[ExI] John W. Campbell in 1942 predicts the future

[BillK]

On 6/13/10, Damien Broderick wrote:
> The limits of hopeful prophecy; here's the editor of ASTOUNDING SCIENCE
> FICTION (later ANALOG) during WWII, in a letter to one of his writers:
>
>  <Socio-technical pressures after the war will be, for some time, directed
> toward rebuilding Europe, but with atomic technology coming in, and the
> immense population now available, that job will be effectively completed
> within 5 years. The time for interplanetary overflow will be at hand. First
> explorers, then colonies, then--the old cycle over again. Eventually,
> someday in the not-too-remote future, there will be overflow toward other
> stellar systems.


That was written before the impact of television was realised.

Not just television. But before entertainment became the biggest
industry in the world.
The Singularity was stopped by gossip and sitcoms.

BillK