Coping with advanced tech?

[GodAtum]

Do you think we are more able to cope with advanced tech then 100s of years ago? If a guy in the middle ages came across a laptop he would have no idea what is was, how to use it and would not be able to backwards engineer it. But now if we come across advanced tech we could do all those things.

[IcarusAbides]

That's because we have a basic technological equivalent to compare advanced technology to, if that technology was based on our own and was just more advanced. If this technology operated on a completely different technology to our own then we would not be able to cope with the technology of the future.

[Kailias]

It's possible they wouldn't have been able to figure out what a cell phone was for just about 110 years ago.

And if you see one from about 100 years in the future, it's just as possible that you won't even be able to figure out what it's supposed to be used for.

[Steelbox]

It is just like to try multiplying when you can even make addictions or subtractions. With basic understating, you can extrapolate how they work and how to use or even replicate the technology if your understanding is a little higher.

[Crazy Tom]

Relistically? We shouldn't even know how to activate Ancient tehcnology, much less understand it enough to make our own versions.

[guppy338]

a number of time we did fall on are face EG X301,plasma weapeons,hyperdrives and this is just to name a one or two os we are not as good as it apeard

[lord groovy]

Taken from Babylon 5 :

Spoiler:

Plot : Catherine was in her exploration ship near the rim system Sigma 957. In a titanic display of cosmic force, a ship from a Type III civilization almost destroys her ship like an automobile running over a beetle. She is rescued by Ambassador G'Kar. Later, she asks for answers.

Catherine: Ambassador! [He stops.] While I was out there, I saw something. What was it?

G'Kar [pointing at something on a flower]: What is this?

Catherine [examining the flower, as we see it in closeup]: An ant.

G'Kar [learning a new word]: Ant!

Catherine: So much gets shipped up from Earth on commercial transports, it's hard to keep them out.

G'Kar [suiting words to actions]: I have just picked it up on the tip of my glove. If I put it down again, and it asks another ant, "What was that?" how would it explain? There are things in the universe billions of years older than either of our races. They are vast, timeless. And if they are aware of us at all, it is as little more than ants, and we have as much chance of communicating with them as an ant has with us! We know, we've tried! And we've learned we can either stay out from under foot, or be stepped on.

Catherine: That's it? That's all you know?

G'Kar: Yes. They are a mystery. And I am both terrified and reassured to know that there are still wonders in the universe --- that we have not yet explained everything. Whatever they are, Ms. Sakai, they walk near Sigma 957. They must walk there alone!

G'Kar walks away. Catherine studies the ant for a moment and then turns away, shivering. The ant goes on about its own business.

The difference is that in SGVerse, Aliens don't have an alien way of thinking. They just think like humans who have some fancy toys. We can understand their desires and their goals. Hence their way of thinking and the basic principles behind their technology.

If a Caveman trying to communicating with his lost tribe stumbled upon a kind man using a phone, he would understand that it his a mean of communication. Maybe magical or at least supernatural but WTF? He can identify a purpose and after that it's just a game of trial and error.

[Ed]

Good post

the most alien race in Stargate are the bug replicators but even then not really the only unique thing was that they didn't care for time

maybe the grace aliens they are a bit different but they had stuff in common