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From: Uc.Gds@MIT-EECS@MIT-MC@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: what's our future
Message-ID: <3941@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 7-Aug-83 14:06:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.3941
Posted: Sun Aug  7 14:06:00 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 9-Aug-83 11:27:17 EDT
Lines: 26

From:  Greg Skinner <Uc.Gds at MIT-EECS at MIT-MC>

I think you overestimate the advances of modern society.  For example
--  fiction concerning the 80's has us being serviced by intelligent
computers, visiting distant stars, traveling at speeds >> c and
visiting the future, the past and alternate universes.  When I was a
youngster in the mid 60's watching things like Lost in Space, Land of
the Giants, etc.. I couldn't wait for the 80's to roll around so that
I could get in on all the fantastic stuff we'd be doing.

Now as a young adult actually living in the times I saw depicted on
tv, I realize that all I was seeing was really science *fiction*, not
science future.  We have not conquered the stars ... heck, we haven't
even been to Mars.  Computers do enter our lives quite a bit via the
telephone, automated tellers, etc. , but they are far from the
capabilities given them by SF.

However, one thing does seem possible which has been depicted in SF --
world war, nuclear holocaust, the fall of the human race, etc.  If
anything is going to bring us to our doom, I think it is nuclear
weaponry and war, not automation or invasion by aliens.

p.s.  Remember Stephen King's The Stand?? That's another good
possibility for doom depicted in SF -- chemical warfare, plague, etc.
King had the date set for 1985, so keep tuned for further details.
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