I really did expect, by now, to be living on the Moon or if not at least to be in some form of cryogenic suspension whilst travelling into deep space to colonise a very distant planet.
I was expecting either of those scenarios to be reality by now after seeing, as a child in the late 1960's and early 1970's the announcements and grainy black and white TV demonstrations of rapid and seemingly daily developments in travel, technology and all things scientific.
Was it just one big hype or just that those driving the bus or should I say Spaceship lost their nerve and reined back expectations of what could really be acheived in theirs and also our lifespan.
Conspiracy theorists of which I theorise that there are many put this change of pace, from breakneck running to just marking time or at best a slow jog ,down to the influence of the oil companies and their vested interests who wanted to keep the world dependent on their products rather than making huge progress in abundant, cheap or even free energy sources.
There may have been some substance in what was suspected. Discuss.
So, my childhood dreams of speeding around in a hover or jet car whilst living in a futuristic abode on a cloud were thwarted and I have had to settle for a VW Passat and a terraced house. I am not bitter or too cynical because, in all actuality, the rate of technological development has been dictated by humans with a conscience, a bit of empathy for their contemporaries and making allowances for mankind to ascend to a maturity so as to make the most of these benefits rather than blow ourselves up or worst still, others.
There have of course been tremendous breakthroughs in certain aspects of our late 20th century and early 21st century existence. In things medical and physiological we can expect to live better and for longer.
We generally have all we need at our disposal, at least in economies not ravaged by war, famine and social, religious or racial upheaval. Some may say that the word disposal is the problem as we run out of places to dump the shameful surplus of our consumer led market.
Along the merry way we have stored up significant problems which are impacting in my own lifetime and also for those generations to follow in such areas as global warming and climate change, the ability to provide adequate food and water for an expanding global population, care and shelter.
What is needed is the innocence and inspiration of the 60's and 70's but carried through with todays know-how to provide long lasting and far reaching solutions.
I have recently come across one area where this is taking place, in the supply of housing.
As far back as the early 20th century there were government led initiatives to provide Homes for Heroes and this resulted in the growth of suburbia and the Mutual Building Society Movement.
After the second world war families who had been bombed out of their homes were re-housed in acre upon acre of prefabricated bungalows or other systems built properties.
The widespread and, perhaps in hindsight, ill advised demolition and clearance in the post war period of large areas of our inner cities saw the emergence of unpopular high risers and tenement blocks soon after themselves to be destroyed in favour of traditional streetscape houses.
There is still a shortage of affordable housing in the UK or at least in the locations where it is most in demand. Alternative building forms have emerged in more recent years to try to improve supply with timber frame (although not a new concept), structurally insulated panels, polystyrene insulated concrete forms and many other patented designs and concepts.
The latest to be trialled is a three dimensional "printed" house. A Dutch Architect is planning to construct the world's first of its kind using a printing machine capable of producing objects as large as six metres by nine metres and therefore ideally suited for assembly into a structure.
The composition of the printed matter is a mix of powdered rocks and sand held together by a bonding agent, giving concrete like characteristics.
The prototype house is to cost around £3 million to £4 million pounds to build and will occupy a prominent position in Amsterdam.
The Architects have high hopes that spin off technology will permit quick and cheap construction so that it can be available to all. I have been fascinated by the concept and potential applications of this project and will keep half an eye on its progress.
I have not forgotten that childhood feeling of the promise of a great and adventurous future and a house, "printed" on demand would just do nicely when I eventually get to live on the Moon or on that habitable deep space planet which has always been just lurking up in the firmament of stars.
No comments:
Post a Comment