If you look at history closely enough you can see that human development has been guided by perhaps a few thousand individuals. For convenience sake we'll call these folks molders. Molders are born and take the status quo to a new level with a novel idea or a new technology that is accepted by the masses.

The wheel, metal tools, paper, writing, farming, electricity, light bulb, alternating current, telephones, television, computers, etcetera are the byproduct of the few and adopted by the many. The few therefore have historically guided much of human development and the many have historically been sheep, led by the few.

When a child is born they learn about their environment and adapt to it seemlessly. They accept what has been brought about as normal and this becomes a sort of fundamental frequency they oscillate with throughout their lives. They will still adapt to certain new things as time passes, but in moments of relaxation, they will always gravitate towards that fundamental.

Kids today relax with computers, perhaps even more easily than television which was the choice of the kids born after 1960 and before 1980. Before that relaxation meant in yesteryear it was a good book or a game, I don't know about you but I remember when generations of adults would gather socially just to play cards.

The few therefore have a responsibility to the many. They need to think about the consequences of their new idea and have a moral responsibility to evaluate not just the technical ability to achieve something, but the moral consequences of introducing some significantly new thing.

Many are technically skilled, even inspired, but are socially retrograde and emotionally disconnected. This leads to progress that is detrimental because it has not been properly vetted before introduction. There are many who can take a new idea and see the profit angles, or the power and wealth such may transfer to them, but another group, another few, have the gift to see behind the facade of industry or progress and place their efforts in constructively guiding cultures.

Technology that is too far outside the fundamentals of the masses is rejected and unused. Exponential technological growth is also moderated by resources and the profits. A great idea that can make no money is abandoned to wither away, while questionable ideas that have clearly lucrative returns are pounced upon.

I can envision a very technocratic world quite easily, perhaps more technocratic than most could imagine. However my visions realize the need for man to be quite elevated in his fundamental base to handle that technology intelligently. There is a huge difference between a Luddite and an Oppenheimer. The cycles of progress can be mapped and like the saturn retrogade image Phil linked to on the space board, cultures exhibit these "two steps forward, one step back" type of retrograde motions as well. Yet like planetary retrograde motions they are somewhat misleading as the progress is constant, merely cyclic regeneration at work.

The next great step for mankind is not a technological one - but a mental one. A realignment of mans entire outlook that will arrive when man really understands what he is, his nature and his immortal purpose. Religions attempt to realign man's thought, but do so with only very limited results. As a result man lives a temporal life - a selfish one - because of fear. Once fear is removed man's selfishness will abate and he will take on a new outlook. Space exploration, cultural progress, and other expensive longterm goals will find new popularity after man himself has fundamentally changed.