Oh you silly humans

Asimov would be very disappointed with what has become of humanity. Even though food production has increased, it has been used ineffectively. Tons of food are wasted in "super-sizing" everything while countries around the world have massive famines and are too poor to do anything about it. The humane solution would be to share that food but countries are too greedy and won't send it for free.

Usually these famine stricken countries are also overpopulated. Asimov had accurately predicted that we would overpopulate and warned that we should implement population control. Some countries have enforced this like China with success but did it too well so there aren't enough young people. But other countries like India have no population control and families are having too many children to sustain themselves. Many countries, like ours though, don't enforce control but encourage a 2 child limit. This is what Asimov would have wanted, 30 years ago.

In Asimov's world without war, he says that only countries that can afford the gas can fight. Well that is happening now. All wars that you hear about in the news now are coming from the Middle East. So as our lifetime is concerned there can not be a world without war. But each area of the world has their time to fight. Europe had over 2000 years, we are in the middle of our period, and now the Middle East has started theirs. So we should not be too concerned until the half hour war is a possibility there.

Asimov, in his lecture, announces that most of his thinking could have been created in syllogisms. For example he gives a couple of syl. about the energy in the world. We will eventually use all the coal and oil in the world because we use some everyday and it is not unlimited. Basically he is saying that syllogisms are created and result in logic. Anybody could figure these problems out if they look at them logically.

Overall Asimov is accurate in his assumptions and predictions. Some of his ideas, especially about women needing "busy work", are a bit outdated. But one needs to remember that this lecture did take place over 30 years ago and ideals back then were different than they are now.

If I missed a large point, bear with me. There was so much to talk about that I may post another blog about this topic whether it count or not. This man is great witted and still has the amazing ideas that I wish to create some day.

The Machines Are Mean To Us

*(If you want the summed up version, look for the last paragraph)

"If there is one indisputable fact about the human condition it is that no community can survive if it is persuaded--or even suspects--that its members are leading meaningless lives in a meaningless universe."--Irving Kristol

Irving Kristol is trying to say that humans need to feel important. If there was no point to our existence then the world would go to shambles. People would not care if they lived or died so the world would go into chaos with wide-spread violence and horror.

With that point taken care of, Irving is unfortunately completely correct. I wish I had more faith in the human race but sadly the truth is harsh. Ever since humanity could think, we have put our faith into a higher being watching us and having a purpose for us. But without that purpose people have very little to strive for except to further ourselves and conquer space, which is what is happening now. But if it turns out that we are a fluke and there is nothing out there then what will we do with ourselves?

Bertrand Russel's "The Value of Philosophy" talks about what the reason for philosophy is: the study of the unknown. Philosophers take their lives and try to ultimately figure out the final truth. If we ever found out that truth and it was nothing then see above. But anytime we get a step closer to that truth, many more questions pop up to stall us. What this means is that we will never figure out this truth unless it is told to us definitely. Which also means that we will, as a society, never reach the said above state.

Plato's "Apology" has told us that man needs to feel superior to everything, even God sometimes (if you believe in God). When actually if what Irving says becomes reality, people will have to adjust to being just like all other animals, which is impossible due to our thousands of judgemental, arrogant years alive.

* Humans will not be willing to accept a meaningless life and will go to extremes if told so.