Innovation Shines a Spotlight on How Primitive Humans Really Are
Twerking Robots and All
We call a lot of shit ‘innovation’ these days and once you take a closer look at the pile of crap, you can’t help but wonder,
Is our species really that dumb?
Call me a hater. Or watch this video segment from Back in Black which aired on The Daily Show on December 12.
Black quite hilariously ridicules the latest innovations including a “3D printed robot that could be a complete game changer for the whole industry. Oh, and it can twerk too.”
But it didn’t stop there.
Another robot has been built to alleviate some stress by writing thank-you notes to our friends and family.
“PERFECT,” yells Black, “a robot that does something people stopped doing 30 years ago.”
Surely it seems that technology is advancing — unfortunately only in a direction that our simple-minded consumer brains lead it to. Technology is currently focused on solving superficial problems that have little to no meaningful impact. We are building products and services that deal with our insatiable thirst to solve first-world problems, instead of solutions that help our species flourish in the long-term.
Here is the deal: as long we continue to see ourselves as consumers, instead of contributors, in this world, we will be stuck in this endless cycle of unfulfilling mediocracy. Do we really need robots that help us write thank-you cards? Why not reallocate those resources into advancing a robot that helps autistic children to overcome social-communication disabilities?
We could very well be living in a truly excellent world.
But how do you distance yourselves from frivolous consumption? Quite simply: you use your noggin! Think about every endorsement, every purchase you make.
Ask yourself, Is this twerking robot going to fill an unbearable void in my life? Please say no. Please, just say no.
Innovation is supposed to be a reflection of our needs and desires. In 1943, Abraham Maslow devised a pyramid to illustrate our hierarchy of needs:
1. Biological and Physiological needs — air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep.
2. Safety needs — protection from elements, security, order, law, limits, stability, freedom from fear.
3. Social Needs — belongingness, affection and love, — from work group, family, friends, romantic relationships.
4. Esteem needs — achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance, prestige, self-respect, respect from others.
5. Self-Actualization needs — realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences.
Technology should advance in parallel to our human needs and it is no coincidence that none of them ask for frivolous, materialistic goods.
Here are some fantastic examples of what happens when innovation aligns with a human need, courtesy of WIRED, Dec 13 edition:
Solar Ship Inc. builds hybrid aircraft to service isolated people and places allowing for efficient transportation without the need of fossil fuels, roads or runways.
JobMatch helps people with limited Internet access make a mini-CV via SMS questionnaire.
Climate Kiln is a special oven that cooks inedible biomass like plant husks at low oxygen levels into something called biochar. Mixed into soil, it improves water retention and nutrient levels (and keeps fertilizer runoff out of groundwater and carbon out of the atmosphere).
TalkSession is a growing online network that is focused on making mental healthcare universally affordable, acceptable and accessible for everyone.
Now that’s what I’m talking about. Impactful people solving real problems. That’s what we need to focus our attention on.
“Look, if I want to see something try dance and fall flat on its face, I don’t need a robot. All I need is a fifth of Scotch, some music, and a mirror.”
Touché, Mr. Black, touché.
