Well, I've
just watched "I, Robot" for the first time. If you mixed that with "Tron" and "Barbarella" I'd be happy enough.
No, really, I'd rather live in a world of Wright's best buildings on every block, with LOTS of gardens and parks, water and trees, animals and vegetables. Sun and moon, full all the time. Sunsets and fog and rainbows and snow.
And nice-feeling teapots.
Heath,
The future is a tug of war between technology being worn (Borg style inside and outside of us) and technology being lived inside (environments in which the technology permeates the environment and operates on us regardless of what we do). Both are potentially great and potentially nightmares. Both could emerge and converge in tandem; i.e., we could embrace some of both simultaneously.
Design will increasingly be a response to these two technological capabilities and to the human individual's emotional and psychological response to this emerging technotronic state.
I am saying you are basically posing a question that might also have been posed on the brink of, or early in the bronze age, or industrial revolution, also. Good question. Can't answer it very well, because I'm not a designer.
The future always has two tracks.
1. The future is so bright, we have to wear shades.
2. The future, like shit, happens.
Technology, at any given time, shapes the opportunity set. Then human individuals, operating in emergent complexity fraught with unforeseeable consequences, make the choices with limited knowledge.
Given that
we do seem to be on the brink of either wonder or madness, is there evidence of a similar feeling at the beginning of the industrial age --or at some other watershed moment in history ?
Thanks for that image, Heath. I've seen other Tony Garnier drawings but not that one. I should read more about him -- I do like the aesthetic detail of what he shows. Those trees are encouraging, too. . .
I dream of...
Healthy people with plenty of food and health care; a healthy planet with abundant biodiversity, no religion or nationalism to fuel wars and warm, comfortable homes that are not filled with stupid useless crap like video games and radio-reactive dancing santas.
It'll never happen, but I dream of it.
As hard as it is, I vote for...
As hard as it is, I vote for Olive's version, which seems somehow possible, even if we must endure a few radioactive Santas in many homes for awhile. As a buddy of mine always wisely writes me in his Christmas card, let's put Christ back Christmas or the X back in X-mas, whichever you might prefer.
History
This raises an interesting historical point. One example, one of the most successful cultures in human was that of ancient Egypt. Yet their best and most creative period both in terms of art and technology was arguably a couple centuries at the outset. For the next 1000+ years they were in a glorious artistic and technological stupor. As a species we evolve on conflict and tend to stagnate when things are easy. I think it's a pretty typical primate sociology.
James, I agree, in...
James, I agree, in part....My mother used to proclaim "Desperation breeds creativity"...which is quite true.
As for my vision of the future... Too many factors to consider, but generally...
Within a hundred years or so, I don't think it'll be too unlike the world we live in now. Looking back on our history, we haven't changed that much in 50-100 years...but the evolution or improvement of various elements has profoundly shaped the world as we know it. I'm sure we all agree, the most influential and obvious, is computer technology (nanotech) and it's greater integration into our everyday lives...scary, as it'll likely be highly intrusive into our privacy...or have the capacity to be.
"Green" technology should be by then the norm and not an expensive luxury.
Someone on this forum pointed out there's a boundary where technology gets beyond reason or frivolously unneeded...like being integrated into clothing as a form of micro-climate...or "The Clapper" like devices throughout our homes, though useful, certainly unneeded excess. Most reasonable and rational people would see through this.
That's 5 more than me !
That's 5 more than me !
(Maybe it's a nationality thing ?)
I remember as a child in the 60s/70s glued to science programmes that showed us the 'future'
Personal Jet Packs, video phones and the like..
A lot of things seem to have crept in the back door..there was no mention of the flat screen TV, for example
I guess some things just hadn't been thought of, or deemed necessary ?
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