As we pass our tenth full episode of Modem Futura, I take a look at why we started, what we hope to achieve, and what makes this more than just another tech podcast
"Over the coming 100 years we will experience vastly greater leaps in our ability to design and change the future through advanced technologies... "
This appears to be the "more is better" relationship with knowledge paradigm, which is perhaps better described as a 19th century way of thinking. It's a philosophy which served us well for a long time, but should have begun to come in to question at Hiroshima in 1945. Or perhaps in the 1950s when we began to earnestly mass produce nuclear weapons as fast as we possibly could. More is better. Old way of thinking.
You write, "One of the reasons we established the ASU Future of Being Human initiative is the growing need for new ways of thinking and talking about the future in a technologically complex world. "
A new way of thinking would involve good engineering. That is, in a new way of thinking we would design our future taking all factors in to account, not just those happy story factors we wish to see and believe.
A critical factor to take in to account is that human beings are of limited ability, like every other creature on the planet.
Or, if you prefer, like children. We take it to be an obvious given that the powers made available to children should be limited so as to take in to account their immaturity. But once the child turns 18 we throw such common sense out the window, and leap to the "more is better" relationship with knowledge, a philosophy built upon a typically unexamined assumption that adult humans are of unlimited ability.
We are a culture with thousands of massive hydrogen bombs aimed down our own throats, an ever present existential threat which can erase the modern world in minutes, based on the decision of a single human being. And...
We are largely bored by this threat. As evidence, observe how the single biggest threat to the survival of America was only barely discussed in the recent presidential campaign, whose outcome put a convicted felon rapist in charge of those weapons.
This is the culture to which science proudly wishes to give "vastly greater leaps in our ability to design and change the future through advanced technologies". That is, a culture with a giant gun in it's mouth, which it is bored by.
If I showed up at your office with a gun in my mouth, would you eagerly had me ever greater powers at an ever faster pace?
I look forward to listening as I’ve enjoyed your substack. I have been following, as an amateur, the philosophical discussions around AI/AGI/transhumanism… for over 20 years and longer if you count my early onset scifi addiction. As someone who, like all of us, spends all of their time in relationship with other than human beings (microbial, breathing the air provided by plants and giving them my carbon and microbes, petting my cat, eating animals and sharing space with a spider….) I would love if one of your episodes explored how will those relationships change in the future and what does that mean for being human. Thank you for all the good work you do!
I somehow missed that you had a new podcast until seeing this post---exciting! I will definitely be queuing up the episodes for the long holiday road trip I have coming up on Monday.
Old ways of thinking....
"Over the coming 100 years we will experience vastly greater leaps in our ability to design and change the future through advanced technologies... "
This appears to be the "more is better" relationship with knowledge paradigm, which is perhaps better described as a 19th century way of thinking. It's a philosophy which served us well for a long time, but should have begun to come in to question at Hiroshima in 1945. Or perhaps in the 1950s when we began to earnestly mass produce nuclear weapons as fast as we possibly could. More is better. Old way of thinking.
You write, "One of the reasons we established the ASU Future of Being Human initiative is the growing need for new ways of thinking and talking about the future in a technologically complex world. "
A new way of thinking would involve good engineering. That is, in a new way of thinking we would design our future taking all factors in to account, not just those happy story factors we wish to see and believe.
A critical factor to take in to account is that human beings are of limited ability, like every other creature on the planet.
Or, if you prefer, like children. We take it to be an obvious given that the powers made available to children should be limited so as to take in to account their immaturity. But once the child turns 18 we throw such common sense out the window, and leap to the "more is better" relationship with knowledge, a philosophy built upon a typically unexamined assumption that adult humans are of unlimited ability.
We are a culture with thousands of massive hydrogen bombs aimed down our own throats, an ever present existential threat which can erase the modern world in minutes, based on the decision of a single human being. And...
We are largely bored by this threat. As evidence, observe how the single biggest threat to the survival of America was only barely discussed in the recent presidential campaign, whose outcome put a convicted felon rapist in charge of those weapons.
This is the culture to which science proudly wishes to give "vastly greater leaps in our ability to design and change the future through advanced technologies". That is, a culture with a giant gun in it's mouth, which it is bored by.
If I showed up at your office with a gun in my mouth, would you eagerly had me ever greater powers at an ever faster pace?
Love the podcast and especially enjoy how you and Sean engage in a very interesting and fun (and humorous) way.
Thanks Jim!
I look forward to listening as I’ve enjoyed your substack. I have been following, as an amateur, the philosophical discussions around AI/AGI/transhumanism… for over 20 years and longer if you count my early onset scifi addiction. As someone who, like all of us, spends all of their time in relationship with other than human beings (microbial, breathing the air provided by plants and giving them my carbon and microbes, petting my cat, eating animals and sharing space with a spider….) I would love if one of your episodes explored how will those relationships change in the future and what does that mean for being human. Thank you for all the good work you do!
I somehow missed that you had a new podcast until seeing this post---exciting! I will definitely be queuing up the episodes for the long holiday road trip I have coming up on Monday.
Hope the podcast hits the spot 😊