I've been hearing promises of desalination plants since the
early 80s and I just keep waiting... and waiting... and
waiting... hearing all about droughts in places near seawater
and I'm like COME ON SCIENCE ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY! NAIL
THIS ONE ALREADY! Let's see: What do we do: 2015: We dig holes
in the ground where the earth naturally filters out the salt and
suck it up like a straw. 7000 years ago: We dig holes in the
ground where the earth naturally filters out the salt and we
bring it up in buckets. Ok. So, 7000 years+ and we haven't
improved the process any? JEEZ already. I know - there's like so
many methods to filter/collect/create fresh water but rarely do
we see things on a massive scale. It's frustrating. Like you
said about rising sea water levels: We can take advantage of it
and bring the stuff inland for our use if we desalinate. Or
start harvesting ocean water; create ocean dam desalination
plants off the coast (and out of beach view).. protecting nearby
fish of course just like we do with oil rigs now. I dunno. Maybe
it's one of those cases of volume. Need more volume than these
methods produce. Still though... = Awesome. We need more of this
idea. All that seawater. Great for the dolphins but I think they
can spare a little bit of it for us humans. Lots of toilets need
flushing too. ikr. and speaking of mars... where the hell is our
underwater cities? I suppose I blame watching science shows as a
kid. All sorts of empty promises of The Future. I got to see
some of them happen. I saw more things BETTER than anything they
predicted. But then some of it.. *poof*... no place. Still see
that today. That's why I learned to pay more attention to the
efforts of engineering and industry over science blurbs. It's
one thing to balance a fork on a toothpick one time but it's
another thing to product millions of plastic forks and
toothpicks consistently to give people something to eat and pick
their teeth with. Of course we need all of it... I just get a
little frustrated at yay Science and then watching it go
nowhere. Stuff like this article is awesome because it's real
stuff that's happening. Tangible, visible progress. == up - I'm
one too. I constantly live 30-200 years in the future. I blame
Doctor Who since I was 8. I'm 43 now. I see today as the past
and always did. Something cool comes along and I say "Oh
finally!". I _should_ be saying, "Oh wow, look how awesome
science is" - and granted, *it is* - but then I'm like, "Ok,
next thing please." And yeah - even the death thing. I'm hoping
for 84-88 out of this here body. Maybe I'll get less. But I'm
gonna keep making the most of everyday for future's sake and
today's sake alike and who knows what'll happen after I'm gone.
Little seeds. Great acorns. Inspire others. etc. Big believer in
that stuff. == Surpassed sci-fi. You nailed it right there.
That's what I want to see too. My Iphone 5s. I wanted this since
I was 11. Pocket computer. Library in my pocket. I had a CB
Radio. I wanted to type to people too. Got my modem in 1989.
Never left it. Watched the progress of touch-screen devices.
Bought whatever I could fit in my pocket. Love how far they've
come. Keep waiting for more. I got so many ideas that I know
will happen some day. The waiting is a pain sometimes smile
emoticon == I want to know: What are people dreaming of today
that seems technologically impossible today? That's the stuff
that got us this far and it's the stuff that'll bring us to
unknown places. We need today's practical dreams based on old
sci-fi. But we need NEW ideas that nobody thought of before yet.
They're there. Just gotta think different. == Agreed. I honestly
believe nothing is impossible. Might be difficult. Might have to
change a few parameters or assumptions to make them happen. But
always possible. ==
