Life Which of these things will happen in the next fifty years?

ThaVirus · 11-26-2014, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Mile-high skyscraper.

I agreed with cdcox on this, and voted no, though for a somewhat different reason.

Simply put, I don't think a building that large is necessary in any sense. The current tallest buildings are being built solely as a tourism attraction; it's not that there's a need to build that high. I think the cost would be very high and there are better ways to invest in a tourism infrastructure.

I think humans COULD build a building that tall, but I don't think anyone will want to, and I don't think businesses would want to be in the building. Frankly, it would be inconvenient if you were on an upper floor, not to mention a host of safety and security concerns.

Seems, with our finite amount of land on this planet, building up is the most logical thing to do.

**Rain Man** · 11-26-2014, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

Seems, with our finite amount of land on this planet, building up is the most logical thing to do.

I dunno. In some places I suspect it makes sense, like islands and mountain valleys and ports where the land supply is truly finite. But there's still a whole lot of land in the world that's undeveloped. I don't really suspect there's a big need for tall buildings in most of the world, and particularly for 100+ story buildings.

ThaVirus · 11-26-2014, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I dunno. In some places I suspect it makes sense, like islands and mountain valleys and ports where the land supply is truly finite. But there's still a whole lot of land in the world that's undeveloped. I don't really suspect there's a big need for tall buildings in most of the world, and particularly for 100+ story buildings.

I'm a conservationalist so this conversation probably won't go very far.

**Rain Man** · 11-26-2014, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

I'm a conservationalist so this conversation probably won't go very far.

You see streams and forests. Real estate moguls see opportunity.

ThaVirus · 11-26-2014, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

You see streams and forests. Real estate moguls see opportunity.

I know! I'm not one to oppose progress but progress at any cost bothers me. All of this unnecessary expansion, urban sprawl, and pollution is taxing Mother Nature. We're lending a hand in the extinction of something like tens of thousands of species a day.

**Rain Man** · 11-26-2014, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

I know! I'm not one to oppose progress but progress at any cost bothers me. All of this unnecessary expansion, urban sprawl, and pollution is taxing Mother Nature. We're lending a hand in the extinction of something like tens of thousands of species a day.

It probably happens everywhere, but I know here in Colorado there's a lot of hypocrisy. People decry urban sprawl, but then they want to live in a house with a really big lot.

I'm a fan of density myself. I think the world and the people would be better off if we did build up instead of out. I live in a very densely populated area and I think I have a better quality of life than the people out in the 'burbs with their big yards. But maybe other people really like mowing or something.

**Bearcat** · 11-26-2014, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

It probably happens everywhere, but I know here in Colorado there's a lot of hypocrisy. People decry urban sprawl, but then they want to live in a house with a really big lot.

I'm a fan of density myself. I think the world and the people would be better off if we did build up instead of out. I live in a very densely populated area and I think I have a better quality of life than the people out in the 'burbs with their big yards. But maybe other people really like mowing or something.

I really like quiet.

listopencil · 11-26-2014, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

It probably happens everywhere, but I know here in Colorado there's a lot of hypocrisy. People decry urban sprawl, but then they want to live in a house with a really big lot.

I'm a fan of density myself. I think the world and the people would be better off if we did build up instead of out. I live in a very densely populated area and I think I have a better quality of life than the people out in the 'burbs with their big yards. But maybe other people really like mowing or something.

Hi-pop areas have their advantages but I think that they also bring out the worst in people. I think that, as a survival mechanism, people in hi-pop zones tend to dehumanize those around them. It's too much stress (for many) to have honest human interactions with that many people on a constant basis, and the relationships that get built (generally) aren't normal/natural/healthy ones. To each their own but I can barely stand to spend substantial parts of my day in crowds.

View Poll Results: Which of these will happen within 50 years? Check all that apply.
A human celebrates his or her 130th birthday	37	29.13%
A mile-high skyscraper is built somewhere in the world	14	11.02%
A single war produces more than 20 million deaths	36	28.35%
A third party holds the US Presidency	36	28.35%
A U.S. president is assassinated	52	40.94%
Anti-gravity is brought into everyday use	10	7.87%
Artificial intelligence routinely conducts media interviews	23	18.11%
At least one dinosaur will be alive	10	7.87%
At least one human will have their brain transplanted into a cloned version of their own body.	17	13.39%
Brick and mortar stores will cease to be the major means of purchases in the U.S.	53	41.73%
Chiefs win a Super Bowl	79	62.20%
Cure for cancer (Late-stage survival rates > 97%)	29	22.83%
Earthquake of Magnitude 8.3 or greater strikes somewhere in the continental U.S.	73	57.48%
Evidence of a pre-Ice Age civilization is discovered	12	9.45%
Faster than light travel is achieved (human transport)	8	6.30%
Flying cars	23	18.11%
Food shortages lead to permanent ban on consumption of meat in at least one country (population > 10 million)	23	18.11%
Households manufacture all necessary goods themselves, purchasing only raw materials and plans for 3D printing	14	11.02%
Human sets foot on Mars	66	51.97%
Humans can communicate directly with at least two species of animals.	14	11.02%
Implantable computer/phone/internet devices are in 80+% of Americans	33	25.98%
Large scale nuclear bomb dropped or launched in a hostile act	40	31.50%
Major epidemic kills 10% or more of the US population	18	14.17%
Major epidemic kills 25% or more of a nation’s population (nation > 10 million people)	23	18.11%
Major meteor strike or other interplanetary event kills 1 million or more people	5	3.94%
One-world government is established	14	11.02%
Prenatal selection of certain traits will be possible for the middle class (e.g., height, nose shape, eye color)	46	36.22%
Peaceful resolution to the Israel-Arab conflicts is achieved	1	0.79%
Permanent cessation of Islamic extremism and terrorism	2	1.57%
Permanent human presence on Mars	5	3.94%
Permanent human presence on the moon	18	14.17%
Poverty is eliminated in the U.S., based on minimum standards of living that are achieved	5	3.94%
Proof of extraterrestrial life is confirmed	35	27.56%
Race is no longer an issue of conflict, contention, or policy in the U.S.	5	3.94%
Robot labor means that humans do not have to work to obtain basic needs (food, clothing, shelter)	13	10.24%
Robot labor provides household servants for the middle class (maid, butler, etc.)	26	20.47%
Small-scale radiation dirty bomb set off in hostile act	60	47.24%
Space tourism becomes a feasible option for the American middle class	33	25.98%
The US Senate OR House becomes majority female	8	6.30%
The world ends as described in the holy book of your choice	6	4.72%
Time travel to the future (more than one day)	1	0.79%
Time travel to the past (more than one day)	2	1.57%
U.S. adds at least one new state from territory that is not part of a current state	32	25.20%
U.S. is no longer the world’s most powerful nation	70	55.12%
U.S. no longer needs petroleum products as energy source	25	19.69%
U.S. splits into two or more countries	10	7.87%
None of these things will occur within 50 years.	1	0.79%
Poll fail. We will invent time travel, so the future will cease to exist.	5	3.94%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 127. You may not vote on this poll