Surveying the future (Pew Research)

A new Pew Research Center reports on eight futuristic ideas and whether Americans view them having a positive or negative impact on society:63% don't want US airspace open to drones.53% believe devices and implants delivering constant information would have a negative impact on our lives.9% want a time machine more than any other futuristic invention.48% want to ride in a driverless car while 50% would not.8% between 30 and 49 would like a personal robot servant over any other futuristic intention.19% believe we will have weather control within the next 50 years.33% believe we will have long-term space colonies within 50 years.39% believe we will have teleportation with 50 years as well.What might these results tell us?A short list and I think it tells us a bit more about our concerns and conceits than the technologies themselves. Watching how we embrace or avoid advancements goes to the core of our humanity. As humans, we want to make our environment as safe as possible and often balance this safety against our desires. Our own internal conflict of needs vs wants is magnified in a survey such as this one.The response to drones and devices has much to do with risk-aversion. No one wants a drone falling on them or someone running them over while distracted. It would be interesting to see how we might have responded to constant information a few years ago, before we started receiving reports on traffic fatalities, pedestrian accidents, and people walking off cliffs while using their phones. Today, we hear about all of these issues and see laws being passed to deal with them. Drones are a new threat and there are no tangible benefits at this time for the average citizen. Coupled with daily news of air strikes in Afghanistan and Yemen, it's easy to become paranoid of these types of devices.The driverless car issue is an interesting split, especially since arguments on both sides involve safety: some believe they will offer a safer commute, while others worry the first generation of autonomous vehicles will increase traffic incidents, injuries, and vehicle fatalities. Google's success so far sounds extraordinary, but will require much more testing in many more environments and conditions before legalized for public use.I find it a bit frightening 'time machine' is listed as a futuristic invention when the chances of this advancement are highly unlikely according to a very long list of experts. That it's more popular overall than a personal robot servant is also a bit strange and perhaps sad.1 out of 5 believe we will conquer weather by 2064, yet the weather control we currently have is limited to rain seeding and that process only works if cloud temperatures are below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. A third of respondents believes humans will be living in space by that date, and 2 out of 5 believe we will have teleportation by then as well. These last three are, in my opinion, more an example of how much faith we have in science instead of our willingness to adopt these advancements.My takeawaysSo much of a product's success and an advancement's adoption depends on what it offers, cost, design, potential consequences, and consumer desire (Everett Rogers Diffusion of Innovations is a wonderful look at adoption). Here is my takeaway on each, based on what I've been reading on each topic:The battle over drones will be long and hard, eventually settling on safe routes until failure rates are extremely low - perhaps 99.9% uptime or better - and other fail safes to protect humans and property.Implants and devices are coming, with the former requiring medical approval and the latter already under full steam as companies attempt to get ahead of Apple and Google. How and when we'll be allowed to access our information will be decided by legislation, new social expectations, and common sense. Until we have proof of long-term damage from using these devices, we'll continue to adopt and press the limits of our mental focus.Time machines aren't going to happen - ever- but that's just my opinion. Maybe my future self will come back and edit this page so I look smarter when we get there.Driverless cars are coming and will be safer than human drivers (engineers and lawyers will see to this), but the first generation, like with hybrids, will see limited adoption. Safety statistics will improve the adoption and eventually insurance companies will demand autonomous driving in some or even most situations.Robot servants are a given. There are too many benefits to their adoption and too much profit from a new stack of electronics. The more I read on the subject, and realize from owning a Roomba vacuum, the more I believe we'll have a set of robots working together in place of a single humanoid robot roaming our home (where does it sleep?).Weather control, space colonies, and teleportation will take massive amounts of research and development - not to mention funds. Not just to figure out the ability, but to make certain unintended consequences won't create horrific weather patterns, end up with expensive, empty cities orbiting our planet, or mixed bodies up during transport.We have no way of knowing how each of these will play out, especially those which are mostly theoretical at this stage. If we focus on what we know, how respondents voted, we get an idea of what engineers, adopters and legislators will need to figure out before we can benefit or suffer from them - if ever.What are your thoughts on the list items? Do you feel strongly about any of them?