Curmudgeons beware. The future will be better than the present. Not in every respect, certainly. But in the way our present is demonstrably better than our past, our future is shaping up to be incrementally better than our present. You want evidence? Okay, there's a British company making glow-in-the-dark asphalt surface that promises to significantly reduce the need for electrical lighting on bike paths and streets. How cool is that? Imagine being able to clearly see where you're going as you navigate your bike through the woods. Imagine how much money is spent illuminating streetlights along such paths and roadways that could be saved if such a system proves practical (hint: it's millions and millions).
Imagine being able to ride your bike on a dark path without a light. Imagine being able to see the edge of a path with no painted lines - even after dark. Imagine reducing the amount of ambient light so you can see the stars again. That is actual progress. I doubt that this would be a replacement for street lights on busy roads, but anything that can reduce electrical costs for lighting, reduce light pollution and improve visibility in low light areas seems like a good idea to me. And from the sound of it, this could even save municipalities money on infrastructure costs.
So, still not convinced that the present is better than the past or that the future will be better than the present? Well, perhaps you should read the exhaustively researched The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker, currently on Bartlebones' nightstand. The general premise is that it is now statistically the safest time to be alive in all of human history. So turn off the 24-hour [bad] news channel, tell your nutjob Tea Party friend he's wrong, and enjoy your life. Soon you'll be able to ride your bike in the dark and never slip off the pavement.
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