Why technology?

robert80

Dear all I would like to kindly ask you for your oppinion. I believe that technology as I see should be stopped at some point. I mean the basic science should evolve and the technology needed for basic science. Since the start of industrialization, we are fighting for lets say imaginary comfort. For this imaginary comfort we are paying very high price , we need to be much more productive and we are destroying the planet. In future, we would need to develop much higher technology in order to clean it to former non poluted state. And this just for the sake of comfort. It seems contradictory. Because with new technology how to clean the planet, we could ruin another natural balance and so on and on...So in future we will have to devolop medicines for the illnesses we will cause...

Dr Lots-o'watts

So what should we do?

Pengwuino

Go live in a forest for a year and you'll see how "imaginary" your comfort really is.

russ_watters

I'd wager a lot of money that if you didn't have all that "imaginary comfort", you'd be pretty upset.

Danger

I can understand your reasoning, Robert, but disagree with it. At night, I snuggle down in my bed and fantasize that I'm in a cave or log cabin (the latter comes from my Adventure Quest house). Even better is a cabin inside of a cave, to have full shelter from the elements and also keep out critters. It makes me very comfortable, especially when there's howling snow outside. My little pet sabre-tooth Lucy curled up behind my legs just makes it better. I have my thermostat permanently set at 27°, though, and have indoor plumbing, so I'm pretty sure that I would not be nearly as comfortable in a real cave or cabin. Also, I'm quite happy to have full access to vaccines and MRI's.

Pattonias

It seems to me that the current trends will lead to a reduction in our impact on the environment. If we were to stay the course and stop developing technology we would do more harm than good.

Danger

Agreed. Now, we have to start working on this population explosion. While I don't quite go along with China's enforcement policy, I am a firm believer in ZPG. Two kids per couple should be the maximum. I have personally contributed by having none, but that doesn't make up for the ex-wife spewing out 6 of the damned things before I met her.

Mathnomalous

War, disease, and famine will take care of that.

Danger

Folks a couple of generations back believed that same thing, and the world's population has doubled since then. I know that it's a cheery thought, but I don't believe it.

yaang

So you're saying we should do more research and develop even more new technologies which will in return make us more efficient and productive ?

robert80

I believe at some point near in the future, well have to stop thinking about comfort.I mean if we werent to develop mobile phones, we would not miss them... We just got spoilt of technology...

JaredJames

Eventually we'll hit a barrier, but there's not reason to stop trying to develop things.

What you are saying sounds like a statement from a person who has no requirement for further development.

What if you were someone terminally ill? Would you like to think someones working on a cure or would you be happy knowing we've given up because we don't feel we should develop anymore? (Remember, the cure could be a piece of revolutionary technology, not just some medicine.)

Just because you don't want / need something, doesn't mean anyone else feels the same. I'd say that sort of thinking is rather selfish.

CRGreathouse

That's negative population growth, not ZPG.

Jack21222

And yet you're posting this through a computing device of some sort through the internet. Interesting...

JaredJames

Exactly, the OP is at a point where they are comfortable, or believes there is a point where they will no longer need advancements. Just because they don't, doesn't mean others will share that feeling.

The "time to stop" being pushed here is decided purely by the individual.

Dr Lots-o'watts

So maybe we should all lower the heat a little. Like, try to adapt to 15degC instead of 21degC.

VonDoom

How is that negative population growth? It looks like each 1 person has exactly 1 replacement.