This was just something I was thinking about last night. Now when I say "the world" I don't mean planet earth but advancing human civilization. 10000 BCE The world - consisted of small villages in Northern Africa and Western Asia Worldwide communication - non existent. Worldwide travel - basically non existent. 5000 BCE The world - small kingdoms still in the general middle east and Asia area. Worldwide communication - little if any on horseback Worldwide travel - weeks to months if at all. 1000 CE The world - basically all of eastern hemisphere Worldwide communication - days to weeks by letter carriers on horseback. Worldwide travel - weeks if any at all. 2000 CE The world - basically all of Earth Worldwide communication - seconds to minutes with internet and phone. Worldwide travel - hours, no more than a day. No where does this leave us? The rate of technologically advancing seems almost at an exponential rate. This means it will keep advancing faster during a shorter timespan. Now we think about humans perspective of the world during 5,000 BCE as a tiny world and it really was. As we're able to travel faster and faster, the world will keep getting bigger and bigger. Could "the world" in 1,000 years from now consist of the whole solar system? Will travel from one planet to another be like traveling from one country to another country today? I don't know if any of this makes sense, I just found it interesting thinking about it last night.
I think your hypothesis could very well become reality so long as there is no oppressive force (US government) standing in the way of progress.
Yeah, numbers are really an interesting thing. Sometimes the fact that linear functions never seem to show up in reality really makes me wonder why we have a number line.