Understanding that this question could be considered more philosophical than scientific, it has quite a bit to do with science, and very much applies to our world. Mankind ever since the stone age has been technologically advancing, making more discoveries about life and the universe and creating many more inventions. Does this technology help or hurt the chances of the survival of mankind?
First we have to define technology. Computers come up in our minds when we think technology, but really technology gets a lot simpler. Isn't the wooden club technology? It is an invention of sorts, created by humanity. Therefore, when considering if technology helps or hurts mankind, we do need to consider the primitive as well as the modern.
Let's start at the early age of man. There were the neanderthals and the homosapiens. Neanderthal and homosapien were both considered primitive man, but each had different characteristics. Neanderthals were stronger and had thicker bones, but homo sapiens were smarter and quicker. Both survived until the ice age. At the ice age, the feeding patterns changed. The animals that man ate had to move to survive. Neanderthal did not follow the food and ended up dying out. Homo sapien on the other hand adapted and survived the ice age. Although they weren't the strongest species, they were the smartest, allowing them to survive. Homo sapien then became the only specie of man. This shows that, as Charles Darwin said, "It is not the strongest of species that survive, but the ones most responsive to change".
Early humans used tools like stone axes and knives to get food and resources. They also used fire to cook meat and do other things. This technology I would say was vital to the survival of humanity. Without tools, life for the human would have been quite difficult, and they may have not been able to survive.
Technology begins to become questionable 1700 BC, when man begins to fight man. Spears and chariots are used to attack other people and expand their territory. Man is now man's greatest enemy. Technology is used to gain advantage over other humans and expand their empire. Weaponry becomes very important to humanity. As technology advances, more and more weaponry is invented, but also more and more luxury items. People begin to build homes of great comfort and luxury furniture.
Is there anything wrong with luxury? The technology helps humanity to live in comfort. Some may argue that luxury causes laziness in humanity, while others argue that laziness is a natural human attribute. When the bell rings at school, you are not going to take a long way to get to the door for no reason. Most likely you will be "lazy" and go the shortest way to the door. I think that although laziness in many cases is a problem, it makes sense in other cases.
As technology improves, people have to do less to survive. In that way, technology greatly increases our survival chances. However, technology begins to become extremely questionable in the atomic era. Nuclear bombs are capable of demolishing entire cities. If we aren't careful, we could end up destroying the entire planet! At what point does technology become bad?
Although technology has led to such a monstrous danger, technology can also stop the problem. We can use technology to find a way to stop the nuclear bomb and save the Earth. Therefore, does technology help or hurt mankind? I think it helps our chances of survival as long as scientists always stay on top of the dangers that threaten mankind's survival.
Why ask this question? If technological advances are a threat to our species, then the government should halt technological advances. However, I think that technology will keep itself in check.
There are many different branches of this topic that you can comment on. Should the gov. stop technological advances? Should the gov. regulate certain technologies? Do we need to get rid of technology altogether and return to the stone age to maintain our survival? Comment with ideas and opinions.
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Well, for 1, If we went back to the stone age, which sounds like fun, our population would drop drastically making it easier for a less Human dominated word. some endangerred species may even make a greater comeback without human "help". And there would be more trees.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, now I think of all the luxuries I would give up: running water, a bed inside, protection from the sun and wild animals, garunteed breakfast and dinner every morning... You get the point. All the things we don't think about suddenly got very difficult. I definately am a fan of Technology!!!
But Is there a place to draw the line? Do we really need computers? I think the answer to that would be no. But are they harmful? That is a multipathed war in my head. At first I say yes because after a while your eyes hurt, so It probably isn't good for them, and if you sit and do nothing too much your mass increases, and you add to the obesity levels. However, we are having this discussion via computer, and though it would be good exercise for me to walk to Dans house, I have no idea how far it is for the other members of this conversation, and we wouldn't have as much time to do research or think about our responces before answering. If you noticed, I said Walk. Ditch computers, ditch moterized vehicles. Without those, there wouldn't really be a grocery store(noone is going to walk all of their product somewhere else to sell them), so we would have to farm, and therefore wouldn't need computers anyway, but also wouldn't have time to go off and discuss things like this.
We don't need these luxuries, but they sure are helpful. And because of some products that make necessities easier and less time consuming, we have more time to think.
SOmetimes when I'm on facebook, I envy all the people that aren't because they obviously have something more productive to do. Advancing technology is something to keep many people busy, so as long as it never stops, it isn't really bad. And if people follow the rule "Observe Think then Act" the world won't be destroyed. I hope everyone is smart enough to do that.
In case you got lost in my thoughts, All I said was, we need to fill our time somehow, so either we continue advancing, or fend for ourselves. and If we fend for ourselves, most of us will die.
Well, this is a change of pace. For once I don't have to Google and wade through thesis papers to understand what on earth you're talking about. :)
ReplyDeleteBut technology. Right. It's certainly helpful- think of simple machines, sailing ships, electricity, fire. New inventions save us time and energy, freeing us up to do... what?
These things save us time, but what do we use that time for? Sitting around, moping, and browsing through catalogues to find more "miracle inventions" to order, or even just being lazy and sitting on our ever-growing butts in front of the TV, watching some dumb show that's like novocaine applied directly to the cranium.
Sitting down to write this, I had great intentions, but here, listening to myself talk, I realize that I don't adore technology as much as I say I do or even as much as teenage girls normally do. Hard work, done with the aid of a few tools but not high-tech gadgets, is a way to build character, wisdom, friendships.
Think of cooking. My friend came over for dinner one time, and Mom was making chili. When I offered to help, she enlisted my friend and I to take care of the cornbread. Half an hour later, we are covered head to foot in flour and we have talked so much about our lives, our pains, and our dreams. Taking the time to do the work manually as opposed to buying the cornbread or defrosting a premade one yielded such rewards to our friendship. That day, I learned things from him that even now, affect how I think and what I do.
Technology can also hurt, and hurt drastically. I read somewhere that 80% of a conversation is nonverbal, be it through gestures or tones. Through Facebook, email, texting, and the like, all you see is 20% of a conversation, so things may not come across the way you intended, even if you supplement with emoticons or LOL's.
Another example: texting. I must admit, my phone is nearly always on, and I am almost always reachable. I have friends who I can text at 2 a.m., and they will respond immediately. And this instant-response stuff can get dangerous. After dark, we said a lot of things that we later regretted and ultimately ruined our friendship. I didn't stop to think, as I pounded tiny keys, of the ramifications of what I would say.
These days, we count our friends by the size of our contact lists, and we count a full conversation as an 8-line IM. Somehow, we count this as a friendship, but then, seeing the person face-to-face again, you realize you've forgotten how they look. Does anyone else find this terrifying? That we can converse at all hours of the day and night, no matter what our location, with people who we can't see laughing or crying and might very well be blatantly lying? Are we all consumed until our identities are limited to our profile pictures and our screen names?
Although some rudimentary technology is helpful as survival aids, anything beyond that can quickly get dangerous and unpredictable. Staring at a screen corrodes us from the inside out and can ruin relationships and time management. We say these new inventions free up our time, but what do we need this free time for? With proper time management, tools, and teamwork, things will get accomplished.
Stay tuned for part 2...
(I'm back. The server said I'm too verbose and wouldn't let me put it all in one comment.)
ReplyDeleteIf all mankind were on this same level, it would be like playing in a sandbox- no one could get hurt. You wouldn't need hi-tech defense devices because there wouldn't be hi-tech threats to guard against. This is the concept behind nuclear disarmament, but like that, no one wants to be the first to put down his gun lest he be shot in the back. Many people have speculated about non-technology, non-violent utopias, but have you ever read a utopic book that ends well? Besides, can you picturre standing at a podium in front of your friends and family, asking them to technologically regress? It's impossible to go from high-tech to low-tech unless you start from scratch by creating your own mini-world. This has been done; think of the Amish, they have the right idea, although sometimes they can be rather extreme. For example, flushing toilets, running water, and vaccinations are health concerns and overrule any ideologies about life. When creating a world for yourself, the best you can expect is that it will be temporary. Even in the real, big world, low technology level was temporary. Eventually homo sapiens graduated from clubs to nuclear warheads, just as all must do. It's a continuous cycle of birth, growth, and death. Mankind will eventually destroy itself with its precious technology and then the cycle will begin again. We have the misfortune of being near the end of the cycle, when technology must be limited and closely monitered, but someday, we can find a way out. Maybe not us, but generations after. All we must do for now is our part- slow down the growth and turn off your phone. Seriously, that's how you start. Just press and hold the little "off" button and try not to cry.
(Well, that was a downer. )
The reason I picked this topic is because I can very well relate to it. I am quite guilty of using the computer far too much. So, here is my spill.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing wrong with technology. Efficiency is not necessarily a bad thing. If we all had to return to farming, we would not be able to use as much time to socialize with other people outside of your family. Machinery has helped us in that matter. Technology allows us to have more time for interaction with other people. Here's the problem. We are not using our time to do that.
Think about it. Would you have been able to meet all the people that you know today if you did not have technology? Communities would be very small, as the schools would have to be very close to the students. Also, you would not be able to learn as much because you do not have as much base to teach from.
Look, there is nothing wrong with technology. Whats wrong is what we choose to do with it.
Part 2 follows...
There is nothing wrong with using weaponry to protect yourself and keep what is yours. Nothing is wrong with defending yourself or something or someone you care about.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is when you decide to use these weapons to take advantage of the weak, and try to take what is not necessarily yours. Or fighting when the use of weaponry is not necessary to settle a dispute.
In today's world, communists and capitalists hate each other. Instead of killing each other with nuclear weapons, compromise in the following manner:
Capitalists live in capitalist nations like the USA and communists go live in communist nations like China or Russia.
If you live in USA and don't like capitalism, LEAVE!
If you live in China and don't like communism, LEAVE!
We don't need to have a communist revolution in America, or a capitalist revolution in China. Both nations can still co-exist, just keep your gov. to yourself. If your economy is correct, it will thrive. If not, your people will go try the other economy idea. But instead of fighting, allow both styles to exist, and let the best one thrive.
In that way, if humans were smart, war is not necessary. But we're stupid. Defend what is yours, and don't take other people's stuff. Use weapons only for defense, never to attack.
The point is there is nothing wrong with weapons. What's wrong is how the people use them.
Part 3 follows...
The same applies for social technology. There is nothing wrong with cell phones. There is nothing wrong with texting. There is nothing wrong with Facebook. It's all about how you use it.
ReplyDeleteIn the case of texting, my cup soccer team manager uses texts to let everyone know if a practice is canceled. He sends out a group text, and everyone gets the message quickly, because everyone has a phone on.
Without texting, he would have to call every team member. By the time he calls the last person, they have already arrived at the practice field wondering where everyone is!
There is nothing wrong with texting if it is used as a messaging system, not as a conversation system. If you want to talk to somebody, at least call them. You have a phone!!!!!
With Facebook, it is nice to be able to use it as a messaging system. It is also a good way to talk to people who you haven't seen in forever without trying to find their phone number.
Also, with the chat function, you can work on something else on the computer while talking to them. Efficiency, so I have more time later.
Plus when I am bored the games are entertaining. I can play checkers, chess, connect four, and other games against anybody who is on the internet. There are good brain-stimulating activities on the internet if you know where to look.
There is nothing wrong with the internet. The internet allows us to learn about many different things that we want to learn about. I continued this blog because there are people who want to learn about science! This is a great way to learn as a group about topics that we want to learn about.
There are many good sources to read from on the internet, as well as good video. The problem is that some people use the internet for bad things, which I don't think I need to mention.
As I have repeated over and over again, there is nothing wrong with technology. It's all about how we use it. As long as we don't lose sight of the real world, we should be ok. Fahrenheit 451 is a great book that shows what happens when we lose sight of what goes on in the world. It's not just about burning books, it's about always being aware that there is a world out there and life is not just about happiness.
I mentioned efficiency, which is very valuable. What you do with your spare time is extremely important. I always make sure I am doing something of importance. You only have so much time on this Earth. Use it wisely, and appreciate having this Earth to live on.
We don't have to be Amish. We don't need to get rid of technology. We need to use it right! Used correctly, technology will greatly improve human life. Used wrong, and it spells doom for us all.
This topic is probably the most life-related topic, yet the simplest to understand. We need to make sure to have topics like these more often.
technology does not hurt man if man is wise enough to use it in a productive way and make it so it can't think for itself
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of you, but don't understand, other than to get power, why is everyone so stupid? In school, maybe I am the only one who finds some of the topics, labs, and books we read fascenating, but when the teacher is explaining something my classmates are texting each other and not paying attention. I don't mind that until class is over and they are all talking about how stupid the book, or subject, or, even worse, the teachers are. Some of my favorite teachers are are made fun of because the ones texting aren't watching what they are doing, just 1/2 A@# listening to them. All of those silly hand jestures really liven things up. I don't know if taking away technology would help this, and I certainly don't want to be the person trying.
ReplyDeleteThat is really the part I don't understand, why everyone is so unexceptant of others who are really great people. How do we fix this? Dan's Ideas are great until we hit that speed bump. And Dorothea's ideas seem great about socializing, but then one person always gets left out and then doesn't even have internet and is really bored. In smaller Amish comunities it seems like everyone would be accepted, and people would work together, but as I said earlier, I won't be the one breaking apart the community to make stronger bonds with the smaler parts.
That may seem like it is off topic, but if you think about it, it is the only problem with technology. Unfortunately, without the same pattern also may occur.
I just thought it would be funny to mention that as we are lamenting technology, we're all on computers. I myself am managing my iTunes in another window, as I have been trying to organize it for the past... oh, wait. Shoot, I've invested THREE HOURS of my day into virtualness?! What a hypocrite.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Shannon, yes, I think it's rotten when kids text in class, then gripe about how they don't get it. Honestly.
Now we enter the realm of psychology, the study of human thought.
ReplyDeleteA person who chooses to text to their classmates over listening to the teacher will not admit that what they are doing is wrong due to being stubborn. Instead they will blame the teacher to preserve their ego among their friends and to prove they are right to themselves. When people learn to choose popularity over learning, they will do what they have to in order to stay on top of the social chain. Wait, what does this sound like? Political power.
People want power among their peers. That's what humans really desire. Power comes in many shapes and forms. Knowledge, brute force, popularity, whatever we see it as.
Is this what happens to all people? Are we all consumed by desire for power in our nature? Is there any way to fight it? I have been watching/reading "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. One ring to rule all, the ring of power, was forged in evil. A man kills the master of the ring, but instead of destroying the ring he is overtaken with greed for the power and wears it himself. Power consumes living beings. We must be wary of greed for power, for it only brings doom for us all.
It appears as though I have strayed quite a distance from the starting point. We all view power in a different manner. Shannon, you listen to your teachers to gain knowledge, which in your sense is power.
Now it seems like it's bad to possess knowledge. Not necessarily, for power is not always consumed by greed.
Not all people who become rulers have bad intents. Let's take George Washington, one of the founding fathers of America. He was elected to be president by his peers, and he had power. However, he used his power to make the people happy, not just for himself.
Some people feel good when they help others. If they didn't feel good about helping others, then why would they do it? In that way, is helping others a form of selfishness?
I think that humans will do what contents themselves. Some are content by hurting others. Some are content by helping others. It depends on how you are raised as a child.
In the end we are all selfish, but there is good and bad selfishness. If by doing for yourself you do for others, there is nothing wrong with being a little selfish, now is there?
Dorothea, I don't see a problem with discussing the subject matter on a computer. Although it makes us seem like hypocrites, this discussion is not a waste of time in my opinion, so it is a good use of the technology at hand.
Selfishness is very touchy. I don't think that helping others is selfish unless you expect them to turn around and help you. But, I don't think that caring about yourself is selfish. I think a better definition of Selfish would be "the ignorance of others in need". If you follow that philosophy, you won't ever have a problem. That reminds me of Dorotheas Philosophy blog. Are you going to make that?
ReplyDeleteIf Either of you can watch, there is a show on the science channel today (Monday August 16) at 9 about the human brain.
So maybe selfish is not the word to describe it, although I think we would only do something if we felt good about doing it, therefore that good feeling is the reason why you are doing it. According to your definition selfishness involves not regarding the needs of others, therefore humans are not always selfish. However, I believe we will not do anything unless we see some type of gain in it. Whether it be physical objects or good feelings.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why I don't have the science channel. It is starting to aggravate me.
Actually, Shannon, I finally finished putting it together. Here: http://philosophythepursuitofwisdom.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteEnjoy! Please comment!
COol, THis is really funny that you don't have the science channel "HAA HAA" (Aaron)
ReplyDeleteIt isn't funny! You don't understand my misery. Just because of that comment I am going to go into a deep depression! Thanks a lot!
ReplyDelete