Undoubtedly, changes in technology can be a wonderful thing. Faster internet abilities will open doors that we never even dreamed of, a decade ago when we were still struggling with 24K modems!
We are living through a huge BOOM in Information Technology and I am not one to complain about progress. Nevertheless, I can't keep from asking myself... Are we becoming better people from all this progress? I'm sure that Mr. Bush and Mr. Blaire had all the information they would ask for immediaely at their fingertips via the highest speed communications networks available throughout the Iraq war. Did this allow them to make the right decisions? Is it a case of GIGO (garbage in, garbage out)?
Perhaps our children, grandchildren and their grandchildren will be able to process information at the speeds they are becoming available. Personally, I find it hard to comprehend information at a greater speed than the one it takes for me to read it and think about it. Downloading 100 books in an hour does not make me able to read 100 books in an hour. It also does not make me able to write 100 books in an hour.
Let's not mistake quantity for quality. The learning curve on how to be a humane human is very steep.
Showing posts with label Science Ethics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Science Ethics. Show all posts
Monday, February 5, 2007
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Mutants
Mutants, mutations, people with special powers over and above what "normal" people can do are the bread and butter of Sci Fi.
Why are we so enthralled by this idea? Why are Superman, Batman, the Fantastic Four, X-Men, Mutant X and hundreds of other heroes and their equally formidable foes so appealing? Are we not satisfied with the albeit limited but still growing human abilities we do possess or could it be a yearning combined with the suspicion that we are capable of a whole lot more than our five senses and mundaine life provides?
We want more, there is no doubt about that. Obviously, we can imagine more. Of what use is this ability to imagine if not in order to make the things we imagine come true? But I'm starting to veer off the subject.
In the "real world" 99.9% of all mutations are harmful mutations. We may now have "genetically engineered" mutated tomatoes and mutated soya but how beneficial are they? Personally, I'll take the good old home grown stuff grown in natural fertilizer. And these are vegetables! How many harmful mutations would have to be dumped in order to genetically engineer one beneficial mutation in humans? I shudder to think of it.
No doubt people will try. It's human nature to be curious, to experiment, to keep at it until final success or ultimate failure are achieved. It's fascinating to imagine the "finished product", a human that can do and be a whole lot more than we are today. Is it ethical? That is the subject of another discussion.
Why are we so enthralled by this idea? Why are Superman, Batman, the Fantastic Four, X-Men, Mutant X and hundreds of other heroes and their equally formidable foes so appealing? Are we not satisfied with the albeit limited but still growing human abilities we do possess or could it be a yearning combined with the suspicion that we are capable of a whole lot more than our five senses and mundaine life provides?
We want more, there is no doubt about that. Obviously, we can imagine more. Of what use is this ability to imagine if not in order to make the things we imagine come true? But I'm starting to veer off the subject.
In the "real world" 99.9% of all mutations are harmful mutations. We may now have "genetically engineered" mutated tomatoes and mutated soya but how beneficial are they? Personally, I'll take the good old home grown stuff grown in natural fertilizer. And these are vegetables! How many harmful mutations would have to be dumped in order to genetically engineer one beneficial mutation in humans? I shudder to think of it.
No doubt people will try. It's human nature to be curious, to experiment, to keep at it until final success or ultimate failure are achieved. It's fascinating to imagine the "finished product", a human that can do and be a whole lot more than we are today. Is it ethical? That is the subject of another discussion.
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