larry@ihuxf.UUCP (07/30/83)
I'm not exactly sure this falls into this net, but sf-lovers seems a good start. ------ Many, many sf stories show us that in the far off future technology will become more advanced than the people around it -- even to the point where the society can maintain it. For instance, look at Asimov's Foundation series. Here the knowledge got concentrated until it disappearred (planets losing the ability to use nuclear power, etc) I can see this starting to happen in our own time. Take something as common place as an automobile. It started off with rather simple workings that most any high-school dropout could comperhend and repair (no slur on high-school dropout, but that is the image of the local garage mechanic of the 50's I'm thinking of). Look at a car today! Smog systems and computer controlled carburation and spark systems can only be serviced by ``special'' diagnostic centers (read: dealers). Even at these special centers, the repair is usually black box replacement. It is seems to be comming to that only the designers will know how a car works! You and I will still drive them just fine, but my question is: Is this a good thing to happen? In most of the sf stories that come to mind, this attitude generally lead to the downfall. Is there any way to prevent this from happening and still get all the benefits of technological advances? What do you think sf-lovers?? Are we headed for doom?