Humbug

[morsla]

Essay Topic 1:
We are in a unique period of human history, where we are witness almost daily to some new technological innovation or discovery. The last century was about space travel and nuclear energy, but it has been suggested by the experts that the twenty first will see monumental changes with respect to medicine, via genetics and perhaps the emergence of artificial intelligence. Write a speculative account of the likely future of the human-computer interface, with reference perhaps to such things as AI, nanotechnology and virtual reality.

Perhaps it's just because I don't like the vague wording of the essay topic. Perhaps it's because I've read too much gushing techno-optimism telling me why the next new thing will cure all the world's ills. Perhaps I've written too many overly optimistic pieces this year. Or perhaps I'm completely over this final subject, have one essay left to finish, and I enjoy a healthy dose of cynicism from time to time.

"Throughout history, humans have embraced technology as a means to improve their existence. No problem is considered insurmountable; no challenge a barrier to sufficiently advanced development. If we believe all the claims of the technologists, our future will be a utopia unrivalled in human history. Sickness, poverty, environmental degradation and even death itself will be overcome in time.

Not all visions share such fervent optimism. This is an account of one such future..."

Comments

[rendragon.livejournal.com]

*pulls up a comfy chair, gets out the popcorn and waits expectantly for the next installment...*

I agree the whole "happy, happy, joy, joy" aspect gets a bit wearing after a time. It's nice to get a different spin on a concept once in a while.

DEATH!!

[jilavre.livejournal.com]

Death to optimistic happy puppy types!!

If people weren't meant to get sick they wouldn't. period.

(yes it amuses me that I work in the health industry and am COMPLETELY against this societies reliance on drugs and medicines)

Survival of the fittest was a great idea.
I think we should all embrace it. The weak and sick (most of the western 'civilised' world would go to hell in a handbasket in around no time flat w00t!) and population would be controlled... and hey the entire place would probably become a nicer place to live.

*back to the data entry*

skeptical about the skeptic :-)

[(Anonymous)]

Careful not to be weakened by a desire to be differnt for the sake of it....

Such an approach must address what will change; why will the future technologies be different from those that have gone before in that they bring suffereing instead of happiness? ie: human kind has been making techo-advancements since fire and, in the big picture, we have been getting progressively happier, healthier and stronger ever since. Yes, fire burned its inventor, but we learned its dangers and its use became adapted into our very cultures and now brings warmth and comfort to our homes. (and still occasionally burns them down, but these events ares dismissed as unfortunate accidents and no-one bans fire)

What makes AI, nano-robots, etc different to fire? Why will they NOT be able to be tamed and why will they cause catastrophy rather than improvement?

Re: skeptical about the skeptic :-)

[morsla.livejournal.com]

I don't think thay they will obviously cause catastrophies - rather, they'll seem so good at curing all ills that people will end up blinded by their own sense of invulnerability.

I think we'll fix problems like disease, which will cause population overcrowding... which will lead to more technology to address the resources those people need. Eventually, people will make so many changes to their environment that they won't be able to control the effects they're having on such a complex system (massive climate change, etc).

In the short term, all the quick fixes will be fine. Eventually, though, people will have to adopt the sort of planning that comes with vastly extended lifespans, or they'll need to find other planets to settle ruin...

We've also looked at a lot of VR interfaces during the subject. By augmenting the version of reality that people choose to see, they leave themselves wide open to miss the warning signs until it's too late :)

Re: skeptical about the skeptic :-)

[geserit.livejournal.com]

yes indeed. The flaw in my logic is that it presumes a state of logic! If mankind deceives itself and comes to believe in false realities, then we are all screwed. That's the real danger; not technology itself, but out attitudes towards it and the degree to which it BECOMES our world, rather than COMPLIMENTING our world.

it's me

[geserit.livejournal.com]

that skeptical comment was mine, sorry, had forgotten to log in :-)