SCIENCE/ technology

[MMM]

Originally Posted by dogsbody70

why is it funny. I am interested in others views. so I ask/

there was a programme about it recently so I thought it would be a good subject to consider.

I didn't mean to sound condescending, I just think it is interesting an older person would ask younger people what the most important piece of technology you've seen in your lifetime, when it's the young people who should be asking the older person.

[seiki]

The history major in me says that it is the printing press.

[PockyMePink]

The internet.

[Ronin4hire]

Originally Posted by WingsToDiscovery

Pretty much anything that contributes to the understanding of who we are as people on this earth, including the human genome project. To understand how what we're made up of, the limits are endless in medicine and biotechnology.

Granted, it's a hard question to answer, but this was definitely the first thing that crossed my mind.

I agree with this though I would include physics and the way physics seeks to understand the universe.

[GoNative]

Originally Posted by Ronin4hire

I agree with this though I would include physics and the way physics seeks to understand the universe.

Yep physics and mathematics are the building blocks that have allowed just about everything else to happen.

[dogsbody70]

Originally Posted by MMM

I didn't mean to sound condescending, I just think it is interesting an older person would ask younger people what the most important piece of technology you've seen in your lifetime, when it's the young people who should be asking the older person.

AH maybe MM-- I am not technologicallyminded at all--- and I am sure the younger generation will be far more au fait with so much of which I am ignorant.



everything is racing away isn't it. so much of what is possible today would have been like a fantasy to someone of my generation.


Simple things for ME are often the domestic side of things:

Yes that radio-- which I always have playing-- now I have an IPOD and can listen to so many things-- Iuse it mainly for my Japanese lessons--.

When one considers the original crystal wireless--the heavy accumulators that had to be changed on a regular basis. The wireless has progressed enormously.

My son had one of the ghetto blasters playing his music so the whole street could hear LOL. Now with the IPOds etc in the ear-- the public are given peace.


Electricity. I have lived in homes without such luxury of electicity or gas.

Pumping the water from the well-- using oil heaters and lamps---

wonderful solid fuel AGA's.


Washing machines are one of the best luxuries as far as I am concerned.

Wash day used to be a major task. hand washing or if lucky enough to have a boiler-- to boil the whites-- the sheets-- using the large Mangles to wring out the water. Scrubbing all those detached collars--- then trying to dry the washing-- okay if there was an outside Line-- but again if drying indoors around the one single fireplace


In the children's homes we shared the chores, lots of scrubbing and floor and furniture polishing.


the hoover? I hate hoovering-- want a robot to do it for me.


I used to milk cows by hand-- very very soothing-- until falling asleep and the cow would literally Kick the bucketful of that rich creamy substance all over the floor.

Now I believe machine milking is almost automatic where the cows can walk into the parlour and the machines do the job.

I saw a programme about that-- humans did not need to be there at all.

The cleaning of the udders -- all automatic. can't think how the milking tubes were attached though.

How milking machine is made - making, history, used, processing, parts, components, industry, History, The Manufacturing Process of milking machine, Standards, The Future


we take so much for granted don't we.



the micro chip-- is incredible isn't it?

Medically huge advances have been made-- are we in danger of becoming GOD?


If there is a way to prevent those long term ills of man such as MS, parkinsons, Muscular dystrophy,-- inherited disabling aspects-- it does l ook as if STEM CELLS can be used in apositive way-- how many years ahead will some of them be removed from the genetic pattern.


TB used to be really common. A friend of mine had to spend three years on her back in a hospital that placed the patients out in the open air. she had TB of the spine. One of my former employers had to spend some years in a sanitorium then when back home took HUGE DISC shaped antibiotics every day.



There is fear though that TB is rearing its ugly head again.

I think that IVF has changed so much in the way of bringing babies into the world. GOOD? BAD? not sure.


I would wish that people who suffer kidney damage can be helped by having facilities for dialysis at home.


Many people are on warfarin. thinning of the blood. Now they have to go to clinincs or hospitals for checking the thickness of the blood. If they could do that at home-- that would be so helpful-- rather in the way of diabetis tests.


kinder treatment for those with Cancer.


The internet has also changed the world. Now is that good or could it be dangerous?


I still am amazed at these mobile phones etc that has so many functions.


There is so much-- and this generation will know many changes through their life times.

If there was a way to PREVENT WAR--Now is that ever possible?

I guess with we human beings always squabbling and wanting more and more land and power?


I'll shut up rambling now.

[WingsToDiscovery]

Originally Posted by MMM

I didn't mean to sound condescending, I just think it is interesting an older person would ask younger people what the most important piece of technology you've seen in your lifetime, when it's the young people who should be asking the older person.

I actually might have to disagree here. I'm not in any way discounting the fact that those who are older have literally seen everything rise in technology, but to say that someone who's younger should ask someone older may not be entirely accurate.

The older generation saw progression and rise of technology, but it's people in my generation who are thriving on it and pushing to find newer and better things. In this sense, we have a drive to understand how the technology works rather than accepting that it "just does."

Now that we're in an age where schools even enforce that students should at least have some kind of computer literacy during their compulsary education, students already leave school knowing email, basic internet browsing, moving files, writing documents, typing skills, etc. In my school years alone, I went from moving files with a floppy disk my freshman year to either using a usb drive or just emailing files by my senior year.

Cellphones were extremely rare when I was growing up; now I'm emailing, surfing the web, and everything else in the palm of my hand. You might say, "Well they didn't have phones at all." And I can say, "Well what's the difference between SMS and MMS?" or many other technological concepts that surpass even the principles of basic landline phones.

At any given time I'll have Photoshop, iMovie, the DVD player, Safari, iTunes, and Skype, and VLC running together simultaneously. I'm linked into every one of these programs and understand how all of the information works.

My point being, now that not only do we have the technology, as well as the resources literally in the palms of our hands, we can greatly expand upon what we actually know about technology and how it works.

And even if I don't know what something is, I'll just ping Wikipedia from my iPhone.

[dogsbody70]

Lucky YOu Wings.

sometimes its good to consider what went into al lthe progress inthis world yet many countries still live in the dark ages.

Yes my grandkids know alot re computers because parents had to pay out to buy the computers for home use. Computers were in all schools.


But you should still appreciate what has gone into all this.

I am sure that when I am dead and gone there will be many great advances.

As for asking older generation-- surely it would depend who you ask. There willbe many mature experts who whii hav estudied or takenpart in many of these progressive achievements.

I am a simple woman who did not have much of an education.

I wishyounger generation to appreciate what they have NOW.

I remember the first time to the moon when the little dog was sent intoSpace. | when I married the first man was sent to the Moon. that seemed absolutely unbelievable at the time.

PS I have to laugh at my above sentence Ha ha.


many miracles are happening.

please appreciate what you do have now-- and not just disregard the older generation.


I am still pretty ignorant about many things--I am however very curious about them also.

I can learn manythings from the NET. Maybe that is TOO easy.

[WingsToDiscovery]

Originally Posted by dogsbody70

Lucky YOu Wings.

It's not really luck, just in my opinion the truth of the evolution of technology. For many people of the older generation, the concept of technology might have been something like "I don't have a phone. Now I have a phone."

And in my generation, it's like "Should I get an iPhone or a Droid? What apps are available for each? Does Droid run on a 4G network?..." etc, etc.

You get my point.

As for the general older generation populace, I'm not saying at all that there aren't any tech savvy users out there. It's just the difference that people nowadays are born into the technology rather than acquiring it. That's no different than older people always telling myself and my peers to appreciate it. Obviously not all of us are selfish.

As we speak I'm currently updating my browser by downloading the latest version of Google Chrome.

[dogsbody70]

Originally Posted by GoNative

Yep physics and mathematics are the building blocks that have allowed just about everything else to happen.

I am sure you gentleman are correct. I am useless where Physics are concerned.