Рассуждая о будущем /english/

Future – one of the strongest magic words in the history of humanity. From old times people began to ponder upon their future. Sometimes ill-omened sometimes hopeful but it always attracted the human thoughts. There were many clairvoyants being engaged in predicting the future and very often there was nothing but pessimistic ways in their conclusions. And many times our civilization really stood on the edge of total wreck but heavens and just ordinary people by their efforts allow our planet to survive. But now standing on the boundary of the centuries and considering all the circumstances concerning with the problems of interrelations between countries, threat of ecological catastrophe, possibility of the beginning of the Third World War, especially in the light of the events in Yugoslavia, we cannot be sure that and this time any miracle will save the humanity from disaster.

But diverting from such pessimistic thoughts let me imagine our future concentrating on the aspects of developing and applying new technologies.

A few words about the Space. I guess that cosmology will make a great strides in the near future. There will be a good possibility of inventing the light speed engine for the space vehicles or using the directed emission of the elementary particles but even otherwise I’m sure that the human civilization will spread its influence at least on the now known expanses of the universe. We will settle our colonies on the various planets and who knows whether on the Earth there will be the centre or if you want the capital of mankind. Maybe on these planets we will find the remains of old civilizations and use their knowledge and technologies for our needs. Or, it’s also possible, we will disturb any martial people and our civilization will be erased from the face of the universe. Who knows? Eventually, still Sallusty said: “All that come into the world doomed to death”.

The City. The great set of numerous buildings made from glass and plastic, tidy streets, beautiful trade palaces, little comfortable cars full of electronics, pitiable rests of the parks and museums in a word the technological epoch. Yes, but it is only the external view of the future city. For instance let me describe the proposed future car and possibly new technologies inculcated in it. No doubt according to the requirements of aerodynamics and beauty it will have the streamline form. After outward appearance car’s engine is the first thing on which we pay attention. Such engine in the future, I believe, must be based on eco-friendly sources of energy such as sun energy or probably some kind of cleared crystals of any metal. Then certainly brakes are. Now we use the steel brake disks but there is a possibility to increase the efficiency and productivity of them by using the carbon-filled plastic brakes in the aggregate with the carbon brake disks. By the way such brakes are used now in the Formula 1 Championship. I think it should be noted that applying such kind of brakes decreases the opportunity of making overtaking in classic slip-stream (later braking). But in the city is not so important as in the race. And the third component of the compound car’s complex about which I would like to tell you is the electronic stuffing. It must include the system of control under every car’s knots, navigating system, steering control, against impact system and others.

By the way about electronics. As it was said the future according to my subjective opinion will represent technological epoch. The computers will be used in any sphere of our life; they will help us to simplify our being as much as possible. The computer will percolate everywhere. The human won’t be able to imagine his life without computer. It will help him, I mean human, at the work, in the street, on the rest, certainly at home, for example on kitchen. If you will wish to see a movie the computer will offer you the numerous films using its possibility of connecting to the central database of movies. The same instance can be given in the case of books but of course with necessary note that the desirable book will be available only on the screen of the computer or no doubt you can print it but it will take some period of time, some quantity of paper and thereafter – money.

I have mentioned the pitiable rests of the parks, museums and, I am afraid, even theatres. Yes I flatter myself to suppose that that very technological epoch will completely absorb and destroy all the sensuality and spirituality of the human essence. Yes maybe the human race will reach the new level of developing and producing but the main kernel of life – the human nature will be lost forever!

Performed by the student of the group I-4-4

Moskalenko Anthony

Moscow. 1999 year.