Showing posts with label society. Show all posts
Showing posts with label society. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Would you still watch your favorite television program if you had to cycle for an hour before you could view it? This question is not mine but CNN journalists. They are asking this in the article about new energy source - human power.
As CNN talkers admit, usage human masculine power isn't new idea. This is old and nice method from those times when if You wanted to go somewhere You had to walk, if You wanted to dig a hole, You had to dig. But times differ. Nowadays we are very anxious not only about saving energy sources but also about human health.
For the meantime human power is being used where they already a having active time: in sports or dance clubs. It would be more effective to employ couch potatoes who do nothing but sit in front of electric devices through the days. Restless evenings are coming, aren't they?
However, despite all advantages, I'm sceptical about all this idea. I agree that active and modern minded people will make the technology popular, save energy and shape their forms. But critical mass of the society will use not their own energy until there nothing be left. Laziness is one of the powers which moves the history of inventions.
The profile of the technology is set to receive a further boost this month when a human-powered gym opens in Portland, Oregon, and again in September when the human-powered 'sustainable dance club', Club Watt, opens its doors in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Human power is already being used to run the 'California Fitness' gym in Hong Kong, and to power the recently opened 'Club Surya' in London.
As CNN talkers admit, usage human masculine power isn't new idea. This is old and nice method from those times when if You wanted to go somewhere You had to walk, if You wanted to dig a hole, You had to dig. But times differ. Nowadays we are very anxious not only about saving energy sources but also about human health.
For the meantime human power is being used where they already a having active time: in sports or dance clubs. It would be more effective to employ couch potatoes who do nothing but sit in front of electric devices through the days. Restless evenings are coming, aren't they?
However, despite all advantages, I'm sceptical about all this idea. I agree that active and modern minded people will make the technology popular, save energy and shape their forms. But critical mass of the society will use not their own energy until there nothing be left. Laziness is one of the powers which moves the history of inventions.
Monday, August 04, 2008
We often want to express one thoughts while speaking but express much more. Sometimes we even say such statements that after a while we realize it was nonsense. However, while speaking about the future we usually tell what we think about the present indeed. Anybody is catching on my mind?
For example about a month ago, during the days of Euro'08 in Switzerland and Austria, scientists, who are creating robots, forecasted that their robots-footballers will be able to win a match against Brazilian national soccer team on 2025. Peter Kopacek of Vienna's Technical University was even more sceptical about his own country players. "I think that by 2015 or 2017 a robot team will beat the Austrian national squad," said he. "
On one hand, this statement was an original PR move in the days of Euro'08. But on the other hand, it is obvious illustration of human mentality paradoxes. Who could know that, for example, Austrian national squad wouldn't be stronger than Brazilian squad on 2015? Not talking about 2025. Maybe it will be the time for USA soccer?
For example about a month ago, during the days of Euro'08 in Switzerland and Austria, scientists, who are creating robots, forecasted that their robots-footballers will be able to win a match against Brazilian national soccer team on 2025. Peter Kopacek of Vienna's Technical University was even more sceptical about his own country players. "I think that by 2015 or 2017 a robot team will beat the Austrian national squad," said he. "
On one hand, this statement was an original PR move in the days of Euro'08. But on the other hand, it is obvious illustration of human mentality paradoxes. Who could know that, for example, Austrian national squad wouldn't be stronger than Brazilian squad on 2015? Not talking about 2025. Maybe it will be the time for USA soccer?