The Future Of Humanity.

[Buster15]

We approach the end of 2023 with 2 major conflicts and a number of minor ones.
Humans killing and doing unspeakable things to other humans.
Not just that, but humanity is getting very close indeed to creating a change to our climate that is creating untold damage to our only home and destroying the very ecosystems that we all rely on. And all in the briefest moment in time.

So I wonder what you people think about the future of humanity.
Are we doomed because of our ignorance and greed by making our planet uninhabitable.
Are we creating the very things that could ultimately supersede us in AI and so called robots.
Or will our ingenuity mean that whatever challenges humanity is faced with, we will continue to find solutions for.

Even at my late stage in life, I continue to feel optimistic about the future of humanity. But would be very interested in what you think.

 

[Plant0x84]

We’re screwed. And we have done it to ourselves. Stupid humans.

 

[RexHamilton]

Cheer up lads. It's Christmas.

 

[77]

Pull the ladder up Jack, I'm alright!

 

[Solius]

I'm glad I'll be dead in 50ish years (maybe sooner who knows)

 

[Buster15]

I'm glad I'll be dead in 50ish years (maybe sooner who knows)

I sort of understand that. But it is too easy to look back with rose tinted glasses.
Are you not optimistic about the future?

 

[Solius]

I sort of understand that. But it is too easy to look back with rose tinted glasses.
Are you not optimistic about the future?

My own? Fairly. Not the generation after me.

 

[horsechoker]

I'm glad I'll be dead in 50ish years (maybe sooner who knows)

Actually a cloud service is being developed in which your consciousness will be uploaded and you'll work in the metaverse.

 

[Solius]

Actually a cloud service is being developed in which your consciousness will be uploaded and you'll work in the metaverse.

Oh fun.

 

[horsechoker]

Oh fun.

Fun will be outlawed in the Zuckerbergverse

 

[Revan]

I think it is either gonna be really good (some utopia-lite) or really bad (from not many jobs for people to some type of catastrophe).

It all depends on how we really manage AI. If we crack it and align it to nice human values, it is gonna be the best discovery we ever did and make everything better. If it goes wrong, stuff can turn out very ugly.

Interesting times ahead.

 

[Rams]

We approach the end of 2023 with 2 major conflicts and a number of minor ones.
Humans killing and doing unspeakable things to other humans.
Not just that, but humanity is getting very close indeed to creating a change to our climate that is creating untold damage to our only home and destroying the very ecosystems that we all rely on. And all in the briefest moment in time.

So I wonder what you people think about the future of humanity.
Are we doomed because of our ignorance and greed by making our planet uninhabitable.
Are we creating the very things that could ultimately supersede us in AI and so called robots.
Or will our ingenuity mean that whatever challenges humanity is faced with, we will continue to find solutions for.

Even at my late stage in life, I continue to feel optimistic about the future of humanity. But would be very interested in what you think.

And you know what I’m most depressed about? United’s performance so far this season.

 

[Eriku]

Cultural and technological evolution goes at a far faster rate than biological evolution. The way our brains work seems to be woefully insufficient for us to handle all this maturely as a species.

What’s worse, the lessons of social psychology are far easier to apply to base goals rather than lofty ideals, and it’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they’ve been deceived. Corporations have us by the nutsack and won’t give up any potential profits, so we are clinging to business models that are bad for people, bad for our biosphere, and all to serve a made up metric of success; money.

In short, we are fecked. One of many reasons why I had a vasectomy. I sometimes resent being born into this shit show.

 

[Buster15]

And you know what I’m most depressed about? United’s performance so far this season.

Same here but you are not supposed to say depressed unless it is the clinical term.

 

[OutOfTowner]

Oh great, United are shit, City did the treble, everyone's killing each other and humanity's fecked.

Merry Christmas everyone! Joy to the fecking world. Falalalalaaalalafeckinla.

 

[hobbers]

Will anyone miss humanity when we're gone? No.

So dont worry about it.

 

[Buster15]

I think it is either gonna be really good (some utopia-lite) or really bad (from not many jobs for people to some type of catastrophe).

It all depends on how we really manage AI. If we crack it and align it to nice human values, it is gonna be the best discovery we ever did and make everything better. If it goes wrong, stuff can turn out very ugly.

Interesting times ahead.

Agree with all that.

 

[77]

I reckon we've got about 5-10 years before it really all turns pear shaped

 

[George Owen]

Only chance for humanity to survive is to be under the rule of an autocracy.

As long as these flawed democracies exists, we gonna just go from extremism to extremism until we finish to kill each other or the planet kill us.

Might be that the future of humanity depends on China doing well the next decades? China beating US and occident at their own game, would probably be the only way to force those who own the multinational corporations to sit down and change their (and humanity's) ways.

There is no future in capitalism and competition. Only way forward is cooperation.

 

[Stack]

I think short term (next 100 years) we are going to have to deal with some pretty major problems but even while all those climate issues and other problems are causing stress and difficulty there will still be progress and research ongoing and we will start to evolve to a far more equitable world

 

[horsechoker]

Will anyone miss humanity when we're gone? No.

So dont worry about it.

Domesticated animals maybe

 

[TwoSheds]

We approach the end of 2023 with 2 major conflicts and a number of minor ones.
Humans killing and doing unspeakable things to other humans.
Not just that, but humanity is getting very close indeed to creating a change to our climate that is creating untold damage to our only home and destroying the very ecosystems that we all rely on. And all in the briefest moment in time.

So I wonder what you people think about the future of humanity.
Are we doomed because of our ignorance and greed by making our planet uninhabitable.
Are we creating the very things that could ultimately supersede us in AI and so called robots.
Or will our ingenuity mean that whatever challenges humanity is faced with, we will continue to find solutions for.

Even at my late stage in life, I continue to feel optimistic about the future of humanity. But would be very interested in what you think.

For me the wars and instability are largely a consequence of both climate change and the inequality and injustice partly driven by the fossil fuel industry.

I'm working on it though, trying to work out how we can make cheap green hydrogen! Many people all over the world are also working on it - energy efficiency, energy storage, solar, wind, even *spits* carbon capture and storage. I think we'll get there but it won't be pretty in the meantime (likely the next 50+ years sadly). On the other hand peak oil should come fairly soon so at least that baleful influence should start to diminish even as climate change continues to worsen.

 

[Jaae]

Lord, we need you to send your son down again.

We promise not to let the Jews feck him up this time.

 

[golden_blunder]

Within the next 10-20 years I think the world will start to suffer a series of devastating disasters; huge floods etc. parts of the world will become uninhabitable causing mass migration of people. This in turn will lead to huge riots.

but it’s ok; because sooner or later we’re gonna be hit by a huge meteor causing the end of us

 

[McGrathsipan]

Humanity won't last another 100 years as it is now.

 

[Salt Bailly]

We'll be fine, Elon is looking into it.

 

[Snow]

Within the next 10-20 years I think the world will start to suffer a series of devastating disasters; huge floods etc. parts of the world will become uninhabitable causing mass migration of people. This in turn will lead to huge riots.

but it’s ok; because sooner or later we’re gonna be hit by a huge meteor causing the end of us

Already happening and has been for a while. There are strong theories that the Syrian civil war is effectively caused by global warming or at least had a big part to play. A lot of farmers lost their livelihood because of droughts and moved into the cities where they were treated as 2nd class citizens and that built up tension that ultimately boiled over (simplified version obviously). Kind of like how Laki eruption in the 17th century had a huge impact on the world all over, for example causing a similar chain reaction that led to the French revolution.

Big parts of Bangladesh have flooded causing mass immigration to India. The border between the countries is one of the deadliest places on Earth.

Island nations are sinking.

It's a huge and depressing mess and for 30 years straight there's not been a single thing to be positive about in that regard.

 

[Rhyme Animal]

Give it Giggseh til the end of the Aeon.

 

[Wibble]

Within the next 10-20 years I think the world will start to suffer a series of devastating disasters; huge floods etc. parts of the world will become uninhabitable causing mass migration of people. This in turn will lead to huge riots.

but it’s ok; because sooner or later we’re gonna be hit by a huge meteor causing the end of us

We are already getting once in 100 year bushfire every couple of years or so. Same with flood events.

The future is now (and getting worse).

 

[Irrational.]

We are the virus that has ruined planet earth, and we will be the cause of our own downfall. The earth will thrive without us.

 

[Wibble]

We'll be fine, Elon is looking into it.

We are fecked then

 

[Rams]

If the World appoints a technical director and director of forestry it’ll be all custy.

 

[NicolaSacco]

Already happening and has been for a while. There are strong theories that the Syrian civil war is effectively caused by global warming or at least had a big part to play. A lot of farmers lost their livelihood because of droughts and moved into the cities where they were treated as 2nd class citizens and that built up tension that ultimately boiled over (simplified version obviously). Kind of like how Laki eruption in the 17th century had a huge impact on the world all over, for example causing a similar chain reaction that led to the French revolution.

Big parts of Bangladesh have flooded causing mass immigration to India. The border between the countries is one of the deadliest places on Earth.

Island nations are sinking.

It's a huge and depressing mess and for 30 years straight there's not been a single thing to be positive about in that regard.

I’ve read a fair bit about this in Syria and I think you’re spot on. Of course there will always be multiple factors and individual powder keg situations in any geopolitical event. But the steady desertification of Syria essentially forced more & more people, with less and less food security, into a smaller space. And it’s been happening for decades. It’s an absolutely critical factor.

 

[Dirty Schwein]

It's bleak and mainly self-inflicted. It's a shitty outlook and I feel for our youth.

Thanos was right.

 

[Raoul]

We approach the end of 2023 with 2 major conflicts and a number of minor ones.
Humans killing and doing unspeakable things to other humans.
Not just that, but humanity is getting very close indeed to creating a change to our climate that is creating untold damage to our only home and destroying the very ecosystems that we all rely on. And all in the briefest moment in time.

So I wonder what you people think about the future of humanity.
Are we doomed because of our ignorance and greed by making our planet uninhabitable.
Are we creating the very things that could ultimately supersede us in AI and so called robots.
Or will our ingenuity mean that whatever challenges humanity is faced with, we will continue to find solutions for.

Even at my late stage in life, I continue to feel optimistic about the future of humanity. But would be very interested in what you think.

In terms of conflict, we’re in the most peaceful period in human history, particularly since the 1990s.

A.I., climate change, and resource scarcity are going to be a problem at some point in the coming decade or two, at which point the international system will probably collapse at a tipping point moment when humans finally realize they can’t go on as compartmentalized nations states anymore, and that some form of world government where power and resources are distributed more evenly is the only way to address everything from AI to climate change, to resource scarcity and beyond.

 

[Revan]

In terms of conflict, we’re in the most peaceful period in human history, particularly since the 1990s.

A.I., climate change, and resource scarcity are going to be a problem at some point in the coming decade or two, at which point the international system will probably collapse at a tipping point moment when humans finally realize they can’t go on as compartmentalized nations states anymore, and that some form of world government where power and resources are distributed more evenly is the only way to address everything from AI to climate change, to resource scarcity and beyond.

I think that I would love a world-government done right. I was much more optimistic about it happening a decade ago than now though.

 

[Buster15]

For me the wars and instability are largely a consequence of both climate change and the inequality and injustice partly driven by the fossil fuel industry.

I'm working on it though, trying to work out how we can make cheap green hydrogen! Many people all over the world are also working on it - energy efficiency, energy storage, solar, wind, even *spits* carbon capture and storage. I think we'll get there but it won't be pretty in the meantime (likely the next 50+ years sadly). On the other hand peak oil should come fairly soon so at least that baleful influence should start to diminish even as climate change continues to worsen.

That is very interesting and you are doing an improvement job.
Hydrogen is such an Illusive atom. The most abundant in the universe and yet so difficult to obtain in an energy efficient way - Green Hydrogen.
Have to say that I wasn't aware that it could take another 50+ years to do that.

 

[No Love]

Forster’s The Machine Stops looks increasingly more prescient by the day.

 

[Buster15]

In terms of conflict, we’re in the most peaceful period in human history, particularly since the 1990s.

A.I., climate change, and resource scarcity are going to be a problem at some point in the coming decade or two, at which point the international system will probably collapse at a tipping point moment when humans finally realize they can’t go on as compartmentalized nations states anymore, and that some form of world government where power and resources are distributed more evenly is the only way to address everything from AI to climate change, to resource scarcity and beyond.

Thank you for this. Your point about conflicts is a good one, albeit difficult for most of us to appreciate.

In terms of having about 200 individual countries is something I have thought about. This is of course compounded by all of the different languages.
Just imagine what we would think if we were able to go to another planet where there was 'intelligent life' only to find a similar situation as here on Earth.

Globalisation often means that major corporations are much more powerful than individual governments. So we are part way there already.

 

[Buster15]

Lord, we need you to send your son down again.

We promise not to let the Jews feck him up this time.

Wasn't it the Romans?