The Cult Of Human Omnipotence
In a 14 billion year old universe, on a planet where life emerged well over 3 billion years ago, exists a human species which has been around for roughly the last 1/10,000th of those 3 billion years.
They live on a planet where mass extinctions are routine in geologic history.
Yet somehow, there is a non-small membership of this species which adheres to the belief that its existence somehow transcends any survival threats as a result of a supreme intelligence which is never incapable of synthesizing a satisfactory survival environment. It is effectively a belief system which identifies humans as God equivalents.
Ironically, this ideology dramatically increases the possibility of human extinction because it is an ideology which abandons healthy risk management.
God has provided us the evidence via DNA that we are not a transcendent species. We are simply an extension of the animal kingdom with exceptional mutations which allowed us an unprecedented ability to alter our physical environment. Much of that alteration having been facilitated by the combustion of dead organisms from the geologic past.
Our genetic wiring contains some attributes which clearly been historically beneficial and enabled all of us to be here today. But some attributes transition from beneficial to harmful over time. An example of such an attribute might be cell division. Our bodies routinely make new cells via mitosis to replace old cells until our aging process exhausts the resources to make new cells and we die. So cell division is generally a good thing .... unless the growth is cancerous and we get the wrong kind of cells dividing very rapidly.
There are two behavioral traits which I see transitioning from beneficial to malignant. The first is tribalism. Being part of a cohesive, capable and dominant group has always been beneficial to the dominant group members. We are genetically programmed for tribal warfare.
Look at what we are guided to fear. Fear of other religions, other nationalities, fear of other economic / governing philosophy.
While we are spending all of this innate energy focused on inter-tribal fears, we are ignoring inter-tribal commonality. Everyone is accumulating plastic in their bodies. Clean fresh water supplies are dwindling. The ocean pH is being significant more acidic.
The second behavioral trait is the emphasis on survival today overwhelming all emphasis on long-term survival. We fear death, pain and struggle in the near-term and do everything in our power to keep that away. The emphasis on the short-term is so complete that it obliterates our ability to envision where we are heading.
If we wanted to imagine a character like Lucifer which had the intention of destroying the human race .... these are the qualities they would embed in us. Fear. Selfishness. Short-term emphasis. Ignorance.
We seem to be on a trajectory toward a mass global involuntary population event. People are trying to find their way into tribes more likely to survive and that historically has involved a willingness to exterminate rival tribes.
We're observing an evolutionary cliffhanger. Can we evolve quickly, transcend the innate inclination to tribalism and learn to cooperate ?
9 Replies
Yes. To give you an example - while you scream like a banshee about global warming, which has 0.000000% extintction risk (or even major disruption risk) for the human race, we're building AI which has >5% extinction risk for the human race, and >5% chance of being used as a tool for mass prolonged oppression like they are moving toward in China.
That's where the real risk is, not in the things you imagine. We'd even survive a major nuclear war as a species. The mindshare you're taking away from AI is literally increasing the extinction odds of the human race.
We seem to be on a trajectory toward a mass global involuntary population event
Do you mean depopulation event?
People are trying to find their way into tribes more likely to survive and that historically has involved a willingness to exterminate rival tribes.
People have always found their way into tribes. The current hard left drift into tribalism is the same instinct that led to Nazism, communism, etc. But we're not more tribal than ever. Maybe more tribal than the 90s/2000s, but not more than the 50s or the 20s. Tribalism and its evils come out of collectivist thinking, which starts at the far right and normal left.
Ironically, a respect for individualism is the best way to survive - not communal group thinking or big government thinking or big global solution thinking. Individualist societies and thinking create the most freedom and peace and sanity.
In a 14 billion year old universe, on a planet where life emerged well over 3 billion years ago, exists a human species which has been around for roughly the last 1/10,000th of those 3 billion years. They live on a planet where mass extinctions are routine in geologic history. Yet somehow, there is a non-small membership of this species which adheres to the belief that its exis
I stopped reading after the bolded. (I'm a YEC though.)
I don't think people think that they are invincible. I believe most people are more concerned with their daily lives because that is something they have more control over. Bigger things that affect the entire world are more complex and there isn't much action an individual can do to change it. Most of the AI stuff that is happening is because it is the billionaire classes' playground and we're all along for the ride even though a majority of the people don't want it.
global warming, which has 0.000000% extintction risk (or even major disruption risk) for the human race, .
I would like to introduce you to the scientific method.
It works in the following sequence ....
Observations ==> Hypothesis ==> Experiment ==> Results ==> Theory
You offer theories which have no observations that support them. You just spew whatever is convenient to bolster your point of view.
I suggest that you do a little homework about the Permian Extinction or the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum. Educate yourself about the sequence of events which led to those mass extinctions. Then ask yourself .... "what checks and balances have humans implemented to ensure that such a scenario do not happen on our watch ? "
When you realize that the checks and balances don't exist and you would bitch and moan about having your liberty to pollute curbed.... then maybe it will dawn on you that we do indeed have an extinction risk.
I would like to introduce you to the scientific method.
It works in the following sequence ....
Observations ==> Hypothesis ==> Experiment ==> Results ==> Theory
Great,. now apply this to your own post.
You offer theories which have no observations that support them. You just spew whatever is convenient to bolster your point of view.
There are plenty of observations which support it:
- The earth has been far warmer and thrived - in fact humans evolved in a much warmer environment. We didn't extinct - we thrived.
- Most of the history of the world involves 500 PPM or high
I suggest that you do a little homework about the Permian Extinction
Where CO2 went to 2500 PPM? Sure, I'll agree with you that is dangerous.
Here's some math for you: We're emitting 2PPM per year, so it would take us 1,000 years to get to those levels. Mentioning this as something remotely relevant to today shows a lack of sanity and perspective on your side.
or the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum.
Stability before this even was roughly 2.5x higher than today - something that would take us (to reach the stable period before that event!) 300 years at current emissions. And life was thriving in the much warmer world.
Life evolved and thrived at far higher CO2 than we have now. In fact, only the last few million years have been below 400 million PPM, and that's been characterized by ice ages and major extinctions. The world has been a greenhouse world for most of its existence, and life evolved and thrived (include pre-humans) in much higher CO2 than today.
Educate yourself about the sequence of events which led to those mass extinctions.
It seems to be you that needs the education.
Then ask yourself .... "what checks and balances have humans implemented to ensure that such a scenario do not happen on our watch ? "
The answer is "we don't need to because the climate is actually ideal at much higher CO2 than now)
When you realize that the checks and balances don't exist and you would bitch and moan about having your liberty to pollute curbed.... then maybe it will dawn on you that we do indeed have an extinction risk.
I'm not moaning about anything except your silly posting which turns people off accepting the reality of global warming..ironically you are one of the best resources for the anti-global warming clue. People hate proselytizers without nuance and balance, and you are definitely that my friend 😀
The science is clear: There is no human extinction risk from current CO2 emissions. It exists only in your fever brain.
Maybe you should stick to Poker and feet. You sound as crazy and stupid as 'ole Nutty.
I'm not that good at poker.
And it seems you're not that good at reasoned arguments. If you think there is an extinction risk from climate change, you're mentally ill or just clueless. Most of history except the last few million years when the glaciation periods started have seen much higher CO2 and higher temperatures, and life including something not that far from humans thrived.
