In this blog generally I want to consider a human-shaped life, which I explain in more detail here. I'm approaching this thematically, first writing a bit about human nature, then about food and farming. I'd like to move to technology for a few posts now. Because technology touches on human health and capacity, environmental impact, energy use, economics, travel, employment, leisure, and every other aspect of our lives, it's important to approach its manufacture and use consciously and ethically. I'm not going to define what I mean by "technology" yet, but I think we all have an idea of what we think it is and how we feel about it. So I have a few questions for you, and I'd love to hear your thoughts.
First: Do you think our use of technology helps or hinders us in living a human-shaped life?
Second: What do you picture our use of technology looking like in one hundred years?
It might be helpful, when you post, to offer your own definitions and examples of specific technologies.
Go for it! Don't be shy. I'm looking forward to hearing from you.
1. Do you think our use of technology helps or hinders us in living a human-shaped life?
It's a case of the Chocolate Chip Cookie. When it's utilized for a purpose, like enjoyment, celebration, analyzing, conversation, or commerce, the cookie can be amazing. However, if over consumed, this can be unhealthy, taken for granted, abused, and distasteful. It comes down to purpose and balance.
Usefulness: We have greatly benefited from technology in our transportation systems globally and locally. Troubleshooting problems is faster and can intercept errors. Healthcare now sees recovery rates increase and death rates decrease. In education, we are able to share ideas and talent nearly everywhere. And, in personal communication- we have connected families, political leaders, and fr…
jelliot65:
> Instead of the promised "3-day weekend" when discussion...
> Many of the technological advancements now are more for entertainment
You are correct. But as a counter point the consumption of Entertainment, and the number of hours people spend being entertained, is at an all time high: approaching 40hrs/week (just over 34 last I checked). The average American work week is 40.5hrs for those between 25 and 55 years old. Obviously this will vary based on age, race, location, etc... Still, on the average it looks like a kind of work-life balance. Many criticize people's entertainment and recreation choices, on the other hand that has always been true.
Nations other than the United States have gathered much more benefit from Technology. Denmar…
It's already been noted that there are some significant benefits to technology - the medical capabilities in particular are breathtaking. The fact that we can share like this is amazing. But the dark side is that (as a whole) we haven't demonstrated that we can morally handle what is ahead. Instead of the promised "3-day weekend" when discussions about p.c.'s were being developed, we have people who are worked even harder and jobs that are eliminated. We communicate less effectively. Many of the technological advancements now are more for entertainment than for the actual advancement of humanity.
I hate to be a downer, but i'm not particularly enthused about the future.
technology won't save us if we can't manage our natural resources well enough to be able to live on this planet . . . . I suspect we don't yet understand all we know in that regard
there's an old saying about 'the canary in the mine' which serves as a warning of impending doom, and perhaps we on this planet need to take a look at life forms and how they are faring (sp?) during this intense period of climate change
and the conditions of the ocean? My youngest son is a US Coast Guard officer and he sees a LOT of trash floating out in the middle of the ocean. All the while, the current admin. …
alzehner77:
> The soi disant technologies of today, in 3 cases out of 4, do something
> that was already possible before, and in 3 cases out of 4 do it no
> better than before.... A hundred years from now? There really isn't that
> much cool-future stuff to hope for. The jetpack and the theremin
> have already been invented and turn out out to be duds.
Completely agree.
There is today very little new under the sun. And there are many things possible which turn out to not be worth doing.
I suspect the next 100 years is mostly about adapting society and technology to each other, and the days of great technological leaps is behind us.