other species have done for thousands of years.

None of these items alone scare me very much, but we'll see how that works out. Let's get started...

Threat: Ubiquitous networked devices.
Fear Factor: Uh oh.

Playstation Network hacked, Apple and Google tracking your location at all times. Now look at Apps that let you check the location and status of your car at any time, as well as lock/unlock it or start it. Google technology that allows cars to drive themselves.

Threat: Automated spacecraft.
Fear Factor: What the...

http://www.af.mil/information/factsh...asp?fsID=16639

It apparently obeys ground-based commands to land from space, but it does so on its own without further intervention. We've had automated spacecraft for 40+ years, but this is a bit different. The others have been the probes sent out on specific trajectories to catapult themselves further into the solar system or beyond (taking the amazing pictures we have of Jupiter, etc., on the way). The automation in those was simply their ability to point their transmissions at Earth.

Combine this one with the Google cars above, or with predator drone technology we're already using... hmm.


Threat: Neural interfaces.
Fear Factor: Getting scared now.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/29/science/29brain.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxIgdOlT2cY (with a monkey).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppILwXwsMng&NR=1 (with a human).

Cool stuff, right?

I have plenty of ways to make this one scary, but I'll leave it to your imagination.


Threat: Computer wins Jeopardy.
Fear Factor: I welcome our...

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/sc...dy-watson.html

Bing is billed as a decision engion, but Watson really is one, and is capable understanding natural language and mastering a difficult non-algorithmic game.

Watson is intended to continue in a similar capacity. For example, as a medical diagnosis tool. In its current implementation it isn't so scary. But it's proof of concept that a computer can do things thought impossible. Chess is one thing, Jeopardy is another.


Threat: Human organs grown from spare parts.
Fear Factor: I guess this sounds good.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/ar...akthrough.html

Can it be? Might we be able to stay alive forever?

Oh wait, then there's this...

Threat: Kinematic power supplies.
Fear Factor: This doesn't seem so bad...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technolog...man-heart.html

Now human hearts alone can power electronics. One step closer to the Matrix and...


Threat: Simulated brains.
Fear Factor: What is this, I don't even....

http://www.popsci.com/scitech/articl...mplex-patterns
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology...20/research.it

Enough said.

[Bluey111]

naa world is gonna end next year just have fun while you can

in all seriousness though that is one f***ed up machine they have built

---------- Post added 2011-04-27 at 07:29 AM ----------

EATR is giving me nightmares already...
I mean, a semi-sentient robot that eats plants and creates more of itself. And its sole purpose is to kill? Why?!?

its like they want robots to enslave us