Is there any technology in Man's imediate future which will have a bigger impact.....

[Vesayen]

Then nano-tech, if so, what is it?

I was thinking about this, I cant think of any other technology which will open more doors then that.

[Sava]

a true lie detector would bring the US government crashing down

[Sandman]

Since nanotech is a unproven pipe-dream, I'd say just about anything. We still don't have robot butlers, after all.

[Sava]

We still don't have robot butlers, after all.

we could build one, but why do that when it's less expensive to hire a person to do it?

[Menlas]

I'd say Genetics Mastering. Beeing able to remove deficient genes and selecting "good" genes would have an enormous impact on our lives, and doesn't seem too far technologically from now (certainly less than nano-tech ).

[Admiral PJ]

Faster than Light Space transport would be better, allowing us to research a lot more of the universe, and find new biologies and elements.
It might also allow contact with alien intelligences far greater than our own (highly likely) and new technologies from these people.

[Skanky Burns]

I say fusion. Suddenly we will have a virtually unlimited, cheap source of electricity that doesn't pollute. This will likely lead to electricity being the power behind most things, including cars eventually.

[Lord Merciless]

A device that needs only a few drops of blood to determine the comprehensive health condition of that person.

A system that takes the previous device's output to compute what proteins and antibodies need to be produced to cure that person.

[Kidlicious]

Teleportation.

But seriously, the only thing coming in the near future is in biotech. I haven't figured out how significant of a change it will be though.

[DAVOUT]

Originally posted by Sava
we could build one, but why do that when it's less expensive to hire a person to do it?

we could hire one, but why do that when it's less expensive to marry a person to do it?

[CyberGnu]

Davout

BTW, I have a robotic vacuum cleaner, and it is my Precious...

Cybernetic implants, possibly. They are already on the horizon for pacemakers and diabetics

[Guest]

I think in the things that are well under-development at the moment, biotech, including genetic engineering (anyone missed the thread about making eggs from males or whatever) will take the cake.
Nanotech being second but not taht close.
Things like fusion, or quick travel in the universe or not close to breakthroughs IMO, and would take much longer to have an impact on society, than biotechs which makes us ask big BIG ethics question every year.

[monolith94]

Segway!!!

[CyberGnu]

Lulthyme, good point. Imagine the ethics revolution we might get if human cloning actually works.

[Skanky Burns]

While fusion is currently not close to breakthrough, the very moment that it is, fusion reactors will start spreading around the globe like a plague. What electricity company wouldn't want to reduce its cost to make electricity?

The ethical component of biotechs will likely force them to be implemented much after the technical limitations are overcome.

Segway!!!