As a productivity assistant and online help desk and knowledge-base... that wasn't so bad now was it?

If a technologically advanced society replaced manual and other labor with robotic (or its equivalent) and the "menial" thinking work was performed by Strong- or Weak-AI; then organic society would have a LOT of time on its hands. Assuming the ruling government was smart and considering the very likelyabsence of scarcity (due to AI and other technologies), this government would likely go down the Roman Empire route of "Bread and Circus's" to keep the masses entertained and out of trouble. Think about it - a virtual environment fully customizable where every desire was satisfied and that was fully engaging (i.e. you had difficulty determining the real-work from the virtual), would be very attractive and likely addictive to many personality types. Struggle and hard work is HARD... playing a game gives comparitatively instant satisfaction without the messy labor, especially when the labor is essentially unnecessary and hasn't been necessary for generations. The Roman Empire functioned on Bread and Circus's when they had approximately 40% unemployment. If the hypothetical alien civilization ran unemployment >90%... they would need to do something to "fill in the time" of their citizens.

Depending on the encryption there is another simpler option. Simply precompute the password hashes, and stored them in a database; a.k.a. the "Rainbow tables". Then instead of a calculation you perform a SELECT statment on a database and in under a second you have the password you need. If you're willing to give up a TB of hard drive space you're going to be able to crack (quote from memory, apologies for any inaccuracy) all 14 and below character passwords in zero time.

While doctors can't do anything about the CAUSE, they CAN alleviate the symptoms. If you have a dangerously high fever, dehydration, etc.... this is all fixable. Suffering in silence in your home, when you can have access to potentially life-saving medical attention - is just bizzare!

The only way I see this being possible is if manufacturing gets to the point where anything...from hardware to medicine can be made on the spot. The raw materials question - makes it a tricky proposition! My personal guess: Perfect 1) manufacturing processes and 2) automated resource gathering processes (probably through robotics or the ultimate future technology... nanotechnology). Once you're there, you can build what you need, more O2, build another generator. More food, build out another hydroponics level, etc. If you don't have either of the above, don't go on a manned mission to Mars.

I disagree. Eg. 1) Build the infrastructure of the future; i.e. why have your nation spending $Multi-Billion$ a year in fuel costs, and who knows how much more in time costs because of a congested road, rail, mass-transit system? Fix that and you have less waste, better transport infrastructure (for all purposes including commerce) and a not insignificant improvement in the quality of life. Eg. 2) Get people working! There is very little in this world as demoralizing and spiritually-draining as long term unemployment. When your house is repossessed, and your car, and your kids don't have food on the table without help from your local community... something needs to change! Its easy to say... just let everything crash and we'll be the better for it... a Darwinian culling of the "weak"... but when that impacts people such that they are committing suicide from depression, families experiencing breakdowns from stress... its not a good thing! There is a reason that man is elevated above the animal kingdom (reason, compassion and empathy), and it seems to be working, since we're the highest on the food chain. Sure - rebalance or realign the economy with "debt destruction"... but do it gradually in such a way that the majority of people don't have to suffer to get to this mystical "over the rainbow" place where we as a nation don't carry excessive debt.

Only a miniscle percentage of US Citizens even have passports. That vocal minority won't be enough to effect changes in DHS policy.