The enigmatic future

The future, as I see it, is going to be a little more humiliating for mankind.
Will we have dedicated servers to our minds and thoughts?

History shows how often our arrogance and dogma has been not only challenged but found seriously lacking in reality and truth.
Copernicus, Darwin, Crick and Watson changed the way we see ourselves. They dared to look outside the boundaries layed down for us in early childhood.
But what does the future hold to further dent our pride and question further the indoctrinations we are fed from an early age. The trusted scholars who held our trust still refusing to accept or even contemplate anything that questions the very hubris of our existence.

We have always thought of ourselves as special, and for good reason. As far as we know, we are alone in the universe in churning out great works of art and literature, in formulating the laws of physics, and in the spectacle that is break dancing.

Three major upheavals in scientific thinking have served to remind us that we are not so special after all. Upheavels that shook society and threatened religious doctrine. The major Christian beliefs crying out "heresy"!

The first of these upheavals came from the polish astronomer and mathematician Copernicus in the16th century.
He argued that the Earth was not at the centre of the solar system! He relegated our planet to one of many orbiting the sun and backed it up with mathematics.
At once the whole notion that the earth was special was rendered obsolete and that must have been damn humbling , especially for the church who cried heresy and humbug. Copernicus was even threatened with torture by church leaders for even daring to utter such. Only when his peers and fellow scientists confirmed his findings was the matter swept under the carpet to be held secret from the masses.
But if Copernicus got down and got dirty ruffling a few feathers saying Earth wasn't special, Darwin got more personal 300 years later by implying that humans weren't special either.
In "The Origin of the Species", Darwin promoted the theory of evolution by natural selection, immediately suggesting that humans were just another kind of animal. It meant we weren’t the crowning glory of evolution; we were just hairless apes that happened to be a little smarter than our cousins? The outrage this created is well documented. Church leaders once again crying foul and blasphemy. If only they had realised this wasnt God denying, but an attempt at understanding Gods work. Furthering and enforcing the suspicians of religious dogma.

A hundred years later, James Watson and Francis Crick unravelled the structure of DNA.
It led to a further challenge to human and religious arrogance. We are in short, simply vessels of self replicating molecules, whose only purpose was to pass them on to another generation. All of these discoveries reeked havoc in the churches and in their in doctrines. Imagine 2000 years of "belief" questioned by irrefutable scientific evidence. No wonder early scientists were burnt at stake as heretics.

But what's next? What will be the fourth revolution (revelation?)? Will it, like those before, force us to question once more what it means to be human?
Whatever shape it takes, it may help humans to understand their condition rather than knock it down further.

The big question is why these revolutions don't make us profoundly sad. We are reduced to bags of chemicals with no free will, living on a normal planet, but we still find it exiting.
I believe it's because we see ourselves as part of some grander scheme (maybe organised by God) but now with greater understanding. We're part of something larger than ourselves and once we identify with that, it is not degrading but ennobling.
Can we expect in the next hundred years to understand in a general way how the human brain gives rise to what we perceive as the human mind?

The solution should be interesting, very complex but not in the end mysterious. It will be a great philosophical challenge to take on board, but we shall succeed because of our tremendous ability to adapt.
We should feel, first, a modest pride in our ability to achieve such understanding, and more importantly a huge sense of collective responsibility in what we do with it. A humility that disclaims responsibility for its actions is dangerous and offers a real risk that our journey of exploring the universe will be cut off just as we are beginning in earnest.
It could be that the next revolution will come from a combination of huge advances in genetics and stem cell research. Would it lead to a more egalitarian society?

Assuming that all humanity has access to these advances, everyone will benefit from regenerative medicine, which means we'll cure disease at an accelerated rate, we’ll live longer and finally we’ll be able to affect our genetic makeup.
Hypertension and heart disease will will be a thing of the past.
We will become similar to one another because everyone will want the same thing. The benefits of cosmetic surgery contributing to the creation of our desired look.
We will all be living from the 'hollywood diet".

It raises huge ethical questions. There are those who do not wish mankind to achieve these abilities. But we are in an accelerated evolutionary phase. Personally, I don’t believe it can be stopped.
Perhaps we will discover long lost cousins on another planet.It prompts the question are we alone in this or other universums?
As I see it, the elements that are most abundant in the cosmos; hydrogen, helium and oxygen, make the most common compound of life water.
Next come carbon and nitrogen so four out of the five most common elements can make the organic compounds we all know and love. That says to me there is an accident waiting to happen or has happened.
There is thought of other planes of being unknown yet to our dimensions.

Total arrogance to think that life hasn't originated elsewhere in this great cosmos.
Now how about if life on another planet was based on another code other than DNA?

Dont tell me it's all theory and hypothesis, so was Darwins', Newton's, Copernicus' and Crick and Watsons' wasn't it?

Stumble It!

Anonymous character assassination.

I have recently been accused, anonymously, of heresy, ignorance and being in league with the Devil!

Well, my dear misguided friend. What a great shame that I have to take up your argument, your judgement of me and my character based upon my writings here on what is a fun poke at life. So be it.

You accuse me of, “using concepts that others have penned”. Yes, it's true I read Darwin’s, Crick & Wilson's thesis, Copernicus', Newton's and lots of other scientific writings. I enjoy errudite and qualified fact backed with good sensible proof. It's mind opening and refreshing to be able to think freely based upon the information in front of me. Is not the bible concepts that others have penned?

But let me correct you. You seem to be a staunch believer and yet I have my doubts. You condemn me as being the devils work and that I will rot in hell. That, “I do not seek the only one that loves me”. That, “God will hold me accountable for my writings”. The last time this sort of censorship went on was in Germany during Hitler’s term of office. How dare you condemn me for having free thought and having the balls to question what has brought so much pain and suffering to the world. You that supposedly teach tolerance, forgiveness and understanding!

I suggest you take a long look at your book, find out what was deliberately left out as being not suitable. You condemn other beliefs. “Their leader’s graves you can visit but Jesus you can’t”. Your words my friend.

Forget Hinn, Hubbard, Graham and follow Jesus you write. These are preachers of your beliefs are they not? How is it that all of you use the name Jesus and yet you can’t agree on whom to listen to?

“You are useless to mankind, even to yourself as long as your spiritual eyes remain closed”, you write of me based upon my narratives. What judgmental arrogance you display. Is this how you will articulate the word of God? Tell me and others who I'm sure would like to hear. What have you personally contributed to mankind during your stay?

My friend, open your eyes to other possibilities, try to understand other mindsets, how others perceive the world through their God.
I live by this adage. “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you”. I haven’t damned any individual in my rantings. I meet people with joy, an open heart and with the respect they and their beliefs deserve.

You, on the other hand have stated, "that some might think I have a demon in me and are full of pride and ignorance." You maybe correct about me being proud, but don’t confuse pride with arrogance. Ignorant? Well I'm sure that people that read the blog will judge that. I don’t claim to know all. That is why I try to ask the pertinent questions before I decide what my choices are, rather than blindly following what was enforced upon me from early childhood and is now seriously questionable. But thank you for the compliment anyway (regarding the demon in me).

Freedom of speech, the ability to say what you feel. Be thankful that today we have that. Where is the democracy in your particular belief/religion? What contribution did you make to your book? Isn't it so, you follow without question writings, that have been shown to be fallible?
Once again, I refer to Darwin, Copernicus, Crick & Wilson et al. Heretics by religious history guidlines. Or are the scientists all wrong?

Thank you for your response. May your God go with you. I'll take my chances for the time being. I am sure you will be forgiven for your judgement and condemnation of me. That’s what your belief is about isn't it?

Stumble It!