Take a look at the world today and compare it to the world of 50 or even 40 years ago, now ask yourself...is the world a better place than it was? Lets see now, my dad and my grandpa were having this discussion at dinner once. When they were young, or when my dad was young at least, you didnt have to worry about locking your doors or wondering were your kids were or even distrusting every person who walked past you. That was before we created this whole 'culture of fear' that we now live in. Now we all have to buy alarm systems and we all have to be very cynical and distrustful of the intentions of others. We dont even trust some charities anymore, because we have a beleif that they are corrupt and wont send our money where it really needs to go, and in some cases this is true. Lets use a finer example. In England when my dad was young there was a woman who was raped and murdered and left on the side of the road. Now, we've all heard of this kind of thing happening, but back then it was like 9/11, everybody was just as shocked by it and couldnt beleive that it had happened. Now, lets fast forward a few years or so and lets look at this again. Incidents of rape and murder have apparently become so common that when we hear about them we think...poor people, and then go back to eating our meals. We've become desensitized by the culture we live in. Because North Americans have lost the whole idea of community and kinship that is so common among those little tribes in Africa and other places, we've lost that feeling of empathy that comes with it. Its easier then, for us to do certain things to our fellow humans that would have been unthinkable before. Lets think of it this way: technology is advancing at a rapid pace yes? The next 20 years or so should see such an increase in technological advancement that it would be considered equivalent to the last 50 years, and every year it'll get shorter and shorter. Suppose that we all reach a state where technology is so advanced that we dont even have to work and can devote ourselves entirely to life's pleasurable pursuits. How long before we become bored with trivial aspects of life and turn to the more extreme aspects. How long before the search for new and exotic experiences becomes excessive and extreme? How long before certain codes of ethics are thrown wildly aside in search of self-gratification? How long before the people living in this kind of society can no longer be considered people? Is this the future of the human race? Who knows...maybe its a little too extreme, but anything is possible and it would seem that we are already walking down this road, its just a matter of time. In 100 years, how will things have changed? Who can say...but its very possible that in time the world will either become a paradise, a living hell, or a dust ball completely devoid of all life.