Comments on: The First Decade of the Future is Behind Us http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2010/12/31/the-first-decade-of-the-future-is-behind-us/ Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:57:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Brandon Johns http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2010/12/31/the-first-decade-of-the-future-is-behind-us/#comment-4114 Brandon Johns Sun, 21 Aug 2011 05:12:22 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/?p=3527#comment-4114 Richard, how do you know there wasn't a year 0?? And even if there wasn't, it doesn't make the year 2000 a part of the 20th century and 2nd millennium. Richard, how do you know there wasn’t a year 0?? And even if there wasn’t, it doesn’t make the year 2000 a part of the 20th century and 2nd millennium.

]]> By: Ben http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2010/12/31/the-first-decade-of-the-future-is-behind-us/#comment-4113 Ben Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:25:13 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/?p=3527#comment-4113 i know im just as bad for doing this but kate, you're a moron for correcting thm on julian assanges nationality. it is totally irrelevant. you obviously have nothing to say that isn't just being said to try and be a part of something so please... leave it to people who have brains. i know im just as bad for doing this but kate, you’re a moron for correcting thm on julian assanges nationality. it is totally irrelevant. you obviously have nothing to say that isn’t just being said to try and be a part of something so please… leave it to people who have brains.

]]> By: Richard Woods http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2010/12/31/the-first-decade-of-the-future-is-behind-us/#comment-4112 Richard Woods Tue, 14 Jun 2011 03:37:05 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/?p=3527#comment-4112 Additional notes: 2010 was the last year of the first decade of the 21st century, but it was the first year of the "2010s decade". 2000 was the last year of the 2nd millennium, the last year of the 20th century, the last year of the last decade of the 20th century, the last year of the 200th decade AD, but the first year of the "2000s" decade. The "2000s decade" had one of its years within the 2nd millennium and the other 9 of its years within the 3rd millennium. Awkward, but that's the way our calendar year numbering and terminology is. Additional notes:

2010 was the last year of the first decade of the 21st century, but it was the first year of the “2010s decade”.

2000 was the last year of the 2nd millennium, the last year of the 20th century, the last year of the last decade of the 20th century, the last year of the 200th decade AD, but the first year of the “2000s” decade. The “2000s decade” had one of its years within the 2nd millennium and the other 9 of its years within the 3rd millennium.

Awkward, but that’s the way our calendar year numbering and terminology is.

]]> By: Richard Woods http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2010/12/31/the-first-decade-of-the-future-is-behind-us/#comment-4111 Richard Woods Tue, 14 Jun 2011 03:10:15 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/?p=3527#comment-4111 @20 Becky: You've treated our calendar year numbering as though it were odometer numbering, starting with 0 as the first year. But there was no year 0 AD! If the first decade of the 21st century ended on the last day of year 2009, then the first decade of the 1st century (_exactly_ 2000 years earlier) would've ended on the last day of the year 9 -- which was only the ninth (not the tenth) year following the last day of the BC era. There was no year 0 AD. The first year AD was year 1 AD, not year 0 AD. The last year of the first decade AD was, therefore, year 10 AD, not year 9 AD. Similarly, the last year of the first century AD was 100 AD, not 99 AD. The last year of the first millennium AD was 1000 AD, not 999 AD. The last year of the second millennium AD was 2000 AD, not 1999 AD. The first year of the 21st century AD was 2001 AD, not 2000 AD. The last year of the first decade of the 21st century AD was 2010 AD, not 2009 AD. 2011 is the first, not second, year of the second decade of the 21st century. ... unless we define "decade" as "usually ten, but sometimes nine, years". (Perhaps the inventors of our calendar should have defined a year 0 AD between year 1 BC and year 1 AD -- but they didn't, and we're stuck with that decision.) @20 Becky:

You’ve treated our calendar year numbering as though it were odometer numbering, starting with 0 as the first year. But there was no year 0 AD!

If the first decade of the 21st century ended on the last day of year 2009, then the first decade of the 1st century (_exactly_ 2000 years earlier) would’ve ended on the last day of the year 9 — which was only the ninth (not the tenth) year following the last day of the BC era.

There was no year 0 AD. The first year AD was year 1 AD, not year 0 AD. The last year of the first decade AD was, therefore, year 10 AD, not year 9 AD. Similarly, the last year of the first century AD was 100 AD, not 99 AD. The last year of the first millennium AD was 1000 AD, not 999 AD. The last year of the second millennium AD was 2000 AD, not 1999 AD. The first year of the 21st century AD was 2001 AD, not 2000 AD.

The last year of the first decade of the 21st century AD was 2010 AD, not 2009 AD.

2011 is the first, not second, year of the second decade of the 21st century.

… unless we define “decade” as “usually ten, but sometimes nine, years”.

(Perhaps the inventors of our calendar should have defined a year 0 AD between year 1 BC and year 1 AD — but they didn’t, and we’re stuck with that decision.)

]]> By: Kate http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2010/12/31/the-first-decade-of-the-future-is-behind-us/#comment-4110 Kate Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:40:00 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/?p=3527#comment-4110 Derp a derp I KNOWS AUSTRALIANS!!! Derp a derp I KNOWS AUSTRALIANS!!!

]]> By: Kyle Munkittrick http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2010/12/31/the-first-decade-of-the-future-is-behind-us/#comment-4109 Kyle Munkittrick Thu, 20 Jan 2011 01:22:49 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/?p=3527#comment-4109 @Becky: Thanks for your relevant and useful contribution! @Jordan & Ronnie: My point exactly. Granted, I view "The Future" through a lens of technological and scientific progress. But to see my social views, check out <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2010/08/05/sci-fis-explanation-of-why-gay-people-must-be-allowed-to-marry/" rel="nofollow">this article.</a> @Becky: Thanks for your relevant and useful contribution!

@Jordan & Ronnie: My point exactly. Granted, I view “The Future” through a lens of technological and scientific progress. But to see my social views, check out this article.

]]> By: jordan http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2010/12/31/the-first-decade-of-the-future-is-behind-us/#comment-4108 jordan Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:41:41 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/?p=3527#comment-4108 This is so materialistically written that it's almost ridiculous. What about fuel sources? In America we're still using oil for everything and letting the sun and wind go to waste. Slavery and racism in our world's forever-developing countries don't sound too futuristic either, neither does an idiotic public that hardly understands anything that happens in their country's domestic or foreign affairs, listening to their african-american president speak slowly in simple words. A century and a half ago political candidates spoke with finesse, using vocabulary and phrase structure 95% of us wouldn't be able to follow today. How in the hell is this the future? Our fundamentals are still all askew. This is so materialistically written that it’s almost ridiculous. What about fuel sources? In America we’re still using oil for everything and letting the sun and wind go to waste. Slavery and racism in our world’s forever-developing countries don’t sound too futuristic either, neither does an idiotic public that hardly understands anything that happens in their country’s domestic or foreign affairs, listening to their african-american president speak slowly in simple words. A century and a half ago political candidates spoke with finesse, using vocabulary and phrase structure 95% of us wouldn’t be able to follow today. How in the hell is this the future? Our fundamentals are still all askew.

]]> By: Joseph http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2010/12/31/the-first-decade-of-the-future-is-behind-us/#comment-4107 Joseph Wed, 19 Jan 2011 20:52:21 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/?p=3527#comment-4107 Let's just make something clear: MTV *NEVER* played music. Let’s just make something clear:
MTV *NEVER* played music.

]]> By: Becky http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2010/12/31/the-first-decade-of-the-future-is-behind-us/#comment-4106 Becky Wed, 19 Jan 2011 04:44:10 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/?p=3527#comment-4106 Am I the only one who realizes that the "first decade of the 21st century" was done well over a year ago? The first decade has been over since New Years Eve of 2009. Although the story is interesting, it's a year late. We've been enjoying the second decade of the 21st century for a while. 1. 2000 2. 2001 3. 2002 4. 2003 5. 2004 6. 2005 7. 2006 8. 2007 9. 2008 10. 2009 Am I the only one who realizes that the “first decade of the 21st century” was done well over a year ago? The first decade has been over since New Years Eve of 2009.

Although the story is interesting, it’s a year late. We’ve been enjoying the second decade of the 21st century for a while.

1. 2000
2. 2001
3. 2002
4. 2003
5. 2004
6. 2005
7. 2006
8. 2007
9. 2008
10. 2009

]]> By: Alistair http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2010/12/31/the-first-decade-of-the-future-is-behind-us/#comment-4105 Alistair Fri, 14 Jan 2011 23:57:17 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/?p=3527#comment-4105 Einstein: "We suffer from a perfection of means, and a confusion of ends." Einstein: “We suffer from a perfection of means, and a confusion of ends.”

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