World changing inventions

It is easy to overlook the simplest of things which were actually revolutionary, but are perceived as otherwise.

For example, digitised photographs, dental picks, and the fleshlight.
 
I would argue that all those things aren’t needed, and they are only needed because our needs have evolved alongside our advancements in technology. The best invention by far is fire.
 
For me teleportation, wont fly so this would help. Obvious philosophical issues regarding is the person popping out the other end the same one who entered, aside.

Then some greater understanding of quantum physics, although I'm not convinced we have the capacity.
 
I suspect AI will drive an exponential phase of invention in the coming decades.

Human innovation is limited by our biology, AI won’t have the same limitations.

A way of preserving human consciousness and avoiding death will be an interesting milestone.
 
robfosters said:
Perfecting artificial organs would be awesome too. Think of all those people with failing hearts, lungs, livers, kidneys etc who won’t have to undergo the transplant lottery any more.
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Can you imagine if hospitals can create those from advanced 3D printers while you wait. Not out of the question, though won't be for many years ahead of us. I would like to see eye replacement surgery for the blind and the going blind. Now that would be something if it gets to the point of perfect vision.
 
How will AI improve anyway?

I mean you need some kind of reference point for it to 'learn' I assume like the neurons in the brain or some extremely complex structure.

Is there a chance that AI could be a huge flop?

I still don't quite see how it can be intelligent, it surely can only be fed a list of options and try and match up the variables.
 
Minstadave said:
I suspect AI will drive an exponential phase of invention in the coming decades.

Human innovation is limited by our biology, AI won’t have the same limitations.

A way of preserving human consciousness and avoiding death will be an interesting milestone.
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I'd like to see humans achieve immortality, but we'd need to colonise other planets to avoid upsetting the balance of too many people on earth, plus we'd need an endless supply of Bee Gees records.

Scuzi said:
the fleshlight.
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Lol :D
 
robfosters said:
As much as I want to believe, I am of the opinion this will prove impossible for humans to achieve before our extinction.
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On the other hand if there was some pressing need to invent it before our extinction I think we might make a lot more progress heh. Already a lot of ideas have moved from strictly science fiction to potentially possible but not remotely feasible then refined to sort of maybe feasible if you can harness amounts of energy comparable to a planet, etc.

Aside from really advanced nanotech which I think will be huge - another one would be cracking the fundamentals of mavity and being able to manipulate it as we can electricity and magnetism.
 
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