Clarification: for 'those' things, I mean that some of the implications of technology, I suppose the 'exciting' things people *want* to be talking about, are (it seems anyway) more in the public profile within the EU. Things like a Mars colony is--let's face it, probably still really far away given our technology level. Despite the private enterprise right now, a lot of scientists appear to be convinced it's a generally silly idea.

I know the political climate in the US sounds really poisonous right now. I wonder though if people back then were writing the same way about how the political climate was really horrible and we were going to the dogs.

But I'd be scared too, considering what's going on...