Tom Ganks
Guest
So I've posted this on a couple forums to really see what people think about the idea. Most think it's silly, which I believe it is as well, but I still find it interesting to think about. I also posted this here before the general section got a overhaul, and I didn't go into as much depth.
Bold - me
Italics - thoughts of others
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What is the "internet" to you?
Generally, it's a channel in which people converse, share, research, filter boredom, etc through a digital device connected to a mass network of inter-lapping technological links.
But what is the internet as a whole? Is it by means an entity of it's own? Is it a new frontier that we have yet to explore?
I always had an idea that the "internet" is really its own dimension, that of which is sort of like the world we live in today. Did we "invent" the internet? Or did we simply find a gateway into the internet? Was it there before us?
I like to see websites as properties. And our boundaries as the Earth's atmosphere. What are its laws? What are its limitations? What are OUR limitations on the internet?
Are we just some puny manifestation that has yet to comprehend and/or acknowledge potential life in the outer reaches of the internet?
-I like to think of the internet and it's potentials. I think one day, human kind will realize space travel is futile due to the shear vastness of space; we as a species will focus ever more inwards into technology. As augmented reality technology continues to develop we'll start to feel even more connected, experiencing the digital world so interconnected with our reality. This will be just the beginning, just think of the possibilities with the increasing internet speeds and processing power. Instead of Google Earth, maybe everything will be mapped in 3D. Want to take a trip to Japan? Put on some glasses or maybe one day an implant and you'll be teleported into a digital world where you can interact with anything anywhere any time. Eventually our own consciousness will be transferred into the digital world, achieving immortality, if it would still be us after the upload.
Good thought, but if a program of yourself displays emotion, whats to keep us from knowing it has a conscience or not? As if it's only displaying emotion because it's told to by code?
What gives intelligence life?
I believe inconsistency and curiosity are what makes us human. If we can somehow program ourselves into becoming something that defies its own basic instructions, then the consistency is broken, and that program becomes "human"
But the larger question is, will it still be "me"?
It may have my memories and ways of thinking, but will my conscience notice a continuance from the real world to cyberspace?
-I think it has made it possible for humans across the world to become infinitely more connected. The invention of the printing press had a similar effect in that it enabled the sharing of information on a much greater scale, whereas previously it was mostly limited to privileged elites. The internet does the same thing but on a global scale, and with virtually no effort or delay.
The internet has a lot more unused potential as it's still reaching undeveloped countries, it's only limited by those in power, i.e. ISPs and ultimately governments. I think the current number of global internet users is estimated at only 2.25 billion. It will be interesting to see how the internet figures into future societies and if it will lead to an overall better quality of life, or if it will be used by the elites to disseminate propaganda and control the masses.
Now, to get weird: I like to think of the human race as a superorganism in the early stages of evolution. After all, humans themselves are composed of lots of tiny individual cells. Our digestive system alone contains about 10^13 microorganisms which has a collective genome with about 100x the amount genes as our own. So, assuming the human race forms a superorganism composed of extremely complex organisms, the internet could be the beginnings of a massive neural network. Of course, that's just a crude approximation of what it could be; a superorganism composed of billions of humans wouldn't resemble anything we've ever seen. Plus, if there ever comes a day that this "superorganism" achieves consciousness, there would be no way of knowing. I think our way of understanding consciousness is unique to the human mind, so any kind of higher consciousness that evolves from the internet would be beyond our recognition or comprehension.
____________________
Comment below and share your thoughts.
Bold - me
Italics - thoughts of others
____________________
What is the "internet" to you?
Generally, it's a channel in which people converse, share, research, filter boredom, etc through a digital device connected to a mass network of inter-lapping technological links.
But what is the internet as a whole? Is it by means an entity of it's own? Is it a new frontier that we have yet to explore?
I always had an idea that the "internet" is really its own dimension, that of which is sort of like the world we live in today. Did we "invent" the internet? Or did we simply find a gateway into the internet? Was it there before us?
I like to see websites as properties. And our boundaries as the Earth's atmosphere. What are its laws? What are its limitations? What are OUR limitations on the internet?
Are we just some puny manifestation that has yet to comprehend and/or acknowledge potential life in the outer reaches of the internet?
-I like to think of the internet and it's potentials. I think one day, human kind will realize space travel is futile due to the shear vastness of space; we as a species will focus ever more inwards into technology. As augmented reality technology continues to develop we'll start to feel even more connected, experiencing the digital world so interconnected with our reality. This will be just the beginning, just think of the possibilities with the increasing internet speeds and processing power. Instead of Google Earth, maybe everything will be mapped in 3D. Want to take a trip to Japan? Put on some glasses or maybe one day an implant and you'll be teleported into a digital world where you can interact with anything anywhere any time. Eventually our own consciousness will be transferred into the digital world, achieving immortality, if it would still be us after the upload.
Good thought, but if a program of yourself displays emotion, whats to keep us from knowing it has a conscience or not? As if it's only displaying emotion because it's told to by code?
What gives intelligence life?
I believe inconsistency and curiosity are what makes us human. If we can somehow program ourselves into becoming something that defies its own basic instructions, then the consistency is broken, and that program becomes "human"
But the larger question is, will it still be "me"?
It may have my memories and ways of thinking, but will my conscience notice a continuance from the real world to cyberspace?
-I think it has made it possible for humans across the world to become infinitely more connected. The invention of the printing press had a similar effect in that it enabled the sharing of information on a much greater scale, whereas previously it was mostly limited to privileged elites. The internet does the same thing but on a global scale, and with virtually no effort or delay.
The internet has a lot more unused potential as it's still reaching undeveloped countries, it's only limited by those in power, i.e. ISPs and ultimately governments. I think the current number of global internet users is estimated at only 2.25 billion. It will be interesting to see how the internet figures into future societies and if it will lead to an overall better quality of life, or if it will be used by the elites to disseminate propaganda and control the masses.
Now, to get weird: I like to think of the human race as a superorganism in the early stages of evolution. After all, humans themselves are composed of lots of tiny individual cells. Our digestive system alone contains about 10^13 microorganisms which has a collective genome with about 100x the amount genes as our own. So, assuming the human race forms a superorganism composed of extremely complex organisms, the internet could be the beginnings of a massive neural network. Of course, that's just a crude approximation of what it could be; a superorganism composed of billions of humans wouldn't resemble anything we've ever seen. Plus, if there ever comes a day that this "superorganism" achieves consciousness, there would be no way of knowing. I think our way of understanding consciousness is unique to the human mind, so any kind of higher consciousness that evolves from the internet would be beyond our recognition or comprehension.
____________________
Comment below and share your thoughts.
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