• last_philosopher@lemmy.world
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    7 days ago

    I think genetic engineering is the most high-potential tech right now. They’re already using it to cure sickle cell, and my (total non-expert, probably way too hopeful) pipe dream is that we could basically treat it like we can open a terminal on the body some day and change whatever we want.

    Edit: I just want to point out that I’m imagining curing cancer, reversing aging, etc. Not like, additional orifices or anything.

    • Troy@lemmy.ca
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      9 days ago

      Seems entirely reasonable that a Gattaca future is achievable. Whether desirable is the other question. Somewhere CJ Cherryh is being worshipped as a prophet.

      • CarbonIceDragon@pawb.social
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        9 days ago

        Artificial wombs are something that’s often presented as dystopian, but I would imagine would actually be a very good thing. Beyond the obvious help it would be to infertile couples that desired children, they would if commonly adopted eliminate the danger of birth and pregnancy complications, and discomfort associated with the process. Probably not everyone would want to use it, but I’d bet even having the option would mean a lot to a lot of people.

        • WoodScientist@sh.itjust.works
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          7 days ago

          The real downside to artificial wombs is that we may rapidly become dependent on them. Half of pregnancies result in spontaneous abortion. With external gestation that assumedly wouldn’t happen. That’s a hell of a lot of evolutionary pressure which could have all kinds of consequences.

  • Lasherz@lemmy.world
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    9 days ago

    Artificial stem cells seem like the next thing to really revolutionize medicine.

    Quantum computers for brute force hacks seems doable in 100.

    Eye tracking pointer devices will likely be more convenient than mice within a dozen or two years. This will probably be widely available for people who are paralyzed first.

    Diamond processors are always 10 years away, but I think we can do it in 100. This would revolutionize the amount of power we can put through a chip without worrying about cooling.

    Quick charge capacitor replacements for standard rechargble batteries

    Low yield fusion plants. I’d like to think of them as capable of high yield, but it’s much harder than initially thought. Some ideas are quite promising for low yield.

  • Justdaveisfine@midwest.social
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    9 days ago

    I suspect we will see a human brain to digital interface. I don’t think it will be “downloading minds” or anything, but I could see someone finding a way to plug a specialized camera or mic in to have a full functioning robotic replacement part.

    I’m pretty sure they already have the beginning pieces to this, but its too specialized and expensive to do anything commercial with it yet.

    • pleasestopasking@reddthat.com
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      8 days ago

      This is so terrifying to me. I feel like it’ll end up like the Black Mirror episode with the subscription model, getting more and more expensive with fewer features.

    • naught101@lemmy.world
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      9 days ago

      Cochlear implants are a form of this, and are already commercial. I remember having a conversation with a guy at a doof about 10 years ago, standing right near a loud sound system, and it took me 20 minutes to realise he had one. He was completely deaf without it on… I can only assume the tech is much better these days.

      Similar things exist for vision (though maybe not yet commercial?).

    • Ledericas@lemm.ee
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      9 days ago

      bsg, sga all had the brain interface thing going on. especially the cylon part was all about that.

  • whotookkarl@lemmy.world
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    8 days ago

    Tricorders, cellphones are already partway there they just need more durable, small sensors like a handheld light spectrometer to tell what things are made of and a handheld interferometer to detect gravity

  • acockworkorange@mander.xyz
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    8 days ago

    We currently carry tricorders in our pockets. I can see a medical tricorder being ubiquitous for field medics, ships, and the like within 100 years.

    • cynar@lemmy.world
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      9 days ago

      They are down to 2 main problems now. The main one is (the cost of) scaling up. Fusion reactors will be more effective then bigger they are. The tiny test ones are already past break even.

      The other is wall material. Apparently the radiation has an annoying ability to transmute the elements making up the wall of the reactor. They are working out a material that can maintain its bulk mechanical properties, even with random elements appearing in its internal structure.

      • quediuspayu@lemmy.world
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        8 days ago

        The only one I heard news about breaking even was that thing that shot a lot of lasers to a pellet. For a fraction of a second It broke even or produced slightly more than they poured in, but it was much less of what they spent.

        There’s been something else new?

        • cynar@lemmy.world
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          8 days ago

          I saw a talk on the subject about a year back. It was discussing tokamak reactors, from an engineer working on them. The small ones can’t sustain a break even state, but they are affected by the inverse square law to a larger degree. I believe China is about to start/has started construction on a power station sized test reactor.

          The pellet sort are a different type. They have different pros and cons.

  • Match!!@pawb.social
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    8 days ago

    living in a self-sustaining ecological-aware community that values freedom and diversity and everyone having their needs met

  • Toes♀@ani.social
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    8 days ago

    Railguns, there already exist prototypes that destroy themselves. So close!