Sometime in the past year I came to the conclusion that I am glad to be living in this time period. No earlier into the past, no further into the future. If I were to have lived in a past time, I wouldn't be able enjoy the advancing technology that defines much of my life and continues to advance every day. Ironically, it is this same technology, among other things, that makes me grateful to not be of the generations to come. As pointed out in a Time Magazine article on the Singularity, technologically is increasing exponentially, as it has for the past 100 years, and is reaching the point where current technology will quickly become outdated. This means that technology is becoming faster faster. You might think this is a good thing, and in many ways it is, but there are several paranoia-inducing implications that accompany these facts. Computers are becoming smarter, and inevitably they will one day surpass humans in their intelligence. But they won't stop there. Computers' artificial intelligence will continue to increase past that of humans, leaving human intelligence behind them. And just what does this mean for humanity? It means things are going to get complicated for the human race.
In the article, Raymond Kurzweil, inventor and predictor of technologies, tells of how humans must merge with machines in order to remain relevant. The Singularity I mentioned earlier is a concept of how the standard of humanity will one day change as technology catches up to that of the human brain. Kurzweil envisions a future where humans must merge with robots to remain relevant, and perhaps become immortal in the process. There is, however, some controversy and objection comes up whenever this subject is discussed. For one, there is the complexity and dependency on biological functions that exist within the brain. "Although biological components act in ways that are comparable to those in electronic circuits, they are set apart by... multiple biochemical processes..., further diversified by association with distinct structures at defined locations of a cell. The resulting combinatorial explosion of states endows living systems with an almost infinite capacity to store information regarding past and present conditions and a unique capacity to prepare for future events," argues biologist Dennis Bray. And with regards to immortality, Kurzweil comments, "The idea of significant changes to human longevity — that seems to be particularly controversial. People invested a lot of personal effort into certain philosophies dealing with the issue of life and death. I mean, that's the major reason we have religion." To make scientific use of immortality certainly seems to clash with many religions' idea of immortality, not to mention the physical problems associated with it - overpopulation being a chief concern. Kurzweil's field of study, futurism, brings about much controversy, but is necessary in that it provides realistic speculation for the future, and allows us to better prepare for the inevitable.
Recently I have read Aldous Huxley's novel Brave New World, in which society has progressed beyond that of human control; rather, humans are but a part of one big assembly line, manufactured to do a certain job, to enjoy said job, and to continue the existence of the world without a care for individual freedom. Interestingly, the novel was written in the 1930s, yet contains much relevance to modern society and the future. In the novel, the main character Bernard is among a minority of those unhappy with his society's lack of individuality. However, Bernard's concerns are only part of the minority because the majority are made to blindly enjoy anything they do (or take drugs to alleviate any troubles). In a world where humans are no longer in control, it's difficult to determine whether we will still have our defining characteristics of humanity. Whatever the case, I'm glad to be living in this time period. No earlier into the past, no further into the future.
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