Technology can save us.

Posted on October 24, 2007
Filed Under Deep Thought, Techie stuff |

I’m an optimist. The world we live in seems to be a dark and dangerous place. We are beset by demons of (allegedly) our own creation. We are told every day that we are destroying ourselves and are oblivious to this factI believe that man’s greatest virtue, far beyond those preached by the religions, is his insatiable curiosity.

This curiosity has led us to where we are now, in a world beset on all sides by crises of our own making (allegedly.)

The earth is heating up, this is undeniable, arguing about whether its our fault or not is not going to help us ride it out. Neither is listening to the luddite eco-warriors who tell us to do away with all our wasteful technology, gas guzzling vehicles and other wonders of the technological age. These people would have you living in mud huts, shitting in a hole in the ground and scrabbling around in the muck for your dinner when it is not necessary.

There are peoples in the world who’s cultures are so desperate for survival that they are resorting to terrorism, genocide, and war on an unprecedented scale just to get people’s attention. They fight over land, religion, ideology, tribal issues (generally what their Darren said about our Shaun over 5 centuries ago.), but mainly they fight and scream and lash out simply to get noticed. In a global culture, which is what humanity is becoming thanks to our technology, those who don’t have the same access to information, technology and progress as the so-called ‘World Leaders’ will resent that fact and demand their fair share.

These problems may be solved by technology, with some technology solving both at once. For instance: The Middle East became rich on the proceeds of oil, now the oil is running out and the various factions are fighting over what’s left, egged on by the former cold war superpowers. The Middle East also has another asset, one that is not going to run out so easily; sunlight. Take Iran as an example, instead of ploughing money into a nuclear program that the Americans are never going to let them complete, why not spend the money researching solar power? From what I’ve heard Libya is already pursuing this direction after giving up its nuclear ambitions. Enough electricity could be generated in North Africa and the Middle East to serve not only those areas but much of Central Africa and Europe as well. Using both conventional solar panels and solar furnaces.

Technology is more than iPods, plasma screens and mobile phones with irritating ringtones. It is an extension of human evolution, one which we can control. Technology lies at the confluence of science and engineering, the scientists work out what can be done and the engineers work out how to do it. In this age of instantaneous communication and unprecedented public access to information, there is no reason why solutions to the problems of the world cannot be found in the realms of technology.

Our technology is so pervasive, getting into every facet of our lives, that instead of being used in cynical attempts to make fast money (iPod, Windows, mobile phones etc.) why not use it in applications where the short term gain is minimal but the long term benefits are available for everyone? Use the phonmenal technological power available to us to lift people out of poverty and ignorance, provide limitless energy and break our dependence on finite reserves of fossil fuels. Why are these things not being done? I don’t have an answer, but I’m sure your government could provide you with one if pressed.

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