Technology, Humanity and Our Changing World
It is a well-known fact that humans are the most intellectually dominating species on the planet. In the book Origin, written by Dan Brown, Edmond Kirsch stimulated a graphical timeline of life-forms dominating various periods since the beginning of life. In an astounding discovery, it was seen that the presence of a new species was starting to appear from the early 2000s. Initially insignificant, this species increased exponentially and continued jostling with the homo sapiens for dominance and influence. By the year 2050, the graph showed the newcomer entirely swallowing humanity. Fortunately, this species does not erase us. Rather, it absorbs us. Humans and this new breed, assist and depend heavily on each other. Even today, we have all interacted with this new family and we have rejoiced their entry into this world.
Behold the seventh kingdom: Technium, a classification of non-living objects.
To assimilate the growth rate of technology, we can analyze a simple comparison. While it took us 500 years after inventing the spectacles to invent the stethoscope, it took us only ten years after inventing the dialysis machine to clone the first sheep.
We are well aware of the advantages of technology and how it has aided and empowered humans.
Should we be concerned about its negative impacts?
While the development of technology has caused irreversible damage to the environment, the same technology is now being used to look for sustainable solutions.
For example, the city of Chattanooga, Tennessee is utilizing a supercomputer to prevent traffic jams and cut emissions. The computer processes data from different sources and uses machine learning to study patterns and provide solutions. This happened to reduce fuel consumption in the area by 16%. The country of Denmark has built an artificial island with 600 turbines to harness wind energy. Many cities in Finland are on track to be carbon neutral by 2025 by building ultra-efficient power plants which can convert the city’s waste into energy. Most developed countries are now shifting their focus on the environment with the help of technology.
What about the adverse effects on health?
When parents say that ‘technology has negatively impacted children it is slightly misleading. Here, they are referring to social media, television, or computer games. Technology is an entire realm. Social media and entertainment are only a tiny portion of it. The key difference is that one can refrain from using social media but we can never refrain from using technology. Boon or bane, in this context, eventually boils down to an individual’s self-control.
The Bottom Line
Just as much as we want to enjoy the benefits of technology, we don’t want anything which threatens humanity. Technological research has to adhere to certain ethics. Every scientist, engineer, and policy-maker needs to take responsible, informed decisions. The world needs people who can uplift the needy, give back to the community, and care for other species. In the long run, only humanity holds the key to the planet’s future.
