Subject:
|
Re: Future of Humanity (was: lotsa stuff)
|
Newsgroups:
|
lugnet.off-topic.debate
|
Date:
|
Fri, 2 Nov 2001 20:45:41 GMT
|
Viewed:
|
842 times
|
| |
|
|
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Tom Stangl writes:
> I dispute that. While there will always be people on the far edges of the bell
> curve no matter what the scale of the curve, I would tend to believe that having
> that curve shifted UP would increase the chance of our species surviving longer,
> simply because we can't rely on a few supergeniuses to save our butts. Having the
> curve higher increases the chance of our species solving all of its current and
> future problems, IMO.
<snappy rejoinder>
I think it's got a lot more to do with conscience than brains. It's because
we're the smartest/most technological species that we're in a position to
wipe ourselves out (see crechebaby thread for "extinction" scenario).
> > IMO, intelligence may help us overcome various individual events[2], but makes
> > little (if any) difference to the overall evolution of a species.
> >
> > [2] which may range from milliseconds to several generations, but that's still
> > a needle in the haystack of evolution
>
> #2 is more important than you think, IMO. Having our species intelligence level
> increase gives us a better chance of solving problems that may wipe us out. If
> we're wiped out, we can't evolve further, now, can we?
Most of those problems are a consequence of misapplying/overestimating our
intelligence (IMHO). Leaving aside asteroid collisions, almost all
catastrophes that could decimate our species would be self-inflicted.
Basically, relying on technological fixes fails the precautionary principle.
Better to tread cautiously and forgo the possible payoffs than risk disaster.
--DaveL
|
|
Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Future of Humanity (was: lotsa stuff)
|
| (...) I dispute that. While there will always be people on the far edges of the bell curve no matter what the scale of the curve, I would tend to believe that having that curve shifted UP would increase the chance of our species surviving longer, (...) (23 years ago, 2-Nov-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
|
133 Messages in This Thread:
(Inline display suppressed due to large size. Click Dots below to view.)
- Entire Thread on One Page:
- Nested:
All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:
All | Brief | Compact
|
|
|
|
