Originally posted by Futuretalk:
By mid-2020s, nano-replicators will appear in homes providing goods and essentials at little or no cost, thus lowering living expenses and providing everyone with more leisure time.
Futuretalk,
The things you are talking about are exciting and I welcome the benefits they will provide.
I hate being the party-pooper, but I think you need to be more realistic. Economists and all sorts of experts told us that the advent of the computer would mean the paperless office, less work, '3 day working weeks' and more leisure time than we could use.
What is the reality? In Britain we work incredibly long hours and despite all the labour saving devices in the world - Dishwashers, Microwaves etc. - we just don't have enough time to fit in everything we need to. And in fact now all adults in a household need to work to have a decent standard of living. And what do we do with the spare time we do have? We sit and watch Celebrities and live our lives through them by proxy.
The main problem with your joyous view of the future is that it fails to understand the human condition.
Technology can make us all equal, but people will always ensure that some are more equall than others. Do you really think that the mighty will altruistically abandon their power structures - or do you not think they will fight tooth and nail to retain them?
We have an incredible ability as a species to crap on every possible blessing. Unless this is your starting point for change, you will only be disappointed.
Blacknad.