Janet Collins
Billy MWhile You Were Sleeping There Was a Technology Word Explosion
August 31st 2008 05:11
A few years ago I became fascinated with the science of Cryonics after reading a few articles about it. Cryonics is a process where a body is kept at a very low temperature, even frozen, until some future technology is able to bring it back to life.
The articles I read went a little further. This science was being suggested as an option for people suffering from say a terminal disease to elect to have themselves frozen until such time as a cure was discovered for their illness.
This subject must have been gaining a lot of interest at the time because it crept into the storylines of some of the legal dramas I was watching on television at the time.
What fascinated me most about it was the idea of waking up after some decades. I often wondered what it would be like. What would it be like to become familiar with the new environment, the people who have gone or even the technology.
The most daunting task of all though would familiarising yourself with the language. Just think of the words that have become part of the way we speak thanks to technology and its advances.
If I try to imagine waking up today after being unconscious for 30 years, I think of the words that have made their way into the dictionary. First there is the ATM. Yes, remember when we went into banks and spoke to someone behind a counter. But there are lots more.
Think of the PC, the mouse, the modem, the internet, mobile phones, CD, DVD, search engines, laptop, Bluetooth, blackberry, email, SMS, multimedia, pre-emptive text, the web, website and many, many more. You even need to remember passwords because everything needs a password.
Then there are the phrases that have become generally accepted. We tell people to “google it”, “text it to me”, “email me” or “burn a CD” and the more recent RSS feed and podcast.
The technology itself would be difficult enough to master, but possible. I witnessed this not so long ago when my mother bought her first mobile phone. She did so reluctantly and only after a lot of persuasion from my sister. Of course, there were many quite frustrating calls to my sister for some time after this. Now my mother not only uses the phone extremely well but sends text messages to us all the time to show us that she is every bit as good as us.
The anachronisms also become part of many a conversation. Recently, I was hearing a conversation between two pretty technical young men and it was completely dotted with HTML and URL. So to keep up with conversation you really need to make an effort to keep up with the ever expanding language of technology.
When I took up blogging (now that’s another word for the list) some months ago, I pondered again what it would be like to wake up after being “asleep” for 30 years. To think if I had woken up today after being unconscious for 30 years, I couldn’t even imagine my reaction if someone asked me “do you blog?”
The articles I read went a little further. This science was being suggested as an option for people suffering from say a terminal disease to elect to have themselves frozen until such time as a cure was discovered for their illness.
This subject must have been gaining a lot of interest at the time because it crept into the storylines of some of the legal dramas I was watching on television at the time.
What fascinated me most about it was the idea of waking up after some decades. I often wondered what it would be like. What would it be like to become familiar with the new environment, the people who have gone or even the technology.
The most daunting task of all though would familiarising yourself with the language. Just think of the words that have become part of the way we speak thanks to technology and its advances.
If I try to imagine waking up today after being unconscious for 30 years, I think of the words that have made their way into the dictionary. First there is the ATM. Yes, remember when we went into banks and spoke to someone behind a counter. But there are lots more.
Think of the PC, the mouse, the modem, the internet, mobile phones, CD, DVD, search engines, laptop, Bluetooth, blackberry, email, SMS, multimedia, pre-emptive text, the web, website and many, many more. You even need to remember passwords because everything needs a password.
Then there are the phrases that have become generally accepted. We tell people to “google it”, “text it to me”, “email me” or “burn a CD” and the more recent RSS feed and podcast.
The technology itself would be difficult enough to master, but possible. I witnessed this not so long ago when my mother bought her first mobile phone. She did so reluctantly and only after a lot of persuasion from my sister. Of course, there were many quite frustrating calls to my sister for some time after this. Now my mother not only uses the phone extremely well but sends text messages to us all the time to show us that she is every bit as good as us.
The anachronisms also become part of many a conversation. Recently, I was hearing a conversation between two pretty technical young men and it was completely dotted with HTML and URL. So to keep up with conversation you really need to make an effort to keep up with the ever expanding language of technology.
When I took up blogging (now that’s another word for the list) some months ago, I pondered again what it would be like to wake up after being “asleep” for 30 years. To think if I had woken up today after being unconscious for 30 years, I couldn’t even imagine my reaction if someone asked me “do you blog?”
| 84 |
| Vote |
Shared on
Add To: 
Subscribe to this blog
Comment by Joey Crews
Gamemonger
The World From A Cynic's Eyes
Needless to say cryonics wouldn't be for those who aren't good at adapting to change!
Comment by Janet Collins
The Social Critic
Janet Collins Blog
I am fascinated with the idea of waking up in 30 years time and being a voyeur. Adapting to the circumstances may prove difficult though.
Thanks for commenting.
Janet
Comment by Cibbuano
20/20 Filmsight
Science News
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
Comment by Janet Collins
The Social Critic
Janet Collins Blog
Janet
Comment by KylieW
Celebrity Obsession
Comment by Janet Collins
The Social Critic
Janet Collins Blog
I agree. The idea of checking things out after such a long time is very appealing indeed!
Thanks for the comment.
Janet
Comment by colocountry
I recently had the chance to head a project in a large metro high school, where interactive whiteboards [IWBs] were being trialled. Naturally I was given one as part of the project but having a 56 year old fogey at the forefront of the techno-drive didn't seem to trouble the students. It was simply a matter of admitting that I didnt know all that was needed to run the class successfully and I was soon advised by techno minds far wiser than mine that shortcuts were not being taken. The lesson for every teacher is that making mistakes is the fastest way to embedding learning and that learners value the lessons gleaned from other learners.
Col
Comment by Janet Collins
The Social Critic
Janet Collins Blog
My fascination with the whole thing was more about the new lingo than the technology itself. I have trouble keeping up with all the terminology - and I am awake! How would you cope with all the new lingo if you had been asleep for 30 years? Can't even imagine.
Thanks for commenting.
Janet
Comment by colocountry
You need to be honest and admit that you need clarification when confronting the new-age acronyms. It seems to me that there is mileage in parading out a new combination of ill-assembled consonants and smirking as the recipients scramble all of their defense mechanisms in a vain bid to feign understanding. A simple request to have the tangle unravelled often ends up with the puzzler with egg on their face - perhaps because the cryptic is painfully contrived and lacking in any common sense application.
Col
Comment by Timothy Powell
subjective determinist
Bad men
meditations while in genetics lectures
Comment by Jim Spears
Political Pundit
Sport Sensibility
My concerns would be language related also...Everyone will be speaking Mandarin but they won't be able to explain why, so my recently unfrozen brain will probably implode. Scary stuff....
Comment by Janet Collins
The Social Critic
Janet Collins Blog
Your case about the physical issues of cryogenics is certainly enough to turn me off it altgether. That sounds far worse than not knowng what everyone was talking about.
Thanks for commenting.
Janet
Comment by Janet Collins
The Social Critic
Janet Collins Blog
That could b another hitch. Or they might all be speaking Spanish!
Thanks for the comment.
Janet
Comment by Jim Spears
Political Pundit
Sport Sensibility
I'm going to stick to Madarin because in 30 years the Latin languages will be almost dead languages and considering the scientific innovation on display in Korea, China I reckon in 30 years Western Science will be a historical concept...