The question of the week (a day late) is:
{democracy:56}
Discussion after the jump.
After last week's triumph of hypertech, I wanted to get more specific. So if I were given the power to make one comic book technology a reality, what would I choose?
- Powered Armor, Iron-Man style: The last thing we need is better weapons of mass destruction. Pass.
- Teleportation chambers This would be pretty amazing and transformative. Imagine no planes in the air, no need for trains crossing the country, no need for oil tankers crossing fragile seas. Plus the possibility of cloning yourself during a trip gone awry or accidental alternate-dimension-hopping: try THAT in a Volvo!
- Star-Trek style replicators: As I understand it, these things work by taking any sort of matter and transforming it into food. You'd end world hunger, the competition for food resources, the whole nine yards. Very compelling technology.
- Dimensional portals: This takes more work than some of the others, but has real possibilities. An infinite frontier, the possibility of acquiring new and different technology, the chance to travel to a dimension where you're King of the World, are all pretty interesting.
- FTL travel: Similar to Dimensional Portals, but you still have to get out into space and find someplace interesting to go to. But it does get us out of that whole "One big asteroid and we're screwed" scenario.
- Commonplace super-human mutations: We could have the Marvel Universe right here!!
- Self-aware computers/AIs : On the one hand, Terminator. On the other hand, Number Five is Alive!! Of course I am pretty sure Number Five would get scragged in a heartbeat by a ruthless Arnold, so I'll pass.
Given all that, I'd probably choose replicators. It's safe, universally applicable, and could really change the entire basis of competition and conflict between societies. Which would you go for?
