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View Full Version : Speculations On The Future Of Technology... What Are Your Ideas?



maynoth
January 10th, 2008, 10:22 PM
I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on what technology we may see in our lifetime. Here is my vision of the future. (assuming special interests don't disrupt it)

Listed in chronological order from the near future to distant future.
Also with links to interesting related tech stories.

1. Ubiquitous solar power, we transform the deserts into solar farms, and harvest more energy than we can ever use. The cost of solar photovoltaic systems drops far below the cost of fossil fuels. The cost of manufacturing and recycling goods, especially those which required lots of energy like melting steel or other metals, drops dramatically, increasing our standard of living by an order of magnitude.

Solar Now Cheaper Than Coal:
http://www.celsias.com/2007/11/23/nanosolars-breakthrough-technology-solar-now-cheaper-than-coal/

Cheaper 60% Efficiency Solar Power:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/4243793.html

2. Solid State energy storage becomes a reality, via ultra capacitors made with carbon nanotubes and structures.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EEStor
http://money.cnn.com/2006/09/15/technology/disruptors_eestor.biz2/index.htm
http://lees.mit.edu/lees/ultracapacitors.htm
http://www.gizmag.com/go/5192/


For mechanical energy storage using pneumatic systems (compressed air) becomes feasible, powering all our cars with compressed air.

http://www.theaircar.com/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmqpGZv0YT4


3. Cold Fusion is achieved using spherical electromagnetic confinement, and becomes economically feasible. Providing us with the energy necessary to lots of neat things. Fusion rocketry via ion propulsion, exploring the the solar system.

http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/04/22/2115249
http://revver.com/video/458826/nuclear-fusion-helium-3/
http://youtube.com/watch?v=H9NO84uvrg8
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-eS8Uep0z4o


4. A quantum revolution. We succeed in developing Quantum Computers, and Quantum Telecommunication (via quantum entanglement) We have more computational power than we know how to utilize. Our Quantum telecommunication systems, eliminate the need to run expensive fiber optic, and work at any location on earth or beyond.

NASA Helps Manufacture Worlds First Quantum Computer:
http://www.itworld.com/Tech/3494/070309nasaquantum/index.html
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2094849,00.asp

Quantum Telecommunications:
http://www2.nbi.ku.dk/side36201.htm
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/070905_quantum.htm
http://mr.caltech.edu/media/Press_Releases/PR12776.html

5. We succeed in reverse engineering human neural algorithms, and use our abundance of computational power to build not just Artificial Intelligence, but Actual Intelligence, Sapient AI. This AI can pull itself up by its own bootstraps, and expand and refine its own intelligence exponentially. I believe if designed and raised correctly, that such an intelligence would be benevolent, and seek to uplift us, not destroy us, after all we ourselves are just super advanced carbon nanotechnology.

Researchers Recreate Virtual Rat Brain In Super Computer:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,466789,00.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/dec/20/research.it
http://bluebrain.epfl.ch/


6. We eventually grok(completely understand) our very dna programming, and can reprogram ourselves to match or surpass that of our quantum technology. We do not become obsolete, but instead evolve into beings so far beyond our understanding currently we would call them Gods.

7. All life on earth becomes completely interconnected, and we become one being. Much like cells in our body, and brain give rise to our being. We are still separate and independently thinking units, so it is not quite like the borg. We retain our individuality, but work collectively for the good of the whole. We become the braincells of a completely new collective consciousness.


8. The earth becomes a living entity, we can move the planet completely via our our own locomotion. We mine or essentially eat other planets or non living worlds extracting their elemental resources and excreting the excess, perhaps even reproducing via mitosis.

9. We experience an explosion in scientific knowledge and expansion, beyond anything in our wildest dreams. We finally understand the workings of the universe, and ourselves. We have the power to rewrite ourselves and our environment as we see fit, we are in complete control of the dream. In essence we have achieved enlightenment via scientific, and rational means, apotheosis.

gn2
January 10th, 2008, 11:53 PM
Current computers are the single cell organisms which will develop into the next type of intelligent life, replacing organic life forms, which will die out due to the resources they rely on being exhausted.
The new inorganic life forms will go on to travel through the universe.

Daveski
January 11th, 2008, 12:05 AM
9. We experience an explosion in scientific knowledge and expansion, beyond anything in our wildest dreams. We finally understand the workings of the universe, and ourselves. We have the power to rewrite ourselves and our environment as we see fit, we are in complete control of the dream. In essence we have achieved enlightenment via scientific, and rational means, apotheosis.

Sounds like there would be nothing left to learn, and that seems pretty dreadful.

hhhhhx
January 11th, 2008, 12:11 AM
Current computers are the single cell organisms which will develop into the next type of intelligent life, replacing organic life forms, which will die out due to the resources they rely on being exhausted.
The new inorganic life forms will go on to travel through the universe.

i dont think we will last that long. my bet is that we will end up blowing up ourselfs :lolflag:

fatality_uk
January 11th, 2008, 10:57 AM
I just want a waffle maker that doesn't burn my waffles in the morning and makes me a perfect waffle.

I mean CMON scientists, GET IT SORTED

popch
January 11th, 2008, 11:20 AM
I just want a waffle maker that doesn't burn my waffles in the morning and makes me a perfect waffle.

I mean CMON scientists, GET IT SORTED

As the old saying goes: there are no technology solutions to management problems. I suggest to get a partner who makes waffles.

bufsabre666
January 11th, 2008, 12:15 PM
I just want a waffle maker that doesn't burn my waffles in the morning and makes me a perfect waffle.

I mean CMON scientists, GET IT SORTED

i want one that makes my waffles right, they always come out floppy

we need a happy medium to this

fatality_uk
January 11th, 2008, 01:17 PM
mybe now Mr. Gates is unemployed, we can give him a project to get his teeth into.
THE PERFECT WAFFLE MAKER

No, hang on. I can see an MS waffle maker dialog box now.

"I am about to cook your waffles. Are you sure?"

"Do you want your waffles to be cooked to exacly the same specification as last time?"

"I am sorry. You do NOT have user privilages to make that type of waffle. Please contact our waffle administrator for further help"

allforcarrie
January 11th, 2008, 01:22 PM
after reading Kim stanley robinson's Mars trilogy i would have to say that the longevity treatment is only a matter of time. :)

Daveski
January 11th, 2008, 01:43 PM
mybe now Mr. Gates is unemployed, we can give him a project to get his teeth into.
THE PERFECT WAFFLE MAKER


It would probably be called 'Microsoft Live Waffle'.

gn2
January 11th, 2008, 01:45 PM
mybe now Mr. Gates is unemployed, we can give him a project to get his teeth into.
THE PERFECT WAFFLE MAKER

No, hang on. I can see an MS waffle maker dialog box now.

"I am about to cook your waffles. Are you sure?"

"Do you want your waffles to be cooked to exacly the same specification as last time?"

"I am sorry. You do NOT have user privilages to make that type of waffle. Please contact our waffle administrator for further help"

"A virus has been detected in your waffle which has been quarantined for removal.
Please select an alternative nutrition source from our partner site www.vistabreakfast.con"

popch
January 11th, 2008, 05:45 PM
longevity treatment is only a matter of time.

lol to the max

AnonCat
January 11th, 2008, 06:24 PM
3. Cold Fusion is achieved using spherical electromagnetic confinement, and becomes economically feasible. Providing us with the energy necessary to lots of neat things. Fusion rocketry via ion propulsion, exploring the the solar system.

I hope the darkhorse of fusion technology, polywell technology, continues receiving investment. If it does prove viable in the end, it'll be the cheapest and quickest path to commercial fusion-based energy generation rather than the big tokamaks that seem to go nowhere and are extremely expensive.

Tundro Walker
January 12th, 2008, 10:17 AM
I like your thoughts on reprogramming our DNA. Too many folks are thinking short-sightedly, EG: we need to cure cancer. Screw that. If we can manipulate our own genetics, we can PREVENT cancer.

They're already doing minor gene therapy, which is cool in and of itself, but nothing majorly "cool" yet. EG: folks still have to rely upon the very hackish, physical lap-band surgery to control hunger and eating instead of something elegant like gene therapy to re-write their metabolic DNA code.

Gene therapy and genetic modification is still in its infancy, but will grow pretty fast as long as the pharmaceutical companies don't try to slow things down. After all, any genetic modification to improve us will mean some "band-aid" drug is no longer needed. Much like entrenched management can keep a company in the dark ages, entrenched big business can keep progress from happening, too, just because they don't want to lose their profit margin (for an example, look at RIAA, DRM and the record industry...if it were up to them, there wouldn't be digital media, because they can't control it and profit from it as easily.)

I think there will be a merging of man/machine shortly after genetic modification gets into full swing. There may be some cyber-punkish merging, with metallic limbs and such, but I think we'll quickly blow past that and just go right to internal nano's. Imagine not having to use the bathroom ever again, or only having to eat once a month, because your body has nanites that recycle your waste. Or, nano's that work with your endocrine system to not only bulk you up, but "exercise" you while you're sitting still, perhaps even reconstructing your muscle fibers, tendons and ligaments with enhanced material to make them stronger.

The potential for greatness beyond our means is very exciting, but the potential for abuse is also very alarming.

Nomen Luni
January 12th, 2008, 02:03 PM
I love all the people that say that in the future they'd all like to live longer - these are the same peope that complain about being bored on a rainy afternoon. :)

forrestcupp
January 12th, 2008, 04:13 PM
7. We retain our individuality, but work collectively for the good of the whole.

Lol, seriously. The whole world? Not in a million years.

popch
January 12th, 2008, 04:16 PM
Lol, seriously. The whole world?

What's left of it after the steps before that item, I would presume.

edm1
January 12th, 2008, 05:06 PM
6. We eventually grok(completely understand) our very dna programming, and can reprogram ourselves to match or surpass that of our quantum technology. We do not become obsolete, but instead evolve into beings so far beyond our understanding currently we would call them Gods.

7. All life on earth becomes completely interconnected, and we become one being. Much like cells in our body, and brain give rise to our being. We are still separate and independently thinking units, so it is not quite like the borg. We retain our individuality, but work collectively for the good of the whole. We become the braincells of a completely new collective consciousness.


8. The earth becomes a living entity, we can move the planet completely via our our own locomotion. We mine or essentially eat other planets or non living worlds extracting their elemental resources and excreting the excess, perhaps even reproducing via mitosis.

9. We experience an explosion in scientific knowledge and expansion, beyond anything in our wildest dreams. We finally understand the workings of the universe, and ourselves. We have the power to rewrite ourselves and our environment as we see fit, we are in complete control of the dream. In essence we have achieved enlightenment via scientific, and rational means, apotheosis.

Points 6-9 show little biological understanding. I think in the future we have to look towards the biologist for our technological advances. Not in a way that will create some kind of super-being but just in order to provide enough renewable resources for us so that we can carry on being the dominant species that we are today. Have a look at photobioreactors for the production of hydrogen. At the moment solar panels are generally around 25% efficient, yes they have a theortical maximum of 60%, but photobioreactors are more than 80% efficient because thats what algae is good at. Whatever we do we have to do it quickly because the rate we're going at the moment it wont be long before the 6th mass extinction we're driving ourselves towards, but then again that wouldn't be such a bad thing for life on earth.

TenPlus1
January 12th, 2008, 05:21 PM
I think all communications will be through a single cable/fibre network and voip will take over voice and streaming torrent's will take over cable tv... the faster the switches get, the faster everyone's communication will automatically become...

forrestcupp
January 12th, 2008, 06:06 PM
What's left of it after the steps before that item, I would presume.
Good point. After the super-human race either destroys the other insubordinate people or forces them into a slave race, the entire world will be forced to work together for the common good of the world. "The common good" will be decided by whichever super-human is the strongest and most power-hungry, whether or not it actually benefits anyone other than those who have been bred as super-humans.

popch
January 12th, 2008, 06:12 PM
Good point. After the super-human race either destroys the other insubordinate people or forces them into a slave race, the entire world will be forced to work together for the common good of the world. "The common good" will be decided by whichever super-human is the strongest and most power-hungry, whether or not it actually benefits anyone other than those who have been bred as super-humans.

The part of your post which I emphasised is, of course, another outcome which I think very likely. After so much of civilisation has been disrupted, people might have to work again for a change, as opposed to sitting behind desks and darkening sheets of paper.

Tundro Walker
January 13th, 2008, 08:02 AM
"A virus has been detected in your waffle which has been quarantined for removal.
Please select an alternative nutrition source from our partner site www.vistabreakfast.con"

"I'm sorry, those waffles violate DRM standards. As such, we cannot cook them, and have notified the authorities. Next time, please purchase your waffles from certified, reputable Microsoft Waffle dealers."

Tundro Walker
January 13th, 2008, 08:29 AM
Whatever we do we have to do it quickly because the rate we're going at the moment it wont be long before the 6th mass extinction we're driving ourselves towards, but then again that wouldn't be such a bad thing for life on earth.

Before you get dooms-dayish, you have to remember that matter can neither be created nor destroyed, merely altered in state. Unless we're firing off tons of resources into space (which, yes, we have via rockets and satellites), there's still plenty of resources on the Earth to sustain us for a very long time. However, we should get some kind of population control in place (better than we're doing now), to ensure we don't max out or sustainable resources.

Currently, we're doing a lot of things inefficiently. We're using fossil fuels, mostly because it's still convenient with the huge infrastructure we've got in place. As those run out, we'll switch over to solar and geo-thermal energy (where they pump water into the ground to super-heat, then capture the returning steam to power generators).

And, we're wasting land by raising cattle on it, which has a higher cost / lower output nutritional-wise when compared to something lower on the food chain, like insects or algae.

As times change, the population expands, and resources change, we'll optimize what we do, either because it's better for us or because of necessity. But it's not like the world will just end all once because of something like fossil fuels running out.

However, as technology increases, the amount of people needed to create a dooms-day device decreases. This can lead to these "hiccups" in progress, where some small terrorist group nukes a city because they're pissed off about something. Or, we could end up creating super-viruses that wipe us out. Or, the "gray goo" scenario, where our nano-machines run out of control and devour everything. These might be instant-death scenarios. But, so is flying in a plane. The higher the risk, the more preparation and safety is taken into consideration.

My biggest worry is that genetic alteration and nano augmentation will just increase the divide amongst the rich and poor. Currently, a poor person can still make something of themselves if they're gifted and get a scholarship, or work hard and go to school. But, sooner or later, the rich folks will just go out and buy genetic alterations to make their stupid kids ultra-smart, athletic, and "perfect". Add in some nano-augs, which would cost money to get, and it will just widen the gap that much more, to the point that no matter how gifted a poor person is, they'll never be as good as an enhanced rich person who can afford to alter themself from the start. Cases of megalomania could rise.

However, again, it's not like all of this will happen overnight. It will happen gradually, and we'll work through the problems gradually, too.

Methuselah
January 13th, 2008, 08:44 AM
Most research is going into weapons.
So the future of techology will certainly include more heinous ways for us to murder each other.

There is also sigificant research into technologies to enforce restrictions on the use of technology. Expect that to continue IMO.

Sure, there'll be 100 processors on a core and fancier computer graphics to distract us, but the greatest advances in technology will probably be working against people in general.

Yeah, I'm in a real cynical mood today. :)

edm1
January 13th, 2008, 02:23 PM
Before you get dooms-dayish, you have to remember that matter can neither be created nor destroyed, merely altered in state. Unless we're firing off tons of resources into space (which, yes, we have via rockets and satellites), there's still plenty of resources on the Earth to sustain us for a very long time.

Yes of course it does but the second law of thermodynamics says that the entropy (chaos) of a closed system will increase over time. Organised matter is useful to us, disorganised...useless. Unfortunately we currently do not possess the technology (back onto the original topic) to artificially and efficiently decrease the entropy of the earth. Seemingly there is an exception to the 2nd law of thermodynamics though...Life! Which is why i said we must look towards our biologists (something that i'm very proud to be in this day and age) for future technological advancements.


...we should get some kind of population control in place (better than we're doing now), to ensure we don't max out or sustainable resources.

As times change, the population expands, and resources change, we'll optimize what we do, either because it's better for us or because of necessity. But it's not like the world will just end all once because of something like fossil fuels running out.

(I'm going back off topic)
I'm not trying to be all dooms-day. These are both true but they won't happen. Agreed, China has a successful population control in place and despite all the ethical and moral disputes people have the fact of the matter is it has greatly increased their quality of life. How could this be implemented on a global scale without one group of people having to head the campaign and been in charge of who is controlled. Surely this is alot more scary than your super-human race. Individuals don't act for the good of their species, individuals act for the good of themselves and they always will do.

gn2
January 13th, 2008, 02:57 PM
individuals act for the good of themselves and they always will do.

If that's true Homo Sapiens is doomed to extinction. :(

But it can't be true or these forums and FOSS software wouldn't exist. :)

billgoldberg
January 13th, 2008, 03:02 PM
10 years in the future:
The mobile computer is common like the cell phone is today. Everyone still has a computer at home but it isn't being use that much.
Wireless internet is available everywhere. So you can access the internet everywhere (legally, without using "the neighbours" unsecured network).
It goes without saying that the computers will be able to do much more than the mobile computers these days. 100mbit/sec is the new standard instead of the 4.6mbit today. Alot of things will be internet based instead of being run locally.We see this today (google documents, prism, ...) but it isn't really common.

While home networks are possible today, it still remains power-user territory. As I see things, having all your computers/laptops/mobile computers/ stereo installations/tvs connect to the home server for movies/music/documents, ... will be common practice. There will be a home server next to the router/phone. This and things like linux mce to controll all of this in a nice looking skin (including the lights, doors, windows screens, badroom, ...) will be everywhere.

It also goes without saying that computers will become smaller and screens bigger. So lets say the computers will be the size of a of a 500gb mobile harddive today.

The public phones will be replaced with touchscreen computers with internet access.

Further than nobody can speculate.
If you told people in the 80s about the cell phone or the internet, hell even about how common computers are today they wouldn't have believed it. And not alot of people thought it would ever be this way.

I see a bright future for computers. I just hate the fact that I won't be here to see how computers will be in a 1000 years (if things continue to evolve like today an there isn't a next "middleages".)

The thing I don't ever see happening are:
- robots (like in irobot or even as in the terminator)
- flying cars
- jetpack (am I the only one who sees red from "that 70's show" flying away with his jetpack?)
- things like stargate of startrek where we have space ships going to hyperdrive saying we will never go beyond the speed of light
- virtual reality (that died in the 90s, didn't it?)

Some "out of there" ideas:

I am 100% sure there are aliens (the universe being infinate, we can't possilbe think we are alone) (no they haven't visited us yet, i'm no nutter).

Lets say in 100 000 years we have develloped so much that we could actually communicate with other beings in space. Then we could advance so much that if people from the 21st century would see the human race then, we would think of them as gods. (living for thousands of years, space travel, almost indistructable by todays standards, ...) Or maybe I just saw/read to much sci-fi.

billgoldberg
January 13th, 2008, 03:04 PM
Most research is going into weapons.
So the future of techology will certainly include more heinous ways for us to murder each other.


Research in weapons is what brought us this far.

Without the first and second world war and the cold war, we would never be were we are today.

billgoldberg
January 13th, 2008, 03:12 PM
If that's true Homo Sapiens is doomed to extinction. :(
:)

The homo sapien as we know it will become extinct. But that will be for the good, the evolved homo sapien will be better suited for the changed world.

The homo sapien (every one of us) isn't really designed to live in todays world. Most of the things about us are wrong for today's world.

:
The need for dominance, territory, objects, jalousy, compition, sex lead to violence, suffering, poverty and war. These are all build into the very core of the homo sapien. Once we evolve (could be in the next 100 000 to 1 000 000) years, these things will have changed. We will also be better suited for the polluted air, we will have less body fat, nobody will have hair anymore (maybe only on the head), ...
Unless you are a religous person, most people will have to agree that is the best thing that could happen to the human race.

Pethegreat
January 13th, 2008, 05:23 PM
Yes of course it does but the second law of thermodynamics says that the entropy (chaos) of a closed system will increase over time. Organised matter is useful to us, disorganised...useless. Unfortunately we currently do not possess the technology (back onto the original topic) to artificially and efficiently decrease the entropy of the earth. Seemingly there is an exception to the 2nd law of thermodynamics though...Life! Which is why i said we must look towards our biologists (something that i'm very proud to be in this day and age) for future technological advancements.

Life is not %100 efficient, and it never can be. Humans take energy, use it for growth/functions/ ect, and radiate the other %80. The source of all energy on the earth is the sun. Life takes some of that energy and reorganizes things to decrese entropy. The sun's entropy increases ever day though. We still have a few billion years, but the entropy will become too great in the solar system for us to live.


I see a bright future for computers. I just hate the fact that I won't be here to see how computers will be in a 1000 years
I have read that if Moore's law continues, it will hit a peak in about 600 years. At that point we have enough computing power to simulate the universe.


I just want a waffle maker that doesn't burn my waffles in the morning and makes me a perfect waffle.

I mean CMON scientists, GET IT SORTED
Hopefully someone will make a distributed computing project to simulate a waffle cooking. It needs to be called Waffles@home. Once we get enough info we can make a better waffle!

edm1
January 13th, 2008, 05:31 PM
Yes but earth is a closed system (i didnt say isolated) and is increasing in entropy. No life is not 100% efficient but it's a hell of a lot more efficient at capturing the sun's energy than anything man-made, ie photobioreactors are over 80% effiecient whereas solar panels and around 25% (with a theoretical maxium of %60).

oldb0y
January 13th, 2008, 05:38 PM
The need for dominance, territory, objects, jalousy, compition, sex lead to violence, suffering, poverty and war. These are all build into the very core of the homo sapien.

True, what drives humans today is the hunger for more money and power, if we can have little sexual experience on the way, we are just happy...

Tundro Walker
January 14th, 2008, 03:51 AM
Yes of course it does but the second law of thermodynamics says that the entropy (chaos) of a closed system will increase over time. Organised matter is useful to us, disorganised...useless. Unfortunately we currently do not possess the technology (back onto the original topic) to artificially and efficiently decrease the entropy of the earth. Seemingly there is an exception to the 2nd law of thermodynamics though...Life! Which is why i said we must look towards our biologists (something that i'm very proud to be in this day and age) for future technological advancements.

Agreed. Life has learned to exploit the closed environment, causing a sort of stasis by creating an ecosystem. We're learning to exploit that ecosystem, but we definitely could do a better job of it. I mean, we should have buildings that grow themselves, symbiotes that help regulate our bodies in times of stress or damage, etc. It's a real balancing act, though. When we start creating very specific organics for some purpose, organics that normally would never even evolve given our ecosystem, we can end up throwing the balance way, way off. But, again, that's where safety and precaution come into play. However, since our lifespans are only a hundred years at best, we still have a hard time tracking the long-term effects of such things. If we created organo-plant-based buildings that grew and repaired themselves, yet were stronger than steel and converted CO2 into Oxygen, we could have a very usable building structure and help eliminate green-house gases. But, what if it got out of control and super-oxygenated the atmosphere...we could potentially turn the planet into a fire-storm waiting to happen. (Wow, now I sound dooms-dayish). But, yeah, we need to exploit more of the biologic side of things.



(I'm going back off topic) I'm not trying to be all dooms-day. These are both true but they won't happen. Agreed, China has a successful population control in place and despite all the ethical and moral disputes people have the fact of the matter is it has greatly increased their quality of life. How could this be implemented on a global scale without one group of people having to head the campaign and been in charge of who is controlled. Surely this is alot more scary than your super-human race. Individuals don't act for the good of their species, individuals act for the good of themselves and they always will do.Actually, from anthro-biologic research, it appears that humans are evolving to be more altruistic and co-habitation oriented. Type "O" bloods were hunters, pack animals, so to speak. But as Type "A" blood evolved, so did a willingness to work together and get along, thus larger cities could be maintained. There's still a certain critical mass that a population within a confined space can hit, where it starts turning on itself. But the changes in humans over time, even just several thousands of years, has helped us cope with that more (not fully, just more).

But, yes, I agree with you. There are some power-hungry folks out there, and when ever someone offers something, there's usually and agenda, whether hidden or otherwise. But, it's Social Darwinism. If China does what's necessary to be more productive in the future than anyone else, well, then they're going to be leading the world in the next 50-100 years. I personally think America (where I live) has let a lot of things go to its head. We've been pretty dominant over the past 50 years, and have acted like a world-wide police. But, we've pissed people off, we've been reluctant to adopt new technologies, we've passed legislation that promotes greedy big business that sometimes squelches ingenuity, our education system has gone to crap with all this "no child left behind" junk (yes, some kids do need to be left behind...they all can't be doctors and lawyers...somebody has to say "do you want fries with that", and if they're not motivated enough to make something of themselves, even with all the help and tutelage offered them, then they need to be left behind.) Our time may be passing. And, a new care-taker shows up. It might not be someone everyone likes, but if they are "socially fit" to out-progress everyone, well, that's the way it happens.

Of course, the ringer to this is the people. There is still a certain moral balance that most folks center on. If the People decide that their out-progressing country isn't helping others, and perhaps doing more harm than good, the People might rise up and over-throw the government of their country.

The problem I fore-see with that is when military establishments become more robotic. Imagine the move "V for Vendetta" at the end if the British army was nothing but robots. They wouldn't have a moral crisis at the end and stand down. They'd simply gun down all the "hostiles" approaching the building. Human morality can still super-cede greed and power-lust. But if you remove human morality from the front-line, you can end up with very few people able to control large sums of people using robotic forces to do so.

EDIT:

I also wanted to add that I think the time of "countries" and such is coming to a close. We are slowly turning into a global community, and the governments are starting to turn into a hindrance to this sometimes, especially in terms of standardizations committees, global laws, etc. As they become more and more of a hindrance, they'll need to group into a larger governmental body, eventually creating an overall Earth Gov (to quote Babylon 5), which smaller governmental bodies trickle down from (since regional areas still need a few tweaks to policy here and there).

Governments are formed as a representative body for a group of people. But, more and more people are following the same ideals and ways of life these days. We're all just a bunch of folks that want to do something productive with our lives, enjoy our down-time, watch our kids grow up, be happy, etc. We're narrowing down the languages we speak so soon we'll all speak on global language. Government is needed, but not ones that create bickering and war amongst people that would otherwise get along. But, once again, if the People don't like it, they need to do something about it. Problem is, they won't do something about it if they're complacent with how things are (EG: United States), or they're pretty clueless or powerless to do anything about it (EG: the warlord-ran countries in Africa, like Ethiopia.)

We're slowly entering the age of mega-corporations, too, and since land is just a commodity, pretty soon we'll have corporate-ran "countries".

It's a very exciting time for human evolution, but also very daunting.