Technological advancements

[Ihavenojob]

With technology advancing exponentially, do you think mankind is getting cleverer, or they are managing to slowly harvest alien technology over the decades ? Serious question, I don't believe we are alone.

 

[Trazor]

Serious question

 

[motorbiking]

We can't be alone in the Universe given the stats, but that doesn't mean there are secret shipments of tech coming in. We have plenty of food, good access to education and decent healthcare. Life expectancy is increasing, the ability to collaborate improving, so all of this equates to increases in technological innovation. Normally wars are a good way to develop in leaps and bounds.

 

[IT Minion]

With technology advancing exponentially, do you think mankind is getting cleverer, or they are managing to slowly harvest alien technology over the decades ? Serious question, I don't believe we are alone.

It's very little to do with being cleverer, but the number of minds freed up to do science and technology stuff from the drudgery of subsistence farming and the ability to share and reuse the results means you can make much faster progress than in the past.

People are probably a bit smarter now on average than in the past, but that's not to their credit. Previous generations banning lead in petrol and paint, discovering effects of booze on babies in utero, better nutrition etc. But that's a small change, Newton, Einstien, Pythagoras would all still be geniuses if they were alive today. The fact that there's now billions of people mean that whilst there might have been one Pythagoras level mind alive in his generation there's probably thousands now.

 

[motorbiking]

Without wanting to start a religious debate - man's ability to cook food is primarily the difference between us and the next species down. Big brains require more energy & Nutrients and cooking makes it easier to easier to digest them.

 

[noseall]

Big brains require more energy & Nutrients and cooking makes it easier to easier to digest them.

Never eaten a brain.

 

[EddieM]

Mainly incremental changes, standing on the shoulders of giants.

Younger people smarter? Well, yes, according to Mark Zuckerberg. In reality, no idea.

 

[Alec_t]

do you think mankind is getting cleverer, or they are managing to slowly harvest alien technology over the decades ?

What particular alien technology do you think has been harvested?

 

[fillyboy]

Without wanting to start a religious debate - man's ability to cook food is primarily the difference between us and the next species down. Big brains require more energy & Nutrients and cooking makes it easier to easier to digest them.

I can't cook, my wife can.

 

[Ihavenojob]

What particular alien technology do you think has been harvested?

Wi fi for one. Going back 50 years, Star Trek had computers you conversed with, small hand held communicators, and much more unbelievable stuff, which is now in everyday use. Since the moon landings, things have advanced rapidly.

 

[Alec_t]

Wi-fi isn't alien. It's just short-range high-frequency communication.

 

[transam]

Biggest or largest brain on the planet

Must be a sperm or blue whales brain

And what haVe they done

 

[IT Minion]

Wi-fi isn't alien. It's just short-range high-frequency communication.

Yup, just the result of a long chain of tiny incremental improvements from FM radio and 90 years of development.

For what it's worth, I suspect any time since the enlightenment people have been marvelling at the pace technology and science have changed the world. 5G broadband is nice and fast but it's not such an amazing leap as moving pictures.

 

[EddieM]

Biggest or largest brain on the planet

Must be a sperm or blue whales brain

And what haVe they done

No, thumbs... always held them back.

 

[IT Minion]

No, thumbs... always held them back.

When I read this that post had two thumbs. Does this finally mean that the rise of the machines is happening?