Quote:
Originally Posted by IconBasser  I've noticed that every time I read popular science, there are always articles about super new technologies that are under development that could solve all sortsa problems.
Unfortunately, I never hear anything about them again. |
Some of them do, some of them don't. Generally, there's a huge gap between the invention of new technology and its widespread use or availability.
One reason is that a meaningful practical use is not always apparent. One such example was the telephone, that had a slow early adoption, as people considered it impractical for business (as they said, written text, such as telegraphs, has a more permanent quality than fleeting speech).
Another important reason is that its adoption is also based on other concerns, such as the cost of production, practical problems, politics or the necessity for cultural change before its use is applicable. One such example is remote surgery, that despite its advantages is not widespread because it would entail an in-depth change in medical procedure and it still has the practical problem that you need at least an anesthesiologist and a technician on-site.
Another example would be WAP in mobiles, a very underrated technology, not only because of "technological" reasons (such as the limited user interface capabilities), but primarily because of the usual high cost of service.
