Some ominous implications. If a buffalo gets cold, it can move, grow a thicker coat or die. Rate at which they adapt is slow. So we can simulate internally very quickly what natural selection can only do one to one. With computers, we can improve on our ability to simulate and improve on what's going on.
Progress can expand explosively fast.
Some science fans formed the 2014 Club, actually 13 May, 2014. Could be a striking event. Futurists want to have someone to talk to. This sort of thing - you could bring someone like Mark Twain, sit them here, drive them around, they could grasp what was going on. Given a couple weeks, he'd be learning C. Someone from Middle Ages could understand, but more slowly because of language and background difficulties, but with no impossible difficulties.