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Originally posted by NeutrinoLad:
500 years in the future... and we're still using tables, chairs, and the wheel?

Yes, some technologies are long-lived because they serve the purpose SO WELL.
welcome to engineering.

Now where is my anti-grav pod?

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You'd be surprised at how many things we use today that weren't in existance 500, hell, just 100 yrs ago.

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Originally posted by shinyseven:
Simon also gives Mal the injector and tells him to anesthetize Kaylee.

Hell, it's 500 years later, and he's still sewing people up with sutures and digging bullets out of 'em with retractors. And I'm pretty sure that it's not SOP to put surgical instruments in your mouth even if you don't have a surgical nurse available.

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Originally posted by AURaptor:

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Originally posted by NeutrinoLad:
500 years in the future... and we're still using tables, chairs, and the wheel?

Yes, some technologies are long-lived because they serve the purpose SO WELL.
welcome to engineering.

Now where is my anti-grav pod?

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You'd be surprised at how many things we use today that weren't in existance 500, hell, just 100 yrs ago.

" They don't like it when you shoot at 'em. I worked that out myself. "

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This has already been addressed by others, but I would also like to point out that probably 60-70% of the things we use in everyday life were already being used by the Romans and other advanced civilizations over 2000 years ago. A Roman inventor named Hero developed a working steam engine almost 2000 years ago. It took until the 1800's for someone to re-discover the technology. Also, I recently saw a piece on PBS showing that Archimedes developed the calculus in 400 B.C.. It was a full 2000 years before Leibnitz and Newton re-developed the same principals - principals without which we would have none of the advanced technology we currently have.

Why was there such a long period with little or no advancement in technology? In our real case, it was a little period of social and scientific stagnation known as The Dark Ages, brought on by the fall of the Roman Empire. In the case of Firefly, it was apparently a period of social stagnation brought on by the destruction of "earth-that-was" and the need for the human species to find new places to live. The development of some technologies, such as space travel, would have been a priority due to necessity. Resources would have been directed into that area of research. Other areas, such as medical research, would have been a much lower priority and would have received less resources and therefore, less advancement.

One of the reasons I like Firefly so much is that I think the "world" that Joss presented in the show is so realistic looking compared to other sci-fi shows. A very small part of that is using needles for injections.

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And I'm pretty sure that it's not SOP to put surgical instruments in your mouth even if you don't have a surgical nurse available.

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Originally posted by shinyseven:
I'm pretty sure that it's not SOP to put surgical instruments in your mouth even if you don't have a surgical nurse available.

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Originally posted by BruisersMom:

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And I'm pretty sure that it's not SOP to put surgical instruments in your mouth even if you don't have a surgical nurse available.

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It's also not SOP to have a crowd of people in the room in their non-surgical clothing and without face masks to prevent the spread of bacteria. I guess medical sanitation has gone downhill in 500 years.

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Originally posted by AURaptor:
mobile phones, remote control devices, cars,planes, trains,indoor
plumbing,refrigeration, the electric light, dishwasher, clothes washer, clothes dryer, computers, e-mail, message boards....

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RANT WARNING!

We'll be going back to those as soon as we run out of oil - it's not like there's any more being made. We're just using up what little is left - notice the sky-high oil prices lately. They're only going higher over the long-term as we use it all up with our fabulous modern inventions. Makes Joss's vision of Firefly look even more realistic, although at the rate we're going we'll have to leave earth much sooner than 500 years from now.

RANT OVER

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As to the availability of oil. Yes, there's still plenty left in the ground to last another 30 years, or so. If you think that's a really long time, then I guess you must think we're all pretty well off. Unfortunately, the easily extractable oil has already been removed. Now we're working on the difficult to remove (and more expensive) stuff.

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Originally posted by DralionSoleil:
20) (they actually printed this) Dick Clark. At age 90, he'll no doubt look younger than ever.

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