My friend Magen and I are excited about the invention of 3D TV. Actually, I’m slightly nervous about inadvertently creating a Nightmare on Ninth Avenue by switching on a Freddy Krueger movie and Magen’s excited at the thought of how amazing 3D porn must be on 3D TV. Let’s face it, it’s probably very amazing!
Doesn’t the new invention usually trump the predecessor? We lost interest in centerfolds when we discovered video. We stopped stashing video when we discovered we could log on to get off. Naturally, 3D would be the bigger, better, autostereoscopic deal. Right? Such is the evolution of technology.
Each day, ruins of ancient civilizations are newly uncovered to reveal how they lived and what tools and technology were at their disposal. It’s a constant reminder of how we were able to drag ourselves up from our primitive beginnings to walk, to run, to drive, to fly. From the crank of a Victrola to the download of an mp3, each new invention piggybacks off of an older, less sophisticated one. I might not be typing this article today without the development of the typewriter in the 1800s.
CREDIT: "Alexander Graham Bell at the opening of the long-distance line from New York to Chicago," 1892. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. Reproduction Number LC-G9-Z2-28608-B.
I’m lucky enough to have witnessed the launch of a few of our civilization’s most recent great inventions. I was born in the 70s, raised in the 80s and entered adulthood in the 90s. Thus, I lived in a world without cell phones, DVD players and home computers. The only tablet was my Etch-A-Sketch, and I found hours of enjoyment listening to radio mix tapes on my cassette Walkman.
I fondly remember the flashing green letters against the infinite darkness of the computer screen , the exciting beep of my pager and, despite having been there from the beginning, I’m still a terrible video game player.
The twenty year old Assistant at my day job has never seen a real, live answering machine. In her, such things may as well belong to a lost civilization, like eight track players, rotary phones and, soon to be (deep sigh of regret) books.
I fully embrace advancement. I do. Some things, however, are irreplaceable. Searching the World Wide Web from the palm of my hand is truly amazing. But, the crackle of a needle placed into the groove of a record, and the musty smell of pages that have been on a book shelf for far too long, make me melt.
Another unsettling realization is that while our technological advancements enhance our lives, they also increase our capacity to destroy. The same types of inventions that allow us to reach out to one another in social camaraderie across vast distances, also make it possible to eliminate entire nations with the press of a button. We must be wise in our knowledge. The future, if we’re careful, could be an amazing place to live.
I’m excited to see what the techno geniuses will come up with next. I’m actually waiting for someone to fully develop Holodeck technology. In the meantime, I’m off to find someone with a 3D TV to watch 3D porn with.
Cheers,
-Ceddy
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