"I, ROBOT - - YOU, JANE"
Taken from "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer". Season 1, Episode 8. I, Robot -- You, Jane. Written by: Ashley Gable & Thomas A. Swyden.
Yes, this is a rather lame and quick entry due to my tight time schedule. But I like that quote. I think Giles is on to something. I keep repeating that computers might be making us smarter, but not wiser. Wisdom is only reached over the senses. I even told Steven Berlin Johnson, author of "Everything Bad Is Good for You". But than I thought that if we´d connect what is special about us humans to what is special about computers and become a human robot or robotic human, will that be the ultimate solution? Imagine to have your hard drive as a brain extension. Will we be able to update, modify, unload data, learn, make notes, and talk to beings far away without external equipment? And what would happen when humans realised the only way to change humanity for the better is to reprogram their hardware and we were actually able to do that? (Cut aggression and bellicose desires, cut the over-exploitative behaviour of using up ressources. Genetical enhancements, neuronal reconnections, hormonal adjustments, technical installments - all is possible.) Would that be a scary scenario for you? Do you think we will reach a new stage of human existance or will we pass that stage of HUMAN existance alltogether?
How would I be doing as a science-fiction writer? ;)
17 Kommentare:
:-)))) Lovely!
Ah...well, I think in this discussion you might get stuck on the whole concept of free will. What if people were forciblly reprogrammed if they didn't meet society's standards (like Alex in A Clockwork Orange for example)? I certainly agree that computers do make us smarter, but not wiser. I also think you should write a science fiction gaphic novel with your wonderful cartoons. You rock!
Clever illustration, as usual. You raised some very thought provoking questions this time. What will life be like for a children's grandchildren?
Hey, you should take a look at some of Donna Haraway's Cyber Theory--like her Cyborg Manifesto.
Interesting...and, now you have me thinking and wondering! BTW...I don't think this is a lame illo...great job!
i am a huge BVS fan so i really like this illo!
First of all...Giles is awesome!
Secondly...I would definetely give a 'chip in the brain' a go.
and last...you'd make an excellent Sci-Fi writer!!!
I remember that episode!
I love what computers allow us to do, but come the day they ask me to 'jack-in', I'm moving far far away to hide in a jungle somewhere.
I'm sure you'd make a great one. You come up with some great ideas and questions.
Thanks Buep!
Scarecrow, but imagine the costs that those upgrades could save the insurances companies! Can´t they just get a good deal with Microsoft?
Carla, you are right, the free will concept is something to take in - depending on whether you believe in free will alltogether to start with. In Germany there has been a recent discussion between scientists and philosophers if free will is possible in humans or if we are preprogrammed not matter what. Certainly a humanoid would be exploitable for the sake of power. Scary to think of what "willing" army you could breed with it...
oh, and thanks!
Yes, Bron, sometimes when I think about how fast the technological evolution goes I do wonder how life will be for a few generations after me - and if it is really imaginable or if incomprehensable things will happen that we don´t even have yet words for. My parents would have ever imagined something like the internet could come to existance. I´d love to be able to take a glimpse at the world in like, mmmm, 150 years!
Roz, interesting! I googled the name and made a note of it on my reading list. I like that the Cyborg Manifesto is based in/on postmodern Feminism :)
Thanks, Txartcgal, I had a lot of ideas for it but couldn´t put them all into the drawing.. sigh
Hotwire, it seems in that case I couldn´t have done anything wrong ;) I am a huge BVS fan, too!
Joy, well, perhaps the Loontown Neuroxpiment Center will want to recruit you for some testings :) And yes, Giles is awesome!
Flossy, and on that day you will have the advantage of living in Australia, I mean, in Germany there simply is no far away space to hide! (Oh, okay, maybe I take the urban jungle instead)
Thanks Tony, one has to consider a few ideas before one settles ;) (But the truth is I have never really been interested in that field let alone read any of the classic sci-fi bestsellers... ts)
It takes a certain genius to extract such profound commentary out of an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer! I find the scenerio you paint of outside control distressing and distopic.
But no, Sribblesk, Buffy itself is completely profound! There is this extremely interesting website of http://www.slayage.tv/ where they post scientific approaches to the show, my, incredible. I dream of going to one of the Slayage Conferences!
I am grinning from ear to ear about "distopic". Is that a Freudian slip? ;)
It is sure distressing. And I usually prefer to not think about it.
your writing brings challenging issues...maybe we need to be positevely minded about robotic extensions (even eyeglasses must have considered as robotic extension at their time!!!), yet thinking on these topics makes me a bit scary...
see what happens
:)
If human beings became robots...
what would happen with our feelings?
that scares to me!
But computers *do* smell. They smell of dust and electricity. And new computers smell of silicone chips and plastic. My ibook doesn't have that smell anymore but I still remember it.
It is scary, Aynaku, but it is so fascinating, too :)
Lu, that´s a tricky one. Especially since I think feelings are important for learning/advancing, too. Perhaps there will be sensitive robotic extensions? Or we just take the "plastic" for positive addition and keep our human (& often turmoiled) senses ...
Oh, you are right Anja! That reminds me of an embarrassing story. Once I sat and typed and had a fine cup of wine that I unfortunately spilled all over my laptop. We managed to rescue the poor thing, but ever after he smelled a bit like, ehem, well, a drunkard... :)
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