From: Will Pearson (w.pearson@mail.com)
Date: Thu Apr 25 2002 - 04:12:30 MDT
I think I have a fairly different view of society and humanity than some on this list which will make conversations difficult :)
Okay some of my views of social control and the problems we have at the moment can be found at ftp://ftp.vub.ac.be/pub/projects/Principia_Cybernetica/WF-issue/Social_MST.txt . Based on meta-system transistion theory.
My view of technology is also slightly different in that I see it in a positive feedback with society. Society creates technologies that change societies (and humans, anybody miss their fur?) which in turn creates new technolgies. We are coming to a point where knowledge about the human body can be used to manipulate human thinking. I want to read Francis Fukuyamas new book on how chemicals/genetics can change the society we live in. He states that this would be a bad thing. I am not so sure. I think it could be a bad thing. But it could be good. And no I don't take drugs myself.
Some of the future societies I imagine scare me, but I am trying to extrapolate some of the trends I see, which still keep humans alive :), without going to the singleton scenario which I am sceptical of. Absolute power, corruption etc...
I assumed there was a way of quantifying intelligence :) The phrase thousands of human intelligences seems to be used quite a bit.
Michael: Yep I shall read the book, at some point, probably when I stop being a poor student.
After this I will stop trying to convince the cynics of humanity that we can solve are own problems. Which basically means shutting up entirely :)
Will
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