If you see the world as an IQ hierarchy which extends from inanimate to dumb; up through smart; ending up with God, you will be concerned at what is about to happen in the next few years [decades?] as our machines make the leap from inert to God within a single organic human generation. In this world view, we will shortly be deposed from our smug position as the smartest kids in the room, being immediately demoted to something akin to the class hamster or goldfish. Entities without agency, whose survival is contingent on the continued indulgence of our custodians.
The gods at be are possibly all sinking and rowing I the Petrie dish. They deserve less and should be squashed under the dish like an ant. The pathetic god like behaviors is the distasteful material or slime they spew out often knowingly like a convincing story to follow the science. Or not too convincing. Where does it leave us all. We are our own masters and the gods amongst us are us ...at least those with 2 brain cells ...:-)
Toby, you seem to envision scientific and technological advancement as producing a relatively straight line into the future. But such advancement requires long-term societal and economical stability to support funding and facilities for our scientists and engineers. My fear is that our evolutionary tribal instincts in the form of racism and prejudices, spurred on by climate change and competition for resources, will lead us back into a cycle of regional and global conflicts that will further drain resources away from scientific discovery. Perhaps such tribalism might even be the root cause of the Great Filter preventing humans and other life forms from reaching singularity and expanding beyond our respective solar systems?
Well, yes, that is a very real possibility. But some of the more dynamic amongst us will head out to the 2nd belt where there is nothing, because there is nothing, and we will build something. This is the way. It always has been. Some group will be motivated to go beyond the next hill. The next hill is now the sky.
It's all going to be okay, but these are the foothills of the Singularity, and there will be surprises along the way.
The gods at be are possibly all sinking and rowing I the Petrie dish. They deserve less and should be squashed under the dish like an ant. The pathetic god like behaviors is the distasteful material or slime they spew out often knowingly like a convincing story to follow the science. Or not too convincing. Where does it leave us all. We are our own masters and the gods amongst us are us ...at least those with 2 brain cells ...:-)
I don't think we should be squashing anything, lest we ourselves be squashed...
Toby, you seem to envision scientific and technological advancement as producing a relatively straight line into the future. But such advancement requires long-term societal and economical stability to support funding and facilities for our scientists and engineers. My fear is that our evolutionary tribal instincts in the form of racism and prejudices, spurred on by climate change and competition for resources, will lead us back into a cycle of regional and global conflicts that will further drain resources away from scientific discovery. Perhaps such tribalism might even be the root cause of the Great Filter preventing humans and other life forms from reaching singularity and expanding beyond our respective solar systems?
Well, yes, that is a very real possibility. But some of the more dynamic amongst us will head out to the 2nd belt where there is nothing, because there is nothing, and we will build something. This is the way. It always has been. Some group will be motivated to go beyond the next hill. The next hill is now the sky.
It's all going to be okay, but these are the foothills of the Singularity, and there will be surprises along the way.