Sunday 24 November 2013

The future is now, did you notice?

So, you're online every day, watching tv, reading newspapers, talking to people, commenting on articles, probably considering yourself to be well informed about what's happening with the world in the year of our lord 2013, yes?

Did you hear that the new generation of Samsung smartphones will have nanotechnology self-repairing coating, so you won't have to worry about scratches and breaks any more, as it will 'heal' if damaged? No?

Did you hear then, that you can use a 3D printer to create living human cells, that this technology might replace all animal testing within 5 years? No?

Did you hear then, that the scientists working on Hubble Space Telescope confirmed, that there are more planetary systems similar to out solar system in our galaxy than previously thought, possibly capable of supporting some form of life? No?

Or that a human liver has been successfully grown in the lab?

Or that a new generation of anti aging creams and pills will work directly on telomeres and stop them from shortening and the cells from dying so that a youthful look until we die of old age is not entirely out of the question, very soon?

Or that scientist identified the 'youth' gene and if they tweak it in rats, they heal quicker and live longer?

Don't worry if you've not heard any of these breaking scientific news this fall in the year of our lord 2013. It's because they are tucked away, in a little box of small print, on page 23 behind pictures of Kate Middleton's greying hair and a boring description of another struggle for power between political parties no one will remember about in 10 years time and another war that our species excels in. They are mentioned during these 5 minutes between sport and weather news, when everyone wanders off to make a cup of tea. Described online on that website we all avoid because of aggressive pop ups and persistent trolling. Compressed and pushed aside by the mediocre entertainment and all-the-same dramas and censored news designed to make us feel good but not think too much.

Instead of feeling like I'm living in the futuristic sf book, I sometimes feel like I'm living in the world of 1984...