Improvements in cloning technology could well bring about the kind of rejuvenation Heinlein describes in his Lazarus Long series. Dying of old age may become more of a choice and less of an inevitability.

Manually typeset printing presses

Adding machines

Clunky cash registers

Urinals that flush

Cameras with film (and waiting 2 weeks for the pictures!)

Interesting to plot these “advances” as to what is merely more convenient, what enhances our living standards and what is really a leap in technology.

Keep up the great work.

Craig

PS Anyone reading this not in the Radio Rant Coaching Club - get in there now. Priceless stuff.

C

VHS had a good run, but my kids are destroying my VHS tapes at about the speed of light, and my four year old can already put in her own DVD’s and play them without assistance. Soon she’ll be getting on my laptop and getting into the iTunes store for all her Pixar needs.

However, you’ll pry my Babylon 5 DVDs out of my cold dead fingers.

How about the majority of the population (or seemingly so) refushing to take responsibility and/or accept the consequences - without blaming or suing anyone else - of their actions.

You’ll be able to kiss those incandesent bulbs good-bye before too long. They’re going the way of the CRT.

Just read that GE is getting out of the appliance biz. That’s like Google getting out of the search biz. God love those bean counters…

Cletus

At the top, and the bottom, of the “vanishing list” is the ANTICIVILIZATION.

So goodbye: dishonesty, laziness, mysticism, neocheating, religion, nation states, EGO, etc…

If you wanna “predict the future”, discover Cassandra’s Secret.

Or thin tvs, instead of the ones with tubes that were 2 feet deep like I used to have…. or LPs. Dang I miss the nice Big LP covers and liner notes, I used to have a huge collection. Now it’s all digital blips, backed up on dvds. I miss the crackle of LPs, and using kleenex to wipe the dust off of them, before listening.

The world seems a lot less analog (with personality), and a lot more digital/efficient, with some loss of humanity that goes along with that. And on the piss-off list is idiots with cell phones talking while they’re in the men’s room at airports (get a life!). I still don’t own a cell phone and never will (other than one in the glovebox of the car for emergencies).

But hey, 3d sounds promsing. I still remember watching Elvira in “3d” on Channel 9 in Long Beach, getting glasses from the 7-11. (Big Elvira fan here, and Jeri Ryan/7 of 9).

Being more in touch with more people, is the big plus. We’re all more connected, in our isolation, which is quite the anachronism of the 21st century online. I miss reading Arthur C Clarke and Asimov and Ellison and Heinlein, they were visionaries. It’ll be interesting to see what this brave new world brings, if humanity survives into it intact…

-k

Nice additions.

Re: Phone booths. I believe in Japanese airports they have these little booths that are, essentially, teensy little mini apartments. You pay a fee, and can lock the door and be alone. Not much more than a closet, but hell, I’d pay big bucks to grab something like that during a long layover. I’m surprised no one’s done this yet in American airports. Even the first class lounges are noisy and un-private…

And re: Robot wars. My 40-something nephew (definitely an Xer) told me, years ago, that he and his friends believed games like Tour of Duty and Grand Theft Auto were just “practice” for training a new generation of remote warriors, who will control armed robots during combat.

Next stop: Replicants and Terminators.

Has Sara Connor shown up yet?

Interesting rant. You covered a lot of the vanishing stuff but I,ll go you one better with an appearing prediction. I can see all the old corner phone booths (where did they go anyway…) making a comeback with the addition of some see thru signal blocking film. And for $5, you get 5 minutes of pure, peaceful unconnected bliss….without the guilt associated with turning off your stuff.

Dan

CB Radios! Remember, good buddy, how those were *so* essential to have in your car? 10-4