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There’s just got to be a way, there’s no way we can just give up. I’m fairly sure decades ago people assumed we may never have tiny computers in our pockets wi

• perl4ever 7y ago
  On the other hand, many people assumed we'd have flying cars and colonies on Venus. Oh, and fusion reactors. Edit: Now that I think of it, there was a lot of variation in predictions of computing. But I would say that it's been pretty common for science fiction to describe technology 30 years out somewhat accurately, probably because it has inspired the actual tech in a self-fulfilling way. So, in the 40s, a spaceship was envisioned able to carry only calculators and slide rules, with a radio link to a big central computer. That wasn't far off of how things developed in the 60s and 70s. But I think by the 60s and 70s, people were imagining pocket computers and tablets and such and that had a huge effect on people actually designing them when it was possible.
  • xwdv 7y ago
    If people’s assumptions tend to be wrong then we can expect to someday have mini quantum computers since people assume they are impossible.
    • perl4ever 7y ago
      See my addition. My point is that some predictions are right and some are wrong.
• boothby 7y ago
  > There’s just got to be a way, there’s no way we can just give up. By no means do I intend to discourage progress! I wouldn't do the work that I do if it wasn't so difficult. I did hedge, a bit: "may never," "foreseeable future," "without major developments." The fridge is just one major obstacle. There's a plethora of physics, engineering, and mathematical challenges out there impeding progress. Get to work!