Restless Thoughts
Ever since the proverbial sky began falling on poor Chicken Little, we
have been hearing nearly endless scientific theories of how the world
will end. Now, more than ever, most of those theories feature the
devastating forces of black holes, gamma rays, asteroid strikes, global
warming, and a nonstop list of other extinction level threats straight
out of last summer’s million-dollar blockbuster films.
Unfortunately for our species, the list of dangers to our survival keeps
growing as we find new technologies that discover hidden threats to
humanity. From all outward indications, human beings are so fragile
we do not stand a chance against such global disasters. Considering
the grave nature of those considerable forces working against us, it is
extremely fortunate we have survived for so long without becoming
extinct.
While intellectuals who understand these very real, very scientific, and
very provable threats feel understandably helpless, the public seems to
pay little attention to the daily indicators of our impending doom. To
them, it seems such stories more closely resemble grandma’s bedtime
fairytales of old – a little fantasy, a little folly – quickly forgotten in the
night’s other restless thoughts. To the public eye, those threats attract
the same attention as any other daily news.
Mass Extinction?
Protecting ourselves from any of these disasters is so unfeasible it
would take billions of dollars to even investigate and understand the
nature of those issues we face, let alone blueprint and implement them.
Even though our technology appears to be advancing at a dizzying
speed, when it comes to finding authentic solutions to these credible
threats, we still have a long way to go.
Our governments cannot initiate any type of decisive action until
there is sufficient proof to convince the majority in the legislature to
use public money to achieve such means. Private businesses, which
are under no such restrictions, shy away from entering into the fray,
because the investments are still too risky to consider seriously.
So, what is to be our fate as a species, as a race of people, of individuals,
of communities…as a planet? Will we all become helpless victims of
mass extinction?
There is only one answer to this question: It all depends on where
we are along our technological evolutionary path when we
encounter those threats. Ideally, we will be at the right level of
technological evolution to survive certain extinction-level threats. If
we encounter them prematurely, before we have sufficiently evolved to
withstand them, we may not stand a chance.
On the other hand, if those threats come at a later stage, after we cross
that evolutional demarcation point, we will not only survive, but also
alter those situations to our advantage and indeed flourish in the
coming age(s) of our existence.
Solar flares, as an example, are a threat to our ecosystem, but evolution
creates strengths out of weaknesses. Imagine the ramifications if we
could harness the sun’s tremendous amount of energy. Technological
evolution will make it so.
Volcanoes, forest fires, hurricanes, and tornados are all examples of
huge energy losses we are unable to capture because of our current
technological inadequacies. Instead, we run away from such energy
sources, because we are simply not there yet along our evolutionary
timeline.
-By RS Amblee
Author of "The Art of Looking into the Future: The Five Principles of Technological Evolution"
Amazon Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Looking-into-Future-Technological/dp/0983157405/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_1
Related topics:
Restless Thoughts
The Pleasure and the Pain
Consumerism, Is the Mother of All Inventions
Is This Economic Growth Worth It?
Going Beyond human Capability
The effect of globalization on automation
Do we really need automation?
Globalizing Healthcare
Current Energy Bottleneck
Automation of Solar Plants
Why stock bubbles hurt us
Expensive Education Kills Economy
Planning Your Career
