Analogue People
The Japanese apparently have a saying for people who aren’t much good with technology – “Analogue Person“, literally translated. Futurologists have long predicted that eventually an underclass of people who do not have access to/do not want to use/don’t know how to use technology would evolve and some even go as far as to say that this would cause the human species to split into two sub-species of the elite and the digital underclass. Whilst this isn’t predicted to happen for thousands of years if this isn’t an early sign I don’t know what is!
Of course there is another line of thought which says this has already happened in Japan. You don’t have to look far for the evidence:
This twelfth generation android from Sony Robotics dubbed “Sony-san” is a particularly disturbing example of the future anthropomorphisation of humanity! Sony-san has appeared in music videos, variety shows, the occasional advert, and reportedly “lives” in a Buddhist temple (so much for secularity of science!).
1984 was a turning point in many ways (think Apple Computer, George Orwell, Linux, the Space Programme, Terminator, my birth…) and a mere 23 years later the world has been revolutionised by technology. But this revolution is not like it’s predecessors; it has no end. Like it or not things are not going to move at an ever accelerating pace. Don’t look back in 50 years and say I didn’t warn you!
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I know that we say the Industrial revolution was 18th/19th century, but I don't think you can really argue that the industrial revolution has ended. I think I see it more as evolutionary than revolutionary..
I think you have to still make a distinction between the Industrial and Technological revolutions; one concerned heavy industry, whereas the other is less tangible in terms of the raw product. Whilst industrialisation continues we are well beyond the initial “big bang”, certainly in the western hemisphere.
I think what you call a technological revolution from the '84 onwards I would probably call a revolution in mainstream computing power, seeing as technology in general has been progresing rapidly since the 1700s. Essentially we agree in all but terminology :p
Nit-picker
Yes i was going to say that too
It's a girl! Not a robot!
You had me fooled for ages! I don't like you any more! *sticks out tongue*
*feels silly*
Awww, you've gone and spoilt my fun! I think I dropped enough hints in the paragraph below the video though