Technological Evolution

Technology is our greatest boon. Science is the one unarguable truth. Science is the understanding and mastering of the world around us. Science gives us limitless potential. Our world changes every day due to the process of technological evolution. Our lives are shaped around our machines. Computers, vehicles and telephones are all examples of how technology has changed the way we live. George Gilder, publisher of the Gilder Technology Report (www.gildertech.com) seems very paranoid about the future. He even goes on to quote Ted Kaczynski, the Unibomber. This is exactly the sort of paranoia one would expect from someone who feared technology, but to be sited by someone who embraces it? This particular event was described by Bill Joy, Chief Scientist of Sun Microsystems. (http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.04/joy.html#1) Joy, overall, seems like he is extremely paranoid. This man has too much time on his hand and appears to have read more Asimov and Bradbury than one should in any one particular seating. Paranoid notions about humanities subservience to machines or proclaiming that 1984 was set forty years too early seem to garner some sort of fad-like respect.

I do see humans as coming to rely completely on machines to the point of not being able to live without them, but this is not in the near future. I would say this would start occuring at least one-hundred years down the line. Humans rely on it now, there is no doubt, but not to the point of being forced to use it to survive. I support a broadening of the spectrum of allowed technological and scientific advances. Advanced robotics will make human life easier. It will take jobs at first, but eventually it will be more of a matter of freeing up human hands. I do believe that human life may reach the "Good Shepard" point that was quoted by Joy. I do not think it will reach Orwell proportions whatsoever, but I can see a world where man will rarely work. A world of science and leisure. But that is too far down the road to accurately time. Humans are too apt to explore.

Space will be our next big goal in technology. It is the most logical jump. I foresee humans colonizing other worlds. The only reason we would do so to begin with would be to further our scientific knowledge. After that, we would colonize simple because we could. Technology has become the new natural course for human evolution. I realize that is an oxymoron, but it is the standard nevertheless. Just picture a world where vehicular technology had been limited to bicycles. Envision a place where it had been decided that the telephone was too impersonal and that we should stick to writing letters. In an invention's early days, it is often difficult to accurately depict what effect it will have or to what degree it will effect humanity. If we set limits on technology, we are limiting our potential.