Humanity is the verge of an incredible future. Technologies that seem like science fiction are already becoming science fact as researchers develop innovations that will transform the very essence of what it is to be human.
That is, if you believe one particular school of thought.
Other, equally eminent, minds believe we are on the cusp of an incredible disaster -- possibly even our own extinction -- as the technology we are so rapidly giving birth to moves beyond us, and self-replicates, casting us aside or even exterminating us.
But what interests me the most is a third possiblity; one that, given the history of humanity, is perhaps most likely.
Human beings have a knack for survival and muddling through. We have survived ice ages and industrial revolutions, and lived through the high wire tension of the Cold War without turning our civilization into ash as so many predicted.
Perhaps technology influences society but doesn't always determine its direction. Culture, religion, trends and political movements all affect the way humanity interacts with science. Perhaps as a species we will sometimes take the knocks, and sometimes ride the waves of what the future has in store for us; suffering and benefiting in something approaching equal measure. But overall we will survive.
In the past, technology has been a two-edged sword. One of my favorite Firesign Theatre quotes is "A Power so great it can only be used for Good or Evil". But now the Evil that can be done is so enormous , including "existential" threats to the entire species, that we have to ask ourselves if pursuing the good is worth the risk.
Oddly (to me) the CNN online poll question "Do you think technology will take us towards heaven or hell?" has 75% responding "Heaven". There seems to be a widely held faith that technology will solve all our problems.
No comments:
Post a Comment