Greatest fear for the future?

[ancmetro]

      High prices! With prices going up all the time, I do not know what I am going to do to survive.

[falcon9]

I'm just afraid of green jello. That stuff is scary.

So, a one-world government of theocratic zombies armed with green jello and having bad breath?

[insevin]

Greatest fear: Faster-than-light space travel is impossible and the human race goes extinct in thousands or millions of years, being trapped on Earth until eventual natural disasters either earthborne or spaceborne wipes us out, or even man-made disaster kills us all.

[falcon9]

Greatest fear: Faster-than-light space travel is impossible and the human race goes extinct in thousands or millions of years, being trapped on Earth until eventual natural disasters either earthborne or spaceborne wipes us out, or even man-made disaster kills us all.

Two words, (your choice); generational ships or, slow-boats/craft.

[insevin]

Greatest fear: Faster-than-light space travel is impossible and the human race goes extinct in thousands or millions of years, being trapped on Earth until eventual natural disasters either earthborne or spaceborne wipes us out, or even man-made disaster kills us all.

Two words, (your choice); generational ships or, slow-boats/craft.

Perhaps...

I was serious about what I said, and I don't think generational ships would be all so awesome. We'd need the ships to carry MASSIVE amounts of resources to make to the first next habitable world... or else have some sort of tech that just regenerates matter and just made do wondering the void for eons...

But here is a science fiction example of how that kind of stuff could possibly work, although in this example the civilization on the generational ships DO have faster-than-light travel... http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Quarian

[falcon9]

I was serious about what I said, and I don't think generational ships would be all so awesome. We'd need the ships to carry MASSIVE amounts of resources to make to the first next habitable world... or else have some sort of tech that just regenerates matter and just made do wondering the void for eons...

Some of the suggestions I'd come across planned on using unmanned probes to initially scout local space, (say out to 20-50 lightyears).  Admittedly, these probes would take awhile to send back navigational and other telemetry data however, either FTL drives will be developed by then or, large asteroidal "ships" with small initial crews and semi-frozen embryos as 'cargo' could head out later.  That's all assuming leaving the solar system before spreading out into it, (which would seem to be a logical precurser step and we wouldn't have all of our 'eggs in one basket').

But here is a science fiction example of how that kind of stuff could possibly work, although in this example the civilization on the generational ships DO have faster-than-light travel... http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Quarian

Consider The Millennial Project: Colonizing the Galaxy in Eight Easy Steps, by Marshall T. Savage.

[dell9031]

the younger generations will abandon the older/oldest....

[diala84]

My greatest fear is that humanity can't save itself from ourselves. We can do some really great and terrible things and I am afraid we will be over our heads and our way of life and planet will all be destroyed.

[ferriwinkle]

My greatest fear is nuclear war. Nuclear power is so scary to me. In my mind, it is the most extreme form of warfare that will just wipe you out immediatelly. I mean, have you seen the tests of nuclear bombs? Watch them closely, they change the freaking atmosphere when they go off! First, the blast will turn you in to carbon instantly if you are anywhere near ground zero and the shockwave instantly destroys everything in its path. Second, the heat will burn you severely and if you manage survive that, you have to deal with the invisible fallout and die a slow painfull death. Radiation is particularly nasty, because it changes your DNA, which to me is pretty extreme. Dont get me wrong, we have come a long way with Nuclear usage for good reasons, but we are always balancing between the good and the bad uses of it. It bothers me, because once it gets going, you can't stop it. You can't change it once it leaks, and it can take out civilizations in the right hands-or the wrong hands.

I am not worried for nuclear war. If a bomb goes off near me, I will be dead, so it won't matter. My biggest fear is to reach retirement age and not have enough saved to quit working--I have visions of pushing my walker and greating people at walmart.

[davidh121]

I have a lot of fears. I fear being alone, chemical warfare, cost of education and other expenses (especially the cost for affording a child's tuition) and last but not least...  Being kidnapped and suffering a long dragged out torture. Maybe I'm watching too many horror movies and reading up on some dark human moments in history.

[southernhorizons]

It is true that history repeats itself ...

Actually, it's more accurate, (factually), to assert that some historical patterns generally repeat.

... and Americans today are saying exactly what the Chinese said before the Communists took over there.

You have side-by-side references for this claim so that comparisons can be independently discerned or, are you inherently implying that I take your word for it as a matter of 'faith'?

While you're worried about "zombies," which are mythical and have no basis in fact ...

I could point out some Haitian voudoun practices having misinterpreted results however, the original observation was a euphemism for religious adherents.

the powers that already rule the world are slowly turning this country and the rest of the world into a slave empire.

What are you suggesting by that vague claim; the "Illuminati", "Bilderberger", a de facto theocracy, a nebulous corporate empire or what?

If you are interested, I can provide you with a list of books by eye-witnesses to the Communist takeover in China. I can also give you titles of books about the New World Order. But you probably still wouldn't believe it. It's a lot easier to believe the news media which lulls everyone into a false sense of security.

[falcon9]

If you are interested, I can provide you with a list of books by eye-witnesses to the Communist takeover in China.

More than likely, I've read similar accounts and am aware of that event but, thanks.

I can also give you titles of books about the New World Order. But you probably still wouldn't believe it. It's a lot easier to believe the news media which lulls everyone into a false sense of security.

The thing is, I don't place a lot of confidence in teh veracity of either most conspiracy theories or most news broadcasts when both venture into speculative interpretations based on dubious premises.  My preference is to start the the premises and see if the syllogisms, (if any), which follow are logically-valid.

[ckaliszewski]

Well after I get my Psy.D. I'm afraid that I won't be able to achieve my career goals.

[falcon9]

Well after I get my Psy.D. I'm afraid that I won't be able to achieve my career goals.

So, would that be Atychiphobia, (or, is it too soon in your studies)?