In my recent blogs on the Minimum Viable Population (MPV) and Technology & MPV, I concluded that Technology has a negative impact on the MPV of Homo sapiens. The more technology we develop, the more people we need to sustain our way of living.
Ancient societies ran into similar problems and used several methods for codifying Knowledge, like (i) traditional oral knowledge, (ii) cave art, (iii) Sumerian cuneiform writing on clay tablets, (iv) ancient Egyptian writing on papyrus, (v) book print in China (220 AD) and then Europe (1439).
The Sumerian people appear to have received their knowledge from earlier and unknown civilizations (Wiki). Hence, it’s safe to say that – at least – for some 10,000 years, it has become impossible for one human to have the knowledge of the entire human race.
This situation was different for the Neanderthal who lived in small though viable populations for 700,000 years while enduring 8 (!) Ice Ages (eg, Quanta). Unless Homo sapiens accepts the living conditions of the Neanderthal, we need very many people to sustain our way of living.
There is one exception to the above: Humanoid sapiens (my blogs). Humanoid sapiens is the technologically enhanced version – and future successor – of Homo sapiens. Its philosophical concept is also known as Transhumanism (my blogs).
Currently, there are 3 different developments: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Bionics, and Robotics. The first and latter are already merging into AI Robotics. Bionics is developing rapidly through artificial limbs and powered exoskeletons (eg, 2008 sci-fi movie Iron Man, IMDb). I think, feel and believe that all 3 will eventually merge into my concept of Humanoid sapiens.
The main challenge for Humanoid sapiens is the human brain. There seem to be 3 different approaches: (i) use drugs to enhance the mediocre utilization of the brain (eg, 2011 movie Limitless, IMDb), (ii) insert technology into the human brain (eg, NRC, 1974 sci-fi movie The Terminal Man, IMDb, and the 1987 sci-fi movie Robocop, IMDb), and (iii) uploading the human brain to a computer (eg, 2015 sci-fi movie Chappie, IMDb).
It’s tempting to describe how Humanoid sapiens would look like. I think, feel and believe that it may function like an Octopus with 9 brains: 8 for each of its (artificial) limbs and 1 in its head (my recent blog). This allows for replacements and upgrades. The head is a communication center for downloads and uploads for adding and securing Knowledge (eg, distributed computing).
Homo sapiens is economically and technically outdated once Humanoid sapiens emerges. Its MVP may be 160 or lower. This may explain the (existential) human fear over AI and Robotics. It’s unlikely that these 160 would include you or me. Hence, we feel that “change is in the air. It doesn’t always need a name. You don’t have to see it to know it’s there but you can feel it.”
You Can Feel It (2015) by Young Gun Silver Fox
Facebook, lyrics, video, Tumblr
It’s coming around again
Change is in the air
It doesn’t always need a name
You don’t have to see it to know it’s there
But you can feel it
Note: all markings (bold, italic, underlining) by LO unless stated otherwise.
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