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  • From: EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Technology
  • Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2006 01:18:40 -0500



Rob wrote:
The talk about oil, better gas mileage and the hope of technology to
get us by in the future got me to thinking.

Technology is our only hope for keeping things running in this modern
world of billions and billions of people. If the technology doesn't
come thru we are all in a big hurt.

Again, I am going to recommend the book The Long Emergency..




I think about the technology that's come about in the last 40 years,
I use 40 years because I can remember that far back. I remember
cheap gas and the 'no gas' signs. I remember when a car getting 100k
miles was a big deal, today I expect 250-300k. I remember black and
white TV with 4 channels and rabbit ears, I remember going to the
grocery store to test vacuum tubes in their machine,

Me too, and wow, I had totally forgotten about that until you mentioned it!


today I use satellite and have more channels than I care to
watch. I remember building a crystal radio and my first transistor radio. I remember when only Dick Tracy had a personal phone (his was
on his wrist watch), I keep mine in my pocket today. My first commercial plane trip was in a prop driven plane (I don't remember it). I remember my first time seeing a hand held calculator that would not only add-subtract-multiply & divide but would do square roots at the touch of a button! Today I talk with people all over the
world with the computer in my living room, my wife like to use the other computer to play backgammon with people all over the world.

A few years back, I tried to reteach myself how to use a slide rule. I
think I did it, don't remember for sure right now, and probably couldn't
use one today if I still had one. I recall learning to use one in the
7th grade..
In 6th grade, I was in an "enrichment class" the forerunner to today's
gifted programs...(hard to believe after the cornucopian mind thread, I
know) My project was an audiovisual presentation on Skylab. It took me
over a month to research, take the pictures, develop the slides, choose
the music, and create the 30 minute presentation. Today, with
Powerpoint on my PC, I could create a similar presentation in about an
hour, and send it all over the world.



I lived thru numerous childhood illnesses with the help of penicillin. Today my 16 yo daughter is still alive 9 months after finding out she had leukemia.

((((Hugs to you, Rob))) I am now officially wistful.



Technology is a double edge sword but it's our only real hope for the
future.


Sadly, this is true because most people won't look backwards in time and
change the way they live. Technology makes things easier and quicker.
Every once in a while something radically rocks our little techno world,
(nanoscience, genetic mods, etc.), and we can only hope that more good
comes from those achievements than bad.
By nature, I am pessimistic, but I try to be hopeful that technology
will find ways to solve the worlds problems...that's cornucopian, I know.

Bev
--
BevanRon of EarthNSky Farm NW Georgia USDA Zone 7
34.498N 85.076W Bev is Earth, Ron is Sky





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