X-Message-Number: 14164 From: Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2000 17:11:57 EDT Subject: Looking back at 21st century I am often late, so I try to get some advance when I can :-) I would give here a look at what we could see in the comming century. This is a personal view, and I have no crystal ball to be sure. So this is as much a window on my way of thinking as on the time to come. If I look back to the 20th century and ask myself : What was the great discoveries and technologies, I would put quantum mechanics and relativity in the discovery basket, but there was not much effect on the day to day life. The big technologies was: concrete, Taylor division of work (car production) and consummer credit. Computers, biotechs and the like was too late to count. From this past experience, what would I expect next? In the transport domain, I think high speed train could be included in the car domain. In cities, a car would use electricity from fuel cells or flywheel, on road, may be up to 50 - 100 miles, a gas turbine or modern two strokes engine would take over. For longer travels the car would be loaded on trains with motor on every boggies. Using 3rd rail electricity feeding, the speed could be as high as 500mph. The driver would stay in the car so that the system is a door to door integrated transport. Sorry, I don't see large use of flying car, even if they are a technological possibility. Balloons are the second winner.GPS-like systems alows rather simple robotic flight and weather satellites free them from meteorological problems. They could move house units from place to place and bring to them essential products such fuel for fuel cells and water. With that system, even very remote location could be attractive. Before the car, the choice was between a bad life in the country or a not as bad life in the town. Now the choice extends to the suburb, in fifty years it will include all the planet. What about real estate in the Sahara or the Atacama ? Buying in the Australian outback could be a good bet. The real value of that exercise is here: To guess where will be to market tomorow. Modern balloons have a very big economical potential because they open the full planet surface to housing. Yvan Bozzonetti. Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=14164