Technological Ecstasy: Roddenberry was right

I remember as a kid watching episodes of Star Trek, two things always came to my mind. 1)The fact that people of all races and colors were working together for a common good without fears or prejudices to ruin the advancement of the human race, and 2) The technology that enabled people to do incredible things.It's obvious that we have a very long way to go with achieving the first one, which should actually be the simplest out of the two, but continues because of idiocy to be the most elusive. The second is the one coming to fruition in front of our very eyes on an almost yearly basis. All of us who remember watching the show as kids were fascinated by medical instruments that could scan the human body, talking computers, video conferences, and people living in space. I'm sure that many of you thought the same thing I did watching that show sometimes.."Yeah Right,,That will happen." Well amazingly as it seems, Gene Roddenbery creator of Star Trek wasn't too far off the mark with quite a few things. The technology to do things nowadays is absolutely amazing, and wondrous, if we just stop for a minute to marvel at it. But here's the problem:

There's a bit by one of my favorite comedians out there by the name of Louis CK.  he suggests everything is amazing, and no one is happy. The most incredible discoveries and advances in history so far are wasted on the whiniest most self centered generation ever. Ones who can't stand still for one second to appreciate or comprehend just what life was like before laptops, cell phones, ATM machines, or GPS devices in their cars. They can't even appreciate having nothing but imagination and little green Army men made out of hardened plastic to take outside, and play with created imaginary skirmishes, and battles. Even the young adults that were just at the forefront of the technology revolution have zero patience as they curse their Blackberries, need more intense and faster internet service, and haven't the ability to hold regular conversations that don't involve texting. It is a shame as all of the incredible advancements that are being made and developed to make our lives smarter, are actually making the people who depend upon them dumber, and less appreciative of just what is involved to make what they now take for granted to happen.

Yesterday I looked at an application for a phone that enabled me to point the phone towards the sky, and see the stars on the phone in their positions in exactly the direction I was looking. Like a map of the sky..On a phone! Completely incredible to me, as I felt for a second actually closer to nature because I could really understand what I was looking at in the heavens in real time. Just that is amazing to me, and that it exists in the palm of ones hand. Is it because I didn't grow up with such a thing? Maybe, but it's something I won't forget because that is what technology when you really think about it is supposed to make you feel. You should feel honored to be living in a time when things like this exist, and these are things just 50 years ago would have gotten you laughed out of the barber shop for even speculating about. Of course 5 years from now this might be completely archaic, but for right now, in my time of living, the technology that surrounds me astounds me daily. Here I am writing this blog and as soon as I hit publish, I have something written by me, an amateur writer that can go all over the world in seconds. Something that would have taken weeks just 30 years ago.

The possibilities of technology are endless if put to good use of course. The other side of the coin is the wars created, cyber sabotage, and the damage done by any other incredible advancement in the hands of someone of significantly less than stellar character. Just think if we put all of the technological advancements to achieve nothing but good, how much better things could get for quite a few people starving, suffering from parasites, or just not having drinking water that is fit. Yes this technology can do so much good, and we could all be amazed, and proud of its existence, but we are much too busy being pissed that the phone has an auto spell correction, or that dammit you have to wait on a tarmac for 20 whole minutes before flying through the sky. If you take the time to look around you at the marvels of technology, maybe there would be less bitching when something doesn't go fast enough...But probably not. We as human beings want things yesterday, and and actually today is a ho hum so what prelude to something we take for granted, and want to happen tomorrow.

Today's me me me, complaining, whining, blackberry, smart phone toting, designer coffee drinking, X box playing, internet surfing, App downloading, Mp3 storing generation wants more and more and more. But in reality, they have no idea what it's like to want. Louis Ck was right.."Everything is amazing, and nobody's happy". And Gene Roddenberry was right also..."Everything has not been invented..The human adventure is just the beginning."