I have to take issue with some of these, Niki. Cheap air travel, isn't that a major contribution to global warming and the destruction of our enviroment. The end of the Cold War, is the world really a safer place as a result? Better equal opportunities, marginal maybe, but don't believe the hype. More higher education for all classes. Not in this country and any increase qualifications attained is the consequence of a drop in standards. Greater acceptance of TG'S and LBG's shouldn't be confused with having a higher profile. The internet, Ipods and mobile communications are just a bar to intimacy and true emotional attachment - quantity not quality. I see, glass half-empty again, Porsch lol. Let me think of something I like and I'll get back to you.

I liked Danique's current thread on our childhood memories and so in response I thought I would say what we DO like about our current times.

Being more able to make friends anywhere in the world.
The wonderful world of the Internet - where would I be without that?
Cars that have heaters that work and in car entertainment to keep everyone happy.
Cheap air travel.
The end of the Cold War.
Better equal opportunities.
More higher educational opportunities for all classes.
Greater acceptance of TG's and LBG's.
New and improved surgical procedures and medical care.
DVD's, CD's, MP3's and Ipod's.
Mobile communications.
Higher standards of living - i.e. colour TV, Freezers, dishwashers etc.
Holiday's abroad.

These are just a few things that spring to mind, what do YOU like about the present day?

Nikki

I'm with Nikki on this one I these as good things. Life can be hard if you only look at the dark side.

Yea well I just looked & someone is a year older than I am.

LOL!!!

Anne I find them on the web.

For me, the most exciting and terrifying part of the 21st Century will be the advances in biology and medicine. They will advance as technology has advanced in the 20th century. Many of you will live to see our most important dreams come true. In the last year they have successfully transplanted organs grown from the recipients own tissue (no DNA rejection) and grown a beating heart (rat) from tissue samples in TWO WEEKS. I fully believe this century will see the ability to alter out bodies by replacement with young tissue. This will extend our lifespans and enable non-surgical SRS with fully-functioning female and male reproductive organs for victims of trauma, disease and birth sex mis-assignment.

While there is room for abuse, advances in medicine may be able to counter these to the extent that it will not be cost effective to manufacture bio-engineered biological weapons, for example. We already live in a world with cyborgs all around us. People have artificial hearts, pacemakers, insulin pumps and even optical receptors for the blind. Recently, a primate mentally controlled a robot located on the other side of the world, making it walk...giving hope to para and quadraplegics for undreamed of freedom. Voice-change equipment is for sale to anyone and soon the technology for external devices will be available as an implant, enabling totally feminine voice conversion. Perhaps even without an implant. Language barriers are falling as translators develop their own voices, speaking in the language you can't. Communication is key to living together with strangers in harmony. A "universal translator" will appear in the first half of this century. New technology will increasingly combine biological and inorganic devices. Diseases like diabetes will be controlled and your doctor will be able to order you a new heart or kidney as yours begins to fail.

Sadly, there is one result that could see an end to the transgendered person. GLBT "errors" along with other genetic and developmental "abnormalities" maybe be prevented by parents. If we truly believe that we are special and beneficial to humankind, this would be a tragedy for our species, narrowing the variations in a species is usually counter-survival. Who would speak out against such a line of action? Would we, ourselves, even do it? This will be a century in which ethical decisions will multiply greatly in number and significance. Might make an interesting, separate thread.

Extend our lifespans - God Forbid!