Tires and human history
In the space of 4 days I went from having never changed a tire to having changed two. Well, kind've. First on the way back from picking up Beth from the airport I discovered that my two front tires needed replacing--badly. So I changed the worst of them with my emergency spare and came home slowly. Had to call my dad and ask about how to change a tire, also had to buy an expensive tire iron since that's all the gas station had. Then today, Jill had a flat and I volunteered to change it for her since she needed assistance. I started doing it, but then the security fellow did the rest, having picked up where I was while I went to get my tire iron. I was kind've disappointed by that honestly. I like being helpful.
Speaking of, alot of people talk about how the Earth/humanity is doomed for one reason or another. Sometimes I think they make some good points, but the problem is I can't trust any of the data from either side, they both have their agendas and ulterior motives. Which is an example of why I hope the Earth/humanity are doomed. I mean, not in any personal sense. Just in aggregate. Assuming we are in imminent danger, we've brought it on ourselves. And our own nature is what is keeping us from fixing it. I can't help but be a little bitter, but I can't judge too harshly. And, it's not humanity per se that I blame. It's all life that we've yet discovered (and are likely to). Evolution, which is the prerequisite for life, inexorably leads to selfishness, because that's the most efficient method of survival for that creature which allows that creature to pass on it's genes. Yes, some creatures do have a pack/social mentality, but that only applies to a limited group and even then it's much more an upper limit on how much selfishness is allowed and how it can be expressed rather than any kind've sublimation of it. So, it's pretty much encoded into the genes and instincts of every creature on the planet, and theoretically on any others. And that biological evolution leads directly and inexorably into the same thing in social structures for exactly the same reasons. And that is the direct cause of any potential trouble we may have. Capitalism, democracy, religion... Ironically, these things are the reason for any potential trouble, the ones warning of trouble, and the reasons why no such warning will never be heeded to any worthwhile degree. They cried 'wolf' continually for the whole of human history for their own reasons of wanting to acquire money/influence/power by claiming to have the answer to their imaginary problems, and after all this time if there is a genuine threat then who can tell the difference? And we've had so many opportunities to do things right over the course of human history, and we never have. Not once. Speaking on a broad scale I mean, of course. Individuals and small groups are entirely capable; but the race as a whole is unsalvageable.
Even if we were to genetically engineer a race free of such, we would end up exploiting them to the point of destruction because that's what we do. AI suffers much of the same problems. And even assuming that we somehow miraculous dodge that, if there are any other races out there in the universe, when they meet each other the same thing is going to happen unless they've mirrored us.
So, yeah.
Speaking of, alot of people talk about how the Earth/humanity is doomed for one reason or another. Sometimes I think they make some good points, but the problem is I can't trust any of the data from either side, they both have their agendas and ulterior motives. Which is an example of why I hope the Earth/humanity are doomed. I mean, not in any personal sense. Just in aggregate. Assuming we are in imminent danger, we've brought it on ourselves. And our own nature is what is keeping us from fixing it. I can't help but be a little bitter, but I can't judge too harshly. And, it's not humanity per se that I blame. It's all life that we've yet discovered (and are likely to). Evolution, which is the prerequisite for life, inexorably leads to selfishness, because that's the most efficient method of survival for that creature which allows that creature to pass on it's genes. Yes, some creatures do have a pack/social mentality, but that only applies to a limited group and even then it's much more an upper limit on how much selfishness is allowed and how it can be expressed rather than any kind've sublimation of it. So, it's pretty much encoded into the genes and instincts of every creature on the planet, and theoretically on any others. And that biological evolution leads directly and inexorably into the same thing in social structures for exactly the same reasons. And that is the direct cause of any potential trouble we may have. Capitalism, democracy, religion... Ironically, these things are the reason for any potential trouble, the ones warning of trouble, and the reasons why no such warning will never be heeded to any worthwhile degree. They cried 'wolf' continually for the whole of human history for their own reasons of wanting to acquire money/influence/power by claiming to have the answer to their imaginary problems, and after all this time if there is a genuine threat then who can tell the difference? And we've had so many opportunities to do things right over the course of human history, and we never have. Not once. Speaking on a broad scale I mean, of course. Individuals and small groups are entirely capable; but the race as a whole is unsalvageable.
Even if we were to genetically engineer a race free of such, we would end up exploiting them to the point of destruction because that's what we do. AI suffers much of the same problems. And even assuming that we somehow miraculous dodge that, if there are any other races out there in the universe, when they meet each other the same thing is going to happen unless they've mirrored us.
So, yeah.