A naive curiosity, but it got me wondering. The last time it occurred general relativity was still in the future, quantum mechanics had barely begun, people would have laughed at the prospect of one, let alone two, world wars, my great grandfather was a hardworking farmer in Mysore province of British India, calculating machines could barely challenge abacus, and the word computer still meant a person.
So what will it be like the next time? Will we have a unified theory, quantum computers or maybe flying cars? Will we have solved Riemann Hypothesis or P=NP or both? Will we have fixed global warming and the energy crisis? Will the free internet exist, or is it its destiny to remain an accident between naive curiosities? Will we have a bit more social justice? And will there be someone wondering of the same things? I think at least the last one has an affirmative answer. It will be interesting as it has always been, and though I won't be there, I am sure glad to be here.
So what will it be like the next time? Will we have a unified theory, quantum computers or maybe flying cars? Will we have solved Riemann Hypothesis or P=NP or both? Will we have fixed global warming and the energy crisis? Will the free internet exist, or is it its destiny to remain an accident between naive curiosities? Will we have a bit more social justice? And will there be someone wondering of the same things? I think at least the last one has an affirmative answer. It will be interesting as it has always been, and though I won't be there, I am sure glad to be here.
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