My Big Thing

[Russell Turpin]

Tom Whore writes:
>Rather than asking what the market will crown as its next darling and plop 
>on the time mag cover memetrain of here today has been tomorrow.... What do 
>you want the next big thing to be?

Truth to tell, I don't expect the advances in display size,
wearable computing, etc., to make much of a difference
in my life. I'm pretty much on the trailing edge when it
comes to "gee whiz" toys. No cable. No cell phone. No
game boy. No walkman.

What do I want? Well .. there are several big areas where
I would love to see break-throughs. (1) Better city
transportation. I will give my undying gratitude, and even
a few dollars, to the company that makes it so I never
again have to drive in a traffic jam, and so I can walk or
bike where I want without having to worry about being run
over by an idiot at wit's end because he's been driving in
a traffic jam. Yes, I know. This is a really hard problem.
But we were asked about "big things."

(2) Advances in medicine that stave off the effects of
aging. These don't have to be the next big thing. Nor even
the one after that. But if these don't start to come three
or four in line, they will come too late to help most of us.

>Then, why is it not happening?

It is criminally reprehensible that anti-aging drugs cannot
be submitted for FDA approval, because that agency does not
view effects of aging as diseases worthy of cure. Of course,
that's hardly the big impediment. But it speaks volumes to
how drug research is done.

Russell

"Rarely does advertising tell you about the product being
sold. That's the least of it. Advertising's primary function
is to compensate for frustrations and feed fantasies. Whom do
you wish to become by buying this aftershave?"
  -- Eduardo Galeano




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