Nick, hello!
Then was pointed to this: http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/20569/?a=f
Amazingly congruent. The "great filter" lies JUST IN FRONT OF US, in my opinion...
I have a little theory on the future of humanity. Over the last few hundred human generations:
1. "Follow-the-Leader" behavior evolves to have almost all of us
2. "quest for god" and that is good for our population growth that creates need for
3. more technology (due to population pressure all by itself!) that leads to filling every ecological niche on Earth with humans
4. eventually overwhelming the natural systems that support us and to
5. "human extinction" because we are INCAPABLE of ceasing our "quest" for a higher power and acting RATIONALLY
Technology is now "advanced" to the point that we're no longer simply overcoming natural limits,
we're OVERWHELMING nature itself.
Combining two truths:
We have a need to seek a higher power.
This is as a result of our heredity and was of immense evolutionary benefit (right up until now!)
Technology overcomes natural limits on our biology, and was of immense evolutionary benefit, (right up until now)
CRITICAL THINKING AND BEING ABLE TO ACT ON 'TRUTH' IS WHAT IS GOING TO FAIL US.
That's because 85+++% of the population tends to agree that "god will provide" or "it's god's plan"
and will die arguing instead of accepting any decent solution to our situation.
That's why I'm a volunteer! www.vhemt.org since I truly believe the "Great Filter" is a "sneeze" away (150 years MAX)
from blowing us off the planet.
Being a moral actor, I would be remiss to procreate, and choose to minimize the numbers of those suffering at the end.
Keep up the great thoughts, I will too, as we "live long and die off"!
--
Cheers,
Frish
Michael W. Frishberg
Frish
Michael W. Frishberg
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Amazingly simple refutation of the Omni-everything God
1. Data requires a PHYSICAL substrate on which to exist. There is no information in a vacuum.
2. No matter in our universe can travel faster than light.
3. Omni-potent/present/precient/everything god must act faster than light to do what he's attributed to do.
What particles hold the thoughts of god? We see none, and none can travel faster than light, so, no god possible.
The "seeking of a higher power" proclivity allows for otherwise rational intelligent individuals to also hold irrational impossible tenets when it comes to god.
That's why we're doomed, they won't accept or believe or do what it is needed to continue the human race.
Corporations don't care about customers, they care about profits and are by far the most active technological and social organizations ("change agents") on the planet. They cannot be reigned in by governments, they own the governments...
We're going to 9,000,000,000 individuals within 40 years. The impacts of a "western" civilization (as delivered by corporations, worldwide) will overwhelm natural systems ability to cope with us, and some microbe, the one that fixes selenium or other rare earth mineral into the food chain, will go extinct and then it's end of game!
I am a salesman.
I am an optimist.
I am happy.
I know we are doomed...oh well.
