FUTURE TECHNOLOGY MYTHS
Active Vocabulary:
To vaunt (хвастаться, восхвалять), cutting-edge (остриё, передний край, центр деятельности, выигрышное качество, свойство, дающее преимущество), inaccurate (неточный, неправильный, ошибочный), artificial intelligence, to rival (соперничать, конкурировать), to surpass (превосходить, опережать), imminent (надвигающийся, неотвратимый, неизбежный), to contend (бороться, спорить, соперничать), processing power (вычислительная мощность, вычислительные возможности), jeopardy (риск, опасность), sustainable (устойчивый, жизнеспособный), to safeguard (охранять, защищать), to override (отменять, перевешивать, преобладать, наехать, попирать, отвергать), menial task (чёрная работа), to outline standards (обрисовать, наметить в общих чертах), inevitable, bottom line (итог, суть дела, определяющий фактор), proverbial (общеизвестный, пресловутый).
TEXT
Computers are extremely complicated machines, to say the least. The modern IT world is so complicated and moves so fast that even the most cutting-edge technology ages in dog years, times three. As such, it's no surprise that many people still believe things that are either inaccurate, outdated or just downright fabrications (абсолютная выдумка).
Human beings have been described as the "story telling ape (человекообразная обезьяна)".
We seek out patterns and stories to explain everyday life, and myths, both computing and urban, are an example of this. In some cases they are useful - parables (иносказания) are an important feature of learning by example - but in some cases they can be counterproductive (приводящий к обратным результатам).
This week, we take a look at some of the more prevalent (самый распространённый) urban legends of informational technology. Some have a basis in truth, while others are just a good tale to tell.
5 Future Technology Myths
by Jacob Silverman
What will the world look like 10 years from now? Forty years from now? Will the continuation of Moore's Law eventually allow us to have a society run by automated robots? Will we have conquered global warming and celebrate as a people as we approach the much-vaunted (хваленый) prospect of the singularity (оригинальность, своеобразие, особенность, специфичность)? Some futurists, the people who deal in this kind of speculation, have made predictions of this nature, but there are also those who say these forecasts are inaccurate. In this article, we'll take a look at some popular ideas about the future of technology that are likely myths.
Predicting future trends or developments, especially in a dynamic field like technology, is inherently (по сути) inexact, but it is possible to make some informed guesses. Of course, it's also possible to argue the opposite point of view regarding the reality of some of these technologies, but in these cases, there's enough evidence out there, particularly from experts, to diagnose them as myths.
Let's start with one of the great fabled machines of the post-industrial age: the flying car.
5: Soon We'll All Be Driving Flying Cars
T
he
flying car has been prophesied (пророчить)
for decades. It's one
of the holy grails of the futuristic, utopian society, where everyone
gets to zip (проноситься
со
свистом)
around through the air and land easily, quietly and safely wherever
he or she wants.
Y
The
Skycar M400, which is designed to take off and land vertically much
like a Harrier Jet, will initially cost about $1 million.
A decade into the 21st century, we don't seem to be any closer, despite what you might read on gadget blogs. Because funding dried up, NASA abandoned its contest for inventors to create a "Personal Air Vehicle," and there doesn't seem to be another government agency, except perhaps the secretive DARPA, ready to take on the project.
There are simply too many challenges in the way of a flying car becoming widely adopted. Cost, flight paths and regulations, safety, potential use in terrorism, fuel efficiency, training pilots/drivers, landing, noise, opposition from the automobile and transportation industries -- all stand in the way of a legitimate flying car. Also, these vehicles will likely have to be able to operate as cars on regular roads, posing another logistical challenge.
In fact, many of the so-called flying cars that are being hawked (разносить) as the real thing are simply roadable aircrafts -- a sort of plane/car hybrid that is not capable of, say, making a short trip to school to drop off the kids. Plus, they're far too expensive. One such vehicle, the Terrafugia Transition, set for a release in 2011 or later, is expected to cost $200,000.