h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A computer program that can really translate (not like altavista babelfish - that's horrid) But that would put *me* out of a job, too!

Well, here's some stuff that BT predict will be invented in the next 45 years:

www.btplc.com/Innovation/News/timeline/

Seems a bit ridiculous but they're claiming an 80%ish accuracy rate for the last one they did .

And personally I think its pretty clear that the march of technology is speeding up.

A cure for cancer could be an invention if it was constructed rather than found. It'd probably be some combination: finding the right source, and right methods to refine it into a usable treatment.

And I have to say, if most people lack the imagination to come up with something completely new (or perhaps they haven't put in the perspiration?), that doesn't mean that the possibility isn't there. If all knowable knowledge is unlimited or the limit is significantly higher than what we've already achieved, either or which seems likely enough to me, then surely the frontier of our knowledge is getting broader?

Some of it's clearly a joke... But I like the "materials" idea - even having good vaccum glass would be quite an achievement!

Well, a Brain Black Box would be quite something. And a space drive, so we don't have to use those messy rockets. And gravity generators/shielders. Custom made pets are already on the way. As for inventing/discovering the cure for cancer it would probably be a combination. Like when they find a new vaccine, they usually have to find some way to synthesize it before it can be used much. So even if they discover something in a flower in the amazon jungle, they still have to invent something.

In terms of medical 'inventions', something that woul be nice to see, and I belive there was talk of it a few years back whilst everyone was still drunk celibrating the completion of the Human Genome project, is a means of 'Drug profiling' individuals; Effectively screening an individuals genetic sequence, to find out exactly which drugs are best suited to an individual True yet again a lot of the technology is already here, but the application and 'finalisation' of producing a useful, productive method of doing this would certianly be novel We are still as yet in teh infancy of such scientific areas as nanotechnology, and certainly anything that begins coming out of that will be new invention material; 'inteligent' building design, incorperating nanotechnology, the scopes, potentially for its applications go as far as the mind can imagine them to do ...

Phasers with a setting other than "stun".

RF

The official h2g2 phaser settings:

1. Chinese burn
2. Cauliflower ear
3. Black eye
4. Game leg
5. A nasty cold
6. Sprained ankle
7. Gout
8. OCD
9. Influenza
10. Wooden overcoat
11. Spinal Tap

A thingy to stop GodBen being such a little tyke!

I just want to second (or third) the brain black box idea. That would, in effect make us immortal, but without the messy over-population problem. Just download your pre-backed-up memories and knowledge into another head. Growing of organs is already in the pipline, so as long as a blank body/head can be grown successfully, any ethical issues as to donor bodies will be overcome.

Come to think of it that won't really solve an over-poplulation problem, but it will lead to some very experienced 'young' people.

How about *really* inventing the space elevator, which would essentially mean inventing very strong, light rope.

Something to join up the hot air balloon which could get us to the fringes of space and the solar sail which could allow us to move around in space, without lots of chemical or nuclear splats of high energy.

Some kind of metal alloy chain, I'd think, or carbon fibres.

How about a massive electric helter-skelter?

That way you don't need to 'take-off' as such, you just build up speed on a mono-rail type thing that circles the earth a few times until you launch off the end of it.

Actually launching would be the easy part- building the helter-skelter would be harder, and would involve permission ftom lots of countries...

Actually, I really like that idea of mine Even though it would take years, posibly decades to build, and many billions of currency, once built, it would be extremely efficient. Launch costs would be low, and you could have vehicles launching as frequntly as you like- one an hour even...

Any comments on why this wouldn't work?

A series of space elevators could easily be built and connected, all around the world - aeroplanes would become obsolete, shuttles could run along the connections, needing only a push, really, to travel back and forth, and getting passengers into orbit is virtually "energy neutral"

I'm not convinced that a space elevator would ever work. Never have been. The principle in terms of net energy expenditure is just not viable.

B

You're right. Displacement is the answer.

RF

That depends on whether you'Re bringing extra mass down, perhaps by mining other planets.

It still wouldn't work. The weight of stuff going down would never balance the stuff going up. That's not how energy works.

Methinks you've ben brainwashed by Stewart/Cohen/Pratchett. I'm not convinced they ever believed in it either, but it did make a very handy analogy.

B

No, I believe it *would* work, if there was a way to harness the friction on the way down, which is the main "lost" energy.