mmm . . . cyberarms
mmm . . . cyberarms
There is then a need to guard against a temptation to overstate the economic evils of our own age, and to ignore the existence of similar, or worse, evils in earlier ages. Even though some exaggeration may, for the time, stimulate others, as well as ourselves, to a more intense resolve that the present evils should no longer exist, but it is not less wrong and generally it is much more foolish to palter with truth for good than for a selfish cause. The pessimistic descriptions of our own age, combined with the romantic exaggeration of the happiness of past ages must tend to setting aside the methods of progress, the work of which, if slow, is yet solid, and lead to the hasty adoption of others of greater promise, but which resemble the potent medicines of a charlatan, and while quickly effecting a little good sow the seeds of widespread and lasting decay. This impatient insincerity is an evil only less great than the moral torpor which can endure, that we with our modern resources and knowledge should look contentedly at the continued destruction of all that is worth having. There is an evil and an extreme impatience as well as an extreme patience with social ills.
Yeah, I saw that today. Y'know, it really wasn't that long ago that they were saying this sort of interaction would be 5-10 years down the road. I understand there are some rare factors in his specific case, but they're not /that/ rare.
-
Van Der Litreb
- Bulldrek Pimp
- Posts: 894
- Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2002 9:17 am
- Location: Denmark
If you look at, say, the last 50 years or so, almost all technical achievements have been reached sooner than initially speculated. I guess we can't really judge the waterfall/snowball effect of development very well.3278 wrote:Yeah, I saw that today. Y'know, it really wasn't that long ago that they were saying this sort of interaction would be 5-10 years down the road. I understand there are some rare factors in his specific case, but they're not /that/ rare.
It's funny; usually those whose role it is to speculate get it completely wrong, and guess we'll have talking computers and flying cars in ten years, and in 50 we just don't have them. Those whose role it is to actually produce the advances take a more conservative position, and then are generally surprised by the rapidity of development. Says a lot about the people in those roles.
-
Caine Hazen
- Bulldrek Junkie
- Posts: 501
- Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 4:52 am
- Location: where your eyes don't go
- Contact:
Yeah, and then the people actually doing the work are so mired in it that what needs to be done looks more difficult than it actually is, particularly since, during the course of the development, there's almost always some kind of paradigm shift that speeds things up greatly.DV8 wrote:Yeah, that's true. I guess the philosophers often don't grasp what is needed to have, say, a flying car, or fully talking and voice-controlled computers, and cold fusion and therefore make bold statements like that.
-
UncleJoseph
- Wuffle Initiate
- Posts: 1087
- Joined: Tue Jun 11, 2002 8:32 am
- Location: Central Michigan
- Contact:
Does anyone else notice that this Steve Austin wanna-be looks like a complete freak with this arms. WTF? Why is it that these artificial limbs always look like erector sets and rubber. They need to collaborate with some F/X guys, make-up artists and engineers. I'm happy for the guy's new capabilities, but damn.
If you take away their comforts, people are just like any other animal.
I agree with you there, Joseph.
Anybody else think that price will drop like a rock when this technology matures?
In this case I expect "perfected" just means "when it first hits the market".By the time it's perfected, the cost of manufacturing the bionic arm is expected to be about $6 million, according to the report.
Anybody else think that price will drop like a rock when this technology matures?
Hello, I'm a signature VIRUS!
Copy me to your signature to help me grow.
Copy me to your signature to help me grow.
-
Anguirel
- Freeman of the Crimson Assfro
- Posts: 2278
- Joined: Sat Oct 05, 2002 12:04 pm
- Location: City of Angels
The current generation is designed to be modular and easily tinkered with, and is beng done on limited grant money. They're a lot more concerned with "how do we attach wire to nerve" and a lot less concerned with "does this look pretty?" After the tech is proven, pretty models will be designed. Modern artifical limbs (non electric version) can look quite good, though most people take function over form -- the less-good-looking models often behave better, at this point, and are easier to fix when something goes wrong.UncleJoseph wrote:Does anyone else notice that this Steve Austin wanna-be looks like a complete freak with this arms. WTF? Why is it that these artificial limbs always look like erector sets and rubber. They need to collaborate with some F/X guys, make-up artists and engineers. I'm happy for the guy's new capabilities, but damn.
complete. dirty. whore.
_Patience said: Ang, you are truly a font of varied and useful information.
IRC Fun:
<Reika> What a glorious way to die.
<Jackal> What are you, Klingon?
<Reika> Worse, a paladin.
<Jackal> We're all fucked.
_Patience said: Ang, you are truly a font of varied and useful information.
IRC Fun:
<Reika> What a glorious way to die.
<Jackal> What are you, Klingon?
<Reika> Worse, a paladin.
<Jackal> We're all fucked.