Technology, society and the human race
 

Another thread on here about advancing technology and older people, started me thinking, added to a deep and intriguing conversation I was having with a friend the other day, in the pub of course.

Not a really a cheery or happy subject, but thought it was a very thought provoking one. We were discussing how much longer the human race will exist on this planet, I was saying that I believe that as a species we are on the tail end of our existence on this planet, I don’t mean were all going to die tomorrow or even the next century but if the modern form of the human being has been around for about 200 000 years…and I don’t think the human race will see another 1000 years, if you put it all into the big picture then we are getting towards the end.

There are many things that could end our existence on this planet, climate change, nuclear war, meteor collision, a viral outbreak or advancing technology, personally I believe technology will be the ultimate downfall of mankind, we will wipe ourselves out, not just by its advancement but how its changed and continually changing society, we are all becoming way too reliant and it is also changing how we behave towards one and other, and not in a positive way. The next significant leap in technology which will be the AI Artifical intelligence path….that maybe one advancement too far.

So how long does anyone believe we will still be around for and what will end our existence?

Merry Christmas everyone… its got nothing to do with this subject, but just thought I would add that in for a bit of cheer to balance things out a bit.

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

Earth is just a 'grain of sand' in the grand scheme of things.


My hope is that everyone will leave this world a little better than they found it. Can't ask much more than that.

Talking of AI, have you watched Ex Machina?

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

This video on the front page of reddit is also quite apt. Starts at 21:22 if the link doesn't take you straight there.



Former Facebook exec: "I think we have created tools that are ripping apart the social fabric of how society works. The short-term, dopamine-driven feedback loops we’ve created are destroying how society works. No civil discourse, no cooperation; misinformation, mistruth. You are being programmed"

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

In August of 1975 I met Phil and Susan Cox of Cambridge, Ontario while travelling down in Oaxaca, Mexico and Phil was a student taking Artificial Intelligence. You don't happen to know if they're still in Cambridge, do you? He said it (AI) would be the future. When he first mentioned it I thought he meant AI in the veterinary sense, chuckles all around. :lol: Phil got smart with the Federales on their last morning in Oaxaca and got their car torn apart.

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

Homo Deus, Yuval Harari explores this topic. Good book (so far).

Personally, I don't think it's worth putting a number of years on it, although it is worth identifying and minimising the risks to the species. On balance though, I suspect we'll evolve ourselves out of existence (through super AI) and/or revert to becoming grassland apes.

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

Humans will be lucky to last another century. We're about to start rewriting our DNA wholesale, so I doubt there'll be many genetically-human people around by 2117.

But there'll probably still be things descended from humans around billions of years from now.

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

I'm going to be pedantic. What the question asks is what will end our existence?

It's likely that some astronomical event or any other disaster that generates a long winter is one that'll draw the curtains, although in the history of life on the planet I'm not aware that any event has extinguished all life but we are such fragile creatures that where the humble mouse might find a home out of danger in some hole somewhere, the naked ape without use of those technological marvels that made him master of the planet will really feel the cold.

So, in no particular order, I'd suggest an asteroid collision (tomorrow), All out nuclear echange (Next week), Yellowstone Super Volcanic eruption (Next Month) and a massive impact with a Coronal Mass Ejection (Next Year), Sun exploding (Next Decade), Bitcoin Bubble Bursting... AAaaaahhh it's happening now...

But what do I know?

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

There are only three things I can think of that could kill off pretty much all life on Earth:

1. A nearby supernova. I don't believe there are any stars near enough and old enough for that to happen before #2.

2. The sun warms up enough to make the Earth uninhabitable. As I understand it, that happens about 300,000,000,000 years from now.

3. A decline in CO2 levels to the point where photosynthesis fails.

There are lots of ways that humans could die off, but you have to try pretty hard to kill everything.

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

Looks like he is still in Canada but living in NS and is still involved in AI's. His email is listed, if you wanted to get in touch.

:)

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

The announcement that Cannon and Ball are returning to television.

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

Thanks! Here's the comment on the thread title: After the Federales left and they struck their camp and put all their belongings back in the car, they left Oaxaca on an older road that actually passed through Cortez's original city wall (which also formed one border of our campground). Outside the gate was a railway track (I think) and when they bumped over it the exhaust roared, something obviously broken. They returned to the campground/trailer court and found me still there. I suspected the donut gasket between manifold and pipe, and it was a broken bolt and gasket. I had a dentist's mirror with a broken handle and was able to show him the parts that were damaged, told him what it should take to fix it, and he took the mirror with him to one of the backyard mechanics along a street full of them. It was just the ticket and I think he even came back after an extremely fast repair to return the mirror and thank me again.
I wouldn't have been able to comprehend any of what he was learning as part of his doctorate, but I was able to teach him a tiny bit about his Toyota, or whatever it was.

If communication technology enables surrogacy through social media making family groups less important then when we choke or burn ourselves back into the bronze age maybe we'll return to more co-dependent extended groups once more.

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

Apparently the power consumption required to feed the current Bitcoin tulip-bulb frenzy is something like the total requirement of Ireland. There really is no end to humankind's stupidity and greed for money.

A UK study showed that insect populations/biomass had declined by approximately 60-70%, and that was in a nature reserve... over pesticide-sodden arable farmland insect life is probably already close to zero.

If there are no insects, there will be no amphibians and no rodents and no birds, and well, you know how that one pans out...

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

Gret you tube clip....reinforces how insignificant planet Earth is in the know universe....which is expanding at a rapid rate as we speak.

Haven't seen Ex Machina yet, but fully intend to, it sounds my kind of movie. Talking of movies/series on near future technology...have you seen Black Mirror... I havn't seen all of them yet, but most of the ones I have watched are disturbingly close to near future reality, how technology seems such a great thing...but can be very destructive to society and how we interact with one and other.

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

Actually when you start to actually think about it...i think you have a point....I hadn't even given biological technology a thought such as rewriting DNA.

The way technology has developed over my life time....its progress is a lot more aggressive than it was in my parents lifetime before that, if technological progress continues exponentionally, then I agree humans may not last another century, now that is a thought provoking but disturbing thought. I believe as one the many species that have inhabited this planet over billions of years, humans will wipe themselves out, and we thought dinosaurs we dumb! they lasted a lot longer than we will.

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

On the plus side, as an anime-loving friend put it... 'in the future, there will be cat girls.'

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

I've always considered the 'Great Filter' theory to be a plausible one and explains the lack of alien civilizations, many of which I believe are now dead.

There will always be barriers to the endless existence of race or species - be it natural disasters (eg super volcanoes), extraterrestrial (death of our sun, asteroid), or other (war). Sooner or later, we will meet a barrier which we cannot overcome unless we master the Kardashev scale of energy harvesting which can act as an insurance against end of life events.

Enjoy the ride while it lasts.

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

Thats an interesting theory, I hadn't heard of that before. I read a little on it...and it does mention a species wiping themselves out through advanced technology.....I think that will be our fate.

I watched a great movie last night, one that was recommended by another poster on this thread, Ex Machina, it was about AI, but not your normal Hollywood take on it....this movie was a lot more thought provoking, it definitely drew me in.

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

What a fantastic clip...that guy nails it, so well explained, ..... the quote you have hi lighted above is exactly what the likes of facebook is doing to society, (or "feacesbook" as I like to call it) and very apt to the subject of this thread....social media is a technology driven tool that has changed and is continuing to change society, and not for the better.

I am pleased to say I have never used feacesbook for the reasons this guy has articulated.

Oh and I watched Ex Machina, great movie, really enjoyed it.

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

The film, Transcendence is very good too.

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

To be fair, it's really only a hyperactive extension to the 'famous for fifteen minutes' idea that began fifty years ago with the advent of mass TV viewing.

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

That's a misunderstanding of social media. It's has far more personal and societal impact than making the odd individual into a celebrity.

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

Yes, but it's only an extension of that. Where we used to have a few dozen long-term celebrities and thousands of short-term ones spewing their nonsense across the airwaves, we now have billions. The nonsense is still pretty much the same.

TV was the beginning of the end. Facebook just gave it a hypersonic boost.

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

That's beside the point. On a macro level FB has formed a network of billions of people, has unimaginable amounts of data on each person, and is able to influence their thinking in a highly targeted way. On a micro level, individuals conduct their social relationships and lives differently with FB (and other SN) and that too influences their personality and thinking. It's not a particularly benign product or phenomena.

On a slightly different topic...what's up with Google asking for "more info"?. I think I've added the odd comment/photo to Google's platform in the past, and probably am opted in for contact. So every now and then I get a message saying "we need some human help with this...". Fine. But the question is something inane like "Sainsbury's...does this shop sell bread?" or "Local McDonalds...is this restaurant suitable for kids?" I can't figure out what they are up to. They don't really need human help for that. Google's algorithms are more than clever enough to know the answer to these questions, so the question is just some pretext to get me to respond, but why? What do our robot overlords want?

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

I'm glad you liked the movie, the ending took me by surprise. Elon Musk is shit scared of AI, and after watching that movie, who knows what will be possible.

As for Facebook, I don't have one but my Wife does. What scares me the most is watching my Daughter talking about all the 'likes' she got on an instagram post. It's almost as if that is all they post for, to receive likes :(

It can't be fun being a teenager these days, I'm so pleased I was a teen in the late 80's, can't be arsed with all this online dating crap. See a girl, ask her out, get rejected, move on.

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

Another one I have been meaning to watch for a while, but havent yet, thanks for the reminder and recomendation Shard. :thumbup:

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

Yes...that movie was futuristic but somehow your left wondering how far into the future...not as far as some may believe, many say they didn't like the ending....but I thought it was perfect for what the movie was trying to put over to the viewer.

Your right about this facebook likes thing....I find it kind of souless, you don't see your friends faces or importantly their reactions when they see something funny...just a computerised "like" "oh look I got 20 likes in the last half hour" that just seems so empty to me. Id rather tell a funny story in a face to face social setting and get a few laughs. If I do find something funny online...I like to show it to someone personally ....because I want to see their reaction....I want to see their FACE! Ironic eh that the biggest "social" media app is called "face" book when its anything but?

It sounds as though were about the same age, I was also a teen in the late 80s, Im 47 now, the late 80s doesn't seem that long ago in some ways, its cliched to say it but.....it was a totally different world then.

And don't even start me on this online dating garbage....I have had a rant on here about that a few times before, tried it, don't like anything about it, its so clinical, cold and empty. Unfortunately I think it has changed the dating scene....as many seem to prefer to date that way now, and won't date anyone in a normal scenario, as they don't know their age, marital status, whether they smoke or drink, if they have kids, etc etc they prefer to pick them from a computer monitor. Its worked for many, but is not for me at all, I am simply not wired that way. (pardon the pun) Maybe I could ask Ava out on a date? :eek:

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

So did TV channels. Just not so individually targeted.

You really think TV wasn't a propaganda system?

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

The future is already here..

https://www.newscientist.com/article...brain-implant/https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-human-...improve-memory
and

https://www.cnet.com/news/superintel...ter-interface/The book series I'm currently reading (I like Sci-Fi) has it's basis on this.. AI and human interface.

Fascinating!

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

It's funny because everyone I know who has a facebook account complains about their 'feed' being full of crap, yet they still check it every 15 times a day.

I try to get my Daughter to watch this video a few times every year.


As for online dating, I can't really comment as I met my Wife in the early 90's the old fashioned way and we are still happily married.

However, my 21 year old Son doesn't have a girlfriend right now and has given me a demo of Tinder :lol: I would be a nightmare on that bloody thing.

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

WOW. Powerful....and so sad...because its true, EVERY word. That video epitomises my feelings on "social" media.

It appears we are very much in the same wavelength, sadly we are the minority.

Im glad at least one person I know out there, is educating their kids on the future of our society.

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

The thing I like about this film is that it actually takes a stab at what an AI takeover of the human world might look like.

Another good one is Her, again quite a realistic but more benign vision of evolved AI.

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

Some interesting articles there Siouxie....I think I need one of those memory implants! lol Always had a terrible memory....my mom would say I would forget my head if it wasn't screwed on!

The book you are reading sounds very interesting....I love stuff like that.

We all through Terminator was and enjoyable science fiction fantasy movie back in 1984 when it came out....but now.....not as unbelievable, still a long way to go with regards to AI, but the far fetched theme of it (machines against humanity)....isn't quite as "far fetched" now.

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

Hmmm, I see where you are coming from, but even if it was a propaganda system (debatable) the fact that it is not micro targeted is a significant.

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

It is actually far fetched. Current thinking is that the AI threat would be simply that an AI would view humans as an irrelevance rather than a species requiring extermination. <Bristol: restraint SVP!>

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

That sounds very interesting, the world post AI take over, thats definitely on my to watch list now!

I have seen clips of "her" too....didnt that win awards? or at least nominated? I haven't seen it, but wasn't too sure how to take that one, thought it could have been a chick flick and would have to wait for a date night to watch that! lol

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

I don't know if it's a chick flick. It's more a drama than rom com, but it is a bit weird in a way.

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

Yes I was picking up weird vibes from the trailers. Probably why it won awards, its always the weird movies that get all the awards. Im sure I sound like a philstine now to the hollywood elite, but you know what I mean. :sneaky:

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

I enjoyed it, but owing to the awards I had super high expectations and at the time, it fell a bit short. Nevertheless, it was a very interesting and balanced vision. If you can access Channel 4 Catch Up they had a week of very good robot progams on recently.

Re: Technology, society and the human race
 

Ill see if I can access that. thanks.