Are we, as humans, technologically advancing too quick?

[dougie3]

I pose the question of: Are we technologically advancing too quickly for our own good?

Think about it, we went without electricity until the 1800's, and we were fine. Plagues, diseases, famines, yes they all harmed us, but we went on.

Now, in 2008, we must live in fear of biological warfare, nuclear attacks, and chemical strike.

Does anyone else think that we MUST slow down our rate of technological advancement?

[c20h25n3oIsGood]

Noooooo.


It's our nature to advance. One day, it will just destroy us all.

(I won't be around, though)

It's too inevitable, so there's really no way to stop it, and I don't even really see why we should worry about it.

[Boosh]

No. Because along with the biological warfare, nuclear attacks, and chemical strikes, weve developed ways to counter act or stop most of them from happening. And, along with all the bad stuff, weve discovered alot of brilliant things along the way, such as anti-septics, the internet, and space travel.

[RavenousDank]

noway, i think its not going fast enough.

[enevitable]

we aren't advancing fast enough

we still have much much more to discover in physics / nuclear chemistry

the days of creating anti matter are coming soon

[blazedandcrazed]

were advancing too quickly for our own planet, but not quickly enough for our own good. when the shit hits the fan(nukes, supergerms), no where to go....

[the color green]

Originally Posted by dougie3

I pose the question of: Are we technologically advancing too quickly for our own good?

Think about it, we went without electricity until the 1800's, and we were fine. Plagues, diseases, famines, yes they all harmed us, but we went on.

Now, in 2008, we must live in fear of biological warfare, nuclear attacks, and chemical strike.

Does anyone else think that we MUST slow down our rate of technological advancement?

I think the answer to your initial question is no. In my opinion, go full blow until the shit hits the fan. I want to live to see as many technological discoveries as I can.

One thing I like to think about, is with evolution and stuff, do you think there's a technological niche to fill on any planet with this kind of life (I have a notion to assume there's life evolving elsewhere in this universe, and that the niche to discover existing technology may exist elsewhere... Almost something like, the universe holds all possibilities: there is a next-to-impossible chance, that every atom at one instant could simply cease to exist. That hasn't been "discovered" yet, but that possibility "exists." That was an extreme (the most extreme? does anything seem possible after grasping that?) example.), and humans have taken it on earth?

Maybe every planet with life is supposed to evolve individually until there's a point where there will usually be (assuming a species is allowed long enough time to evolve this way without being cut short by a mass extinction) a species that has captured technology (that's to say, technology is always there, but it's what species has the means to discover, capture and understand it.) Something that I use to supplement these thoughts is watching other primates (who we consider "less intelligent") use tools and things to assist in their survival... Does a simple rock to smash open a fruit some day turn into a thirst for internet capabilities and fiber optics, and nuclear chemistry? Or maybe systems of ants model the armies of their future: at its most simple concept, ants use slave labor to get shit done, no?

I don't think we must and I don't think we should. I think doing something like that would waste all of the precious intelligence that won't last forever. Why shouldn't we capture what we know now before we die and can't see it put to good use? I understand technology can be used for negative impact, but it can also be used for potentially greater positive impact on the earth.

By the way, I don't live in fear.

[silvalynin]

Not at all...there's no benefit it trying to stay primitive as long as possible. It's natural to for us to want to develop new/better things, it keeps our brains thinking. The problem isn't technology, it's the people who get to control how that technology is used...and people who want to use things for evil and manipulation have been around forever, so no biggie.

[Unearth]

Originally Posted by enevitable

we aren't advancing fast enough

we still have much much more to discover in physics / nuclear chemistry

the days of creating anti matter are coming soon

IF we discover how to create antimatter in large amounts, we'll all be dead soon after.

[sky dog]

Originally Posted by dougie3

Are we technologically advancing too quickly for our own good?

Don't worry...if things start getting out of hand in the future, I'll reprogram a Terminator and send him back in time to kill Bill Gates

[Predator1]

YES. We are far too advanced for our own good.

Before anyone has the capability of leveling an entire nation with the press of a button, they should evolve enough to know it is wrong to kill people simply because they pray to a different invisible man than you.

Or maybe we evolved TOO much; for example, we have evolved past using our instincts... In many cases, it is now illegal to act on your instincts. Isn't that strange?

You'll notice that animals rarely kill another animal of the same species, especially for no reason. Possibly because they don't give a fuck about any of the things that we, as humans, kill each other over.

[enevitable]

Originally Posted by Unearth

IF we discover how to create antimatter in large amounts, we'll all be dead soon after.

no doubt

i read some where that it would take cern 100 quadrillion dollars to make 1 gram of antimatter with its current particle accelerator

but when the day comes anti matter weapons will certainly be the end of us, not only do they not have fallout but they have the ability to put serious dents in our geology

[Palmer Eldritch]

well no because that seems to be the nature of technology. It grows exponentially because advancements from one field benefits any number of other fields further advancing those which then are used elsewhere and so on. Accelerated growth is the natural mode for those societies who record and amend their culture.

plus, if it weren't for the obvious fact of how technology grows, how would we know its advancing too quick? we don't have any point of reference to see either societal failure due to technology or societies supremely operational due to its success. We have to do this alone, in the dark until we find alien civilizations to compare ourselves with...

[DrBlunt]

Some of the technology we create is harmful, but you have to look at it in the broader sense.

If humanity is going to survive (we're talking long term here, thousands of years and up), we are going to need to spread to many other planets and stars. Earth just can't sustain the human population for that much longer. We are going to have a huge over population problem within about 50 years maximum.

[silvalynin]

Originally Posted by Predator1

YES. We are far too advanced for our own good.

Before anyone has the capability of leveling an entire nation with the press of a button, they should evolve enough to know it is wrong to kill people simply because they pray to a different invisible man than you.

Or maybe we evolved TOO much; for example, we have evolved past using our instincts... In many cases, it is now illegal to act on your instincts. Isn't that strange?

You'll notice that animals rarely kill another animal of the same species, especially for no reason. Possibly because they don't give a fuck about any of the things that we, as humans, kill each other over.

You're talking about morality and conscience. That's not something that "evolves", that's something that's learned.

And, those that kill people because they pray to a different God...well, those are called "extremists", and are a minority within religions.

And animals...well, you can't seriously compare us to animals, they're way of life is very simplistic.

If we humans chose to live simply based on the need to survive....we'd all be after the same shit, and we'd end up killing each other anyway.