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Even if we consider me a "technological artifact" for the purposes of discussion, it's clear that we pose enormous threats to not just other species, but oursel

Even if we consider me a "technological artifact" for the purposes of discussion, it's clear that we pose enormous threats to not just other species, but ourselves as well. Obvious examples in the mainstream are global climate change and nuclear weapons. You can even find well-known physicists mentioning Venus as a conceivable future of the Earth, due to runaway greenhouse effects. Not too far from nanotech "grey goo" nightmares. (I don't think that technology is inherently bad, but it's being developed by incredibly destructive social arrangements.)

0x12 15y ago
If we are a threat to ourselves at some point we could stop being a threat to everything else.
Vivtek 15y ago
Bah. If the system is that unstable, then maybe we're going to destroy ourselves - but it's just as likely we'll be able to save ourselves when something entirely else would have killed us anyway. There's no reason to think technology per se, or any particular branch of it, should be avoided because it's the one. Look, I'll be the first to agree that technology is dangerous and human beings are pretty stupid and shortsighted when using it (and when not using it, and before breakfast, and all other times), but I just have nothing but contempt for people who think the answer is to dissuade other people from being smarter than they are, by means violent or not. If you (and by this I mean the generic you) think technology is dangerous, or some specific technology is dangerous, then by all means investigate how it is dangerous, how that danger can be avoided, and before all else become a better person and demonstrate by your life that a race to destruction is not where humanity should be. I know that's all kumbayah and people probably won't even understand what I mean, but seriously, the answer is just to become a better humanity. The answer is always to become a better humanity. I personally think we're doing OK on that, current news notwithstanding (because the current news is always alarming, but the trends are towards a more human humanity). Well. This isn't an argument, just a viewpoint. I got work to do and probably shouldn't be engaging in philosophy. Oh, except one more point: global warming is going to be expensive, but it's not going to kill us. It's not the first time Earth has run a fever, and we're not Venus yet. Even in the (I believe) colossally unlikely event that we crash our technological civilization or even drive ourselves and a bunch of other things to extinction, the planet's going to be just fine, and life will go on.

0x12 15y ago

If we are a threat to ourselves at some point we could stop being a threat to everything else.

Vivtek 15y ago

Bah. If the system is that unstable, then maybe we're going to destroy ourselves - but it's just as likely we'll be able to save ourselves when something entirely else would have killed us anyway. There's no reason to think technology per se, or any particular branch of it, should be avoided because it's the one. Look, I'll be the first to agree that technology is dangerous and human beings are pretty stupid and shortsighted when using it (and when not using it, and before breakfast, and all other times), but I just have nothing but contempt for people who think the answer is to dissuade other people from being smarter than they are, by means violent or not. If you (and by this I mean the generic you) think technology is dangerous, or some specific technology is dangerous, then by all means investigate how it is dangerous, how that danger can be avoided, and before all else become a better person and demonstrate by your life that a race to destruction is not where humanity should be. I know that's all kumbayah and people probably won't even understand what I mean, but seriously, the answer is just to become a better humanity. The answer is always to become a better humanity. I personally think we're doing OK on that, current news notwithstanding (because the current news is always alarming, but the trends are towards a more human humanity). Well. This isn't an argument, just a viewpoint. I got work to do and probably shouldn't be engaging in philosophy. Oh, except one more point: global warming is going to be expensive, but it's not going to kill us. It's not the first time Earth has run a fever, and we're not Venus yet. Even in the (I believe) colossally unlikely event that we crash our technological civilization or even drive ourselves and a bunch of other things to extinction, the planet's going to be just fine, and life will go on.