Technology is the Evolutionary Strategy of the Human Race
The "Lindy Principle" and Techno-Optimism
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Technology is the Evolutionary Strategy of the Human Race
You’re going to live to see amazing things.
Humanity will reach beyond Earth’s orbit to colonize the stars. Robotics will transform dangerous industries. Lightning-fast computers will continue to democratize our information ecosystem. Hyper-efficient energy will improve our quality of life and conserve the environment. AI educators will adapt to the specific education level of the child and allow more time for family, play, and creative pursuits. Humanoid robots will help around the house, take in groceries, put away the dishes, and help to tidy up.
This will happen because it already is. No amount of Rothschild conspiracy thinking or back-to-the-land daydreaming will prevent it. Change always makes us uncomfortable. It’s going to force us to confront our worst habits and impulses. But it will happen; and despite the enduring images of a million sci-fi dystopias seared into our brains, I’m not worried about it.
Though I believe the left-progressive concept of a constantly “progressing” humanity is a dangerous myth, there is no doubt that we do learn from our mistakes and make incremental adaptations. Stupidity is the first step to humility. We’re smart enough to move forward by stepping back; realizing that the wisdom contained and venerated by our ancestors weren’t just passing fads of their day, but deeply held truths that we should hold onto and preserve. I am not saying that there aren’t reasonable concerns regarding the implementation of new tech, but my opinion is that; one, there is little you can do about it; and two, most of these fears are widely overblown. Regardless, I will save my optimistic diatribe for another essay. I don’t want to convince you, I want to excite you about the future we’ll share, and build, together.
Techno-Optimism
Technology drives progress, but we will always have a natural fear and skepticism of change.
When electric lights replaced gas lamps in American cities in the early 20th century, magazines and newspapers ran cartoons showing mangled bodies, burnt and hanging on powerlines.
Alexander Winton, who created one of the first “motor carriage” companies in the United States in the 1890's recalled that his banker scolded him for wasting time on the idea. Writing in the 1930s in the Saturday Evening Post he says: “My banker called on me to say: ‘Winton, I am disappointed in you. You’re crazy if you think this fool contraption you’ve been wasting your time on will ever displace the horse.’”
This underlying tension that boils up when a new “thing” bursts into the world is indicative of two things:
Fear about losing control (they’re not going to make all of us get “motor carriages” right?)
Fear of personal inadequacy (if AI can do my job for me how will I ever get a new job?)