Oh sure, people around 1950-70 looked at the pace of change over the last 100 years: from horse and cart and gas lamps to electricity, intercontinental jets and moon landings and projected in on linearly to moon and Mars colonies in the next 50 years. And then ... that progression clearly wasn&#x27;t linear, it peaked and slowed down after then.<p>But change hasn&#x27;t stopped though. It could speed up again. Even if it doesn&#x27;t, those Mars colonies and robot asteroid mines are not ruled out just delayed - they are back on some people&#x27;s long-term plans now.