Humanity in 300 years?

[Earth001]

So recently I have been watching Amerlca The story of us and it has gotten me thinking on how much has changed in 300 years from 1714 to 2014. Lots have changed for the better. I wonder how will life change from 2014 to 2314? Will it be better or worse?

 

[Superwoman Prime]

I doubt we'll be here. Whether through our extinction or planetary exodus, I doubt earth will be much inhabited by humans in three hundred years.

 

[Breogan]

After this comes extinction...

by this...

 

[Superwoman Prime]

Our Commander Shepard will probably be an idiot who chooses the Refuse Ending.

 

[Warhammer]

We'll be getting fatter more than likely. But in terms of morality or standards of living, we can only be getting better. Look at how s*** was 60 years ago. How about 100 or 150 years ago? When looking at how far things have progressed, it's takes an ignorant, dumb, negative Nancy with absolutely zero perspective to say that things are getting worse for humanity.

 

[Soapy]

If I'm feeling optimistic I'm thinking our future will be similar to dystopian cyberpunk fiction. If I feel pessimistic, I imagine all or nearly all of us will be dead by then either by our own doing or via some massive natural calamity. Unfortunately, I just don't think the bright, shining Star Trek future is realistically in the cards for us.

 

[KevanG]

Technology should be interesting. We've gone from wind up cars and weeks to travel across an ocean to limited space travel including a orbital space station and a planetary communications network with instantaneous communication abilities and information sharing in a century.

Sociologically, things would be very interesting due to the rapid change in standards in the human condition in the last century alone. We'll still have issues of course, that's a given but when we do start populating other planets one has to wonder if there will be prejudice against people who grew up not on Earth.

Like Futurama predicted I'm sure that this will be known as the Stupid Ages due to the massive technological leaps and otherwise and our complete idiocy on how we've dealt with the planet as a whole.

 

[Breogan]

Technology should be interesting. We've gone from wind up cars and weeks to travel across an ocean to limited space travel including a orbital space station and a planetary communications network with instantaneous communication abilities and information sharing in a century.

Wut?
\

Sociologically, things would be very interesting due to the rapid change in standards in the human condition in the last century alone. We'll still have issues of course, that's a given but when we do start populating other planets one has to wonder if there will be prejudice against people who grew up not on Earth.

Like Futurama predicted I'm sure that this will be known as the Stupid Ages due to the massive technological leaps and otherwise and our complete idiocy on how we've dealt with the planet as a whole.

plants just need Brawndo..
\

cos
\

 

[KevanG]

I like Idiocracy too.

 

[Shikamaru]

We don't even know how humanity will be like in 100 years. Look at how far we've come in the 20th century. This century can advance just as fast or even faster.

 

[Warhammer]

We could also become Morlocks.

 

[Breogan]

We could also become Morlocks.

Or worse - Eloi.
To stupid to even know they are bred as cattle/food for the Morlocks.

 

[Warhammer]

Hmmm, yep. That too. That scene at the end of The Time Machine always did piss me off.

 

[Thundercrack85]

So recently I have been watching Amerlca The story of us and it has gotten me thinking on how much has changed in 300 years from 1714 to 2014. Lots have changed for the better. I wonder how will life change from 2014 to 2314? Will it be better or worse?

I don't think anyone can really see that far ahead. I mean, in the next hundred years, we're going to see the advent of genetic engineering, true artificial intelligence, nuclear war etc.

In 300 years, we could have an interstellar empire, or be extinct.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

The others I agree with (plus cloning extinct species), but why do you think nuclear war is a foregone conclusion?

 

[zeroapoc]

Yeah if it didn't happen in the darkest days of the cold war I don't see why some think it's inevitable. Honestly I think Mutually Assured Destruction will be replaced by Mutually Assured Defense, rendering the whole thought invalid.

The "we'll be extinct" pessimism is silly and is just the effect of being unable to imagine something so far after the end of our own personal existence.

 

[Thundercrack85]

The others I agree with (plus cloning extinct species), but why do you think nuclear war is a foregone conclusion?

Well, I think it's inevitable. Nuclear weapons have one hell of a shelf life. Terrorism isn't going anywhere, rogue states can now acquire them. And then there's China, which is becoming increasingly territorial.

I think World War III is a foregone conclusion. Not that matter of if, but when.

And that's really just looking fifty years into the future. In three hundred, anything can happen.

 

[KevanG]

As much as I'd love to see some sort of Star Trek thing going on, I really doubt it would all come to that. At best I imagine it'll just be the United Nations 'IN SPACE!!'

 

[Thundercrack85]

Yeah if it didn't happen in the darkest days of the cold war I don't see why some think it's inevitable. Honestly I think Mutually Assured Destruction will be replaced by Mutually Assured Defense, rendering the whole thought invalid.

I don't feel like giving a history lesson. But in 1960's, we didn't have to worry about rogue states and terrorists with nuclear weapons. Now we do. In fifty years, there is no telling what will happen.

I'd also remind you that we were on the brink.

The "we'll be extinct" pessimism is silly and is just the effect of being unable to imagine something so far after the end of our own personal existence.

It's certainly a possibility given what's to come.

 

[Warhammer]

I'm of the opinion that the idea of a nuclear Holocaust is a deterrent within itself.

 

[Thundercrack85]

Now that non superpower actors have nuclear weapons, that's no longer the case. Consider, North Korea collapses, North Korean factions begin infighting, with nuclear weapons in play.

That's just a very simple example.

But this is only the start. Right now we have to worry about nations (Pakistan, and North Korea). Very soon (i.e. next fifty years) that could be factions.

Regional nuclear war is a very real possibility in this century.

 

[zeroapoc]

I think World War III is a foregone conclusion.

It's not.

 

[zeroapoc]

It's certainly a possibility given what's to come.

You say that as if you have any idea what's to come. I don't, and neither do you.

 

[Thundercrack85]

You say that as if you have any idea what's to come. I don't, and neither do you.

That's just silly. Of course we have and idea of what's to come.

If you don't, you should read the news more.

And if you think the idea that we might go extinct in 300 years is an impossibility, then it sounds to me like you seem to think you know something I don't.

 

[Teelie]

It's not.

Nope, we'll be having Worlds War I. t:

Seriously though I think we'll be closer to a future where we're still colonizing the solar system and maybe have made it to other systems and begun colonizing there.

As always there will be wars and problems like famine or inequality but they will be less severe than what we have now. There is a lot of promise in extra-planetary and solar colonizing if we can ever make it happen.