Technological change can’t be ignored

Canada Free Press ^ | Thursday, June 23, 2005 | Arthur Weinreb

[Alexander Rubin]

Last week, BT, a large British telecommunications company, announced what was billed as the world’s first hybrid telephone. The phone connects to a landline in the same way that a cordless telephone does. But it can be taken away from its base and used as a mobile phone. Cellular charges will only apply if the phone is away from its base.

It wasn’t that long ago when the proliferation of cell phones gave rise to the fear that it would only be a matter of time before we ran out of telephone numbers. As mobile phones became cheaper and smaller, there was nothing unusual in a family of six having seven telephone numbers where only a few years before, they would have had only one. It seemed that it was inevitable that telephone numbers would have to be re-jigged to make them longer to accommodate the number of telephones that seem to be increasing in geometrically progressions. Now, with the invention of the hybrid phone, the number of telephone numbers will no doubt decrease as many individuals will have just one number instead of two.

[Alexander Rubin]

Art maintains technology will eventually solve all our problems. I am less optimistic on this particular issue, and I believe that we will need some good old fashioned hard work and painful sacrifices as well, but I'm curious as to what you folks think. Will technology come up with the solution to decreasing supply of oil in time? To global warming, if it is occuring? To space constraints?

[D-fendr]

Will technology come up with the solution to decreasing supply of oil in time?

Define "in time." In general we'll always have enough supply of energy. Raw materials change.

The quote: "The Stone Age didn't end because we ran out of rocks," applies.