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.
==
[responsivevoice_button voice="US English Male"]