the next "BIG" invention

Robots who cook and do housework.

An efficiant and environmentally friendly energy storage system.
An invntion such as this will allow housholders to purchase and/or manufacture energy when it is available or abundant ie solar wind off peak and draw upon the storage when energy costs are high or availability is poor. In the future solar cells will cover the outside walls and roof of all buildings.
Wind or water (for those lucky enough to be able to access these sources) will provide either more domestic energy or a surplus to sell into the grid.
Structures or possibly persons will only be allowed to consume more energy than it can manufacture if they purchase from a carbon neutralised, waste efficient source.

In order to achieve this level of efficiency a storage system that is space efficiant must be designed, ie all internal walls will be filled with the storage modules/material and be energy efficiant ie 90% of what is stored is available for use.

i think we will make a machine that can grow organic computers and robotics, or be able to write its own dna so humanity has the power to create entire new species from scratch.

warpdrive :wink:

Space elevator, so we can mine other planets for recourses. Thus, not screwing earth.

I think they will eventually figure out how to regrow body parts that are damaged.

New dimensions of existence will be uncovered. Modern theories suggest that existence takes place in eleven dimensions, even though we are only aware of four.

It would be the biggest thing since the invention of the notion of time, the fourth dimension.

I'm curious as to how that would affect us. Seeing as we can not perceive these dimensions.

A long time ago the creatures that would evolve into human beings existed without any sense of time. They were subjected to it, but oblivious, experiencing three dimensions.
At some point in evolution humans learned the sense of self and reason. This set of new concepts, to call it something, enabled this creature to percieve the fourth dimension.

If something similar were to happen again we would be as oblivious to it as a dog to the flow of time. But the results could affect us greatly.

Rapid prototyping and (eventually) fabrication units.

This is actually already beginning to affect us, but the full effects won't be felt for some time.

the perfection of holographic technology. It will have practical uses on many levels both good and bad.

A solid rubber bicycle tire. If you invent it and get rich, remember I suggested it first.

Energy efficiency is gained my minimizing the unsprung weight. Solid rubber tires have been done.

Re: the next "BIG" invention


Micro-sized radio trancievers which can be embedded in the brain which will transmit and receive rudimentary thought patterns (including 'feelings').

The technology required to receive signals from the brain has already been developed (and used to control simple devices).

The technology required to impart signals directly into the brain has already been developed.

Micro-Radio's already exist.

The result would be that people could 'feel' each others brain activity from a distance.

Complex thought transmission (language and imagery) is not within our technological grasp at this time so it's not going to be telepathy. However, simple thought patters could be transmitted and received and people would begin to associate those signals with known behaviors and a sort of remote empathy could develop. The ability to give people a 'sixth sense' made out of radio technology is not far off technologically and medically.

You asked for a new invention which would have a profound impact on the way we think and live. Brain implants which transmit and receive information directly to/from the brain will probably herald the next step in the information singularity currently forming.

I think that the next big technology wave to hit humanity will be biocircuitry. When we can start growing sensors like eyeballs, biological computers, etc, that's going to be a big thing. Imagine components that run on less power, or can be integrated into your body and are powered by the food that you eat, to give you additional senses, memory, or build living robots that can reproduce and repair themselves with no labor costs, that will be a revolution.

Hmmm.. I wonder how that would affect a sociopath if he was fitted with this reciever. If indeed his dysfunction is this moral detatchment and lack of empathy.
How would actually feeling the fear of his victim affect him.
Would it deter him or spur him on?

non of these can happen without oil. (plastics and transport)

Current daily consumption of crude is supposedly 3 litres per person per day.

Transmitt rudimentary thought patterns may be interesting for prisoners at risk of re offending.

And how 'bout the potential victim, might they 'feel' him having bad intentions? Could people turn the device off at will? Would they want to or would they learn to need it the way we need our eyes or ears?

A sixth sense of remote empathy would probably have a profound affect on human behavior.

Only one way to find out

scary... a maniac on a powertrip might get a kick out of actually feeling the fear he ignites. He'd bask in it, I think, seing it as confirmation of the power he craves.

As for the victim, I am not sure he would feel anything from the other man. Isn't that the problem with sociopaths, that they cannot feel? Or is it that they cannot feel what others are feeling?

But I do not really think the invention of an artificial emotional conduit would be such a sensation. Most of us feel eachother already. There may not always be a sympathetic response to the sorrow we see in someone we meet, but the emotion is always recognized, and there is usually a response.