And reality strikes

I have a personal bias that causes me to wish that the world will be a better place in the future. Unfortunately it looks like we will be going through a rough patch before we get there. In the USA we have a monetary situation where it is extremely likely that our elected officials will cause a DEPRESSION, instead of allowing the market correction that needs to occur.
Part of the problem is the insatiable addiction to oil, and the fact that we are currently using everything that can be pumped out of the earth. Global warming is another piece, and global pollution and the wholesale resource depletion, both on land and at sea is another.
The hope that I have is based on the possibility of nuclear fusion research, which is proceeding after the death last year of Dr. Robert W. Bussard.

Another voice of concern that we are not at the point where we can see into the future

At WorldChanging, Alex Steffen writes about the lack of vision seen in Science Fiction, at least regarding the near future. His Article Science Fiction, Futurism and the Failure of the Will to Imagine,
notes what I have already noted previously. He sees the issue as too many older Science Fiction writers, and not enough from the younger generations.

William Gibson on the future

I found it interesting that William Gibson, who wrote Neuromancer and a number of other cool books is having the same problems I am with writing. He describes not being able to get a feel for the future.

Take a look at his interview and let me know what you think.

A Short Update

Well, it has been a busy month for me, and I have not kept up with the Blog. I have been looking at a few others though, including Larry Lessing, Althouse, Dana Boyd, and Dr Helen.

I have not seen much in the news that has drastically changed in any way, but there have been incremental advances in Bio-fuels and green technologies that seem to hold some promise. The simplest of these is an idea I found at matteran energy, where they are creating a simple system to use the energy around us. There are supposedly greater things afoot, but details are sadly lacking.

I continue looking for the ideas that might be great enough to change the future, but from my present perspective, I do not see any one thing that will be the 'magic bullet' that will turn around the present state of the planet.

Imagining the changes in the near future

I sometimes get discouraged, that the world is going into the sink. Then i find a site like WorldChanging, where it seems that some people actually are working together to make the world a better place for the future. While they do not show any technology that is 'outside the box', making the box work for those outside the U.S. and EU is an accomplishment as well.

the near future and data retention

Just saw a lecture about the near future, that is what we might be able to expect in the next twenty years or so. the main point was that data storage and retention will change how we view ourselves and the world. Please go and read, as it is very insightful.

Will the past continued to be ignored in the future?

I just read a convincing article where the author noted that Mohammad may never have been to Jerusalem, and the pretensions that Islam may have about the past.

Is it Just Islam, or are other faiths and/or governments also guilty?