Off Topic — HabitableZone

Off Topic » in reply to HZ, what the HECK did I start Here?

The poking of the Geezer memory.
RNE — (archived)

Boomers and technological advances ... what a book that would make. Somebody’s likely written it already.

As one who was hatched at the half-century mark of the 20th it has been a strange, wonderful, and occasionally frightening trip from that then til this one.

Those of us here who are a certain age have witnessed some of the most dramatic changes in technology since the invention of the printing press. More to the point of social changes, tech that has changed everything for every level of society. In no time in history has such power been given to the general public. Knowledge is power, and with the internet any knowledge is easily available to anyone willing to seek it out. As long as they are able, or willing, to separate facts from non-facts.

Part of the depth of this particular discussion is the make-up of the participants of this community. Most of us are technophiles, have been since we were pups. Below are replies from real Scientists, genuine Rocket Engineers, experienced Alpha Geek Computer peeps, Professors of Geology, and plenty I missed.

Then there are a few like me who simply use what those other guys invent, sometimes with the barest understanding of how it works. I just turn bolts, they figure out how to put the bolts in and which bolts to use.

May the imps, sprites and gremlins of electrical and mechanical things be always friendly to them!

Like you, I hate to think about what I’m going to miss after I go where ever I go when the curtain comes down on my final act.

The first human footsteps on Mars?

Truly integrated computing, wide open databases available to everyone?

Real space travel, where liftoff, or whatever, is so routine it’s seen in the same way we see Airline departures?

I hope that my grandchildren see a world much better than I have.

Which will be delivered by people just like those here who inhabit that strange and wonderful multi-dimensional world of the research lab.

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