Sapiens: Brief Book Review

Just read a great book well worth buying. “Sapiens” provides a new, groundbreaking narrative of humanity’s creation and evolution that explores the ways in which biology, technology, and history have defined us, civilization, and our understanding of what it means to be “human.” See Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari

Excellent chapters on the evolution and importance of Money, Capitalism, Religion, and Imperialism - culminating in the end of Homo Sapiens and alternative futures. The key question he raises, “What do we want to become.” See related Summerton Blog on “Redefining Our Purpose as Civilization Keeps Evolving.”

 

What Will Life Be Like In 2050

What will life be like for our children and grandchildren by 2050, as we continue our transition from a Type 0 into a Type 1 Civilization.

A Type 0 Civilization extracts its energy, information, raw-materials from crude organic-based sources (e.g. wood/fossil fuel); information is communicated by books, newspapers, oral tradition; natural and man-made disasters coupled with societal conflicts create extreme risk of extinction; it's capable of orbital spaceflight; limited medical and technological advancement; failure to improve social and environmental conditions often lead to their own extinction. A Type I Civilization extracts its energy and raw-materials from fusion power, hydrogen, solar, and other renewable resources; able to utilize and store energy available from its neighboring star, i.e. the sun; capable of inter-planetary spaceflight, colonization, and communication within its solar system; mega-scale global engineering and trade; regional and world governments; digital access to all known information and knowledge; achieves medical and technological singularity; still vulnerable to possible extinction. * See http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kardashev_scale

My grandparents grew up during the final transition from the 'Agriculture Age' into the 'Industrial Age' back in the early 1900's. They were there at the start-up of the automobile industry, the beginning of aviation, the introduction of home appliances like the washing machine and refrigerators. Long distance travel was largely by steam ships or locomotives. They were there when electricity and telephones were first introduced. My parents got to see these innovative new products and industries mature. They got to travel by jet airplanes and were there when black & white televisions were invented, when color TV sets came into being, and even saw the emergence of computer technology. They were there at the start of the 'Space Age' and when the first man walked on the moon.

I grew up in the 1960's and lived and worked during the transition from the 'Industrial Age' into the 'Information Age' of the 21^st Century. I was there to see the startup and rapid growth of the information technology (IT) industry, the transition from analog to digital communication networks, the birth of the Internet and world wide web (WWW), the emergence of regional and global governing entities, the start of inter-planetary flight, the commercialization of space travel, the emergence of mobile, wearable and implantable IT systems, the mapping of the human genome and the birth of regenerative medicine, in addition to the development and use of artificial intelligence, drone technology, laser beams, 3D printing, virtual reality, and so many other advancements rapidly leading up to the achievement of medical and technological singularity.

So try and imagine what advancements and massive changes our children and grandchildren will see and experience by 2050 and beyond. For example, will they witness:

• Rapid growth in predictive and regenerative medicine leading ultimately to the end of disease and death as we know it;
• Achievement of medical and technological singularity, leading to the transition of humans from our existing life forms into cyborg or android bodies;
• Development of high-speed hyperloop transnational transportation systems on Earth;
• Development, deployment, and use of next generation inter-planetary transportation systems;
• Establishment of initial colonies on nearby planets within our solar system, i.e. Mars;
• Development and widespread use of 3D manufacturing, virtual reality (VR) and teleportation technologies;
• Reduction in Earth's population to more manageable levels, e.g. 5-6 billion people.
• Development and deployment of telepathic methods of communications between people;
• Development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) interfaced to the Internet of Things (IoT).
• Free and 'open access' to all the world's knowledge by human beings as needed;
• Exponential growth of innovative technologies and solutions to facilitate continued advancement of our civilization in order to transition from a Type I into a Type II Civilization in the 22^nd Century.

Some of the many characteristics of a Type II Civilization will include: the ability to harness and control the power of a star; mastery of faster-than-light travel; the capability of inter-stellar travel; the colonization of other solar systems in our galaxy; starships powered by the collision of matter and antimatter; the ability to communicate all knowledge in a short, massive burst; initial contact established with other civilizations in the universe; the extinction of our inter-stellar civilization will be highly unlikely.

What do you think our children and grandchildren will see and experience in their lifetimes? Share your thoughts with us.

 

Manned Inter-Planetary Space Travel Now Becoming a Reality

It appears manned inter-planetary space travel within our solar system is now becoming a reality. The world has been sending unmanned spacecraft and space probes to other planets and bodies within our solar system for several decades. This doesn't mean I may live to see it, but my kids and grandkids will.

You know its going to happen as the list of countries with space programs continues to grow, e.g. U.S., Europe, Russia, China, India, Japan... Meanwhile, numerous private companies are also pushing and shoving to get into the race to conquer space, e.g. SpaceX, Boeing, Virgin Galactic, Google, Northrop...

* See Manned Spacecraft versus Unmanned Spacecraft Missions

Reading the latest NASA news briefs, we know that they are developing the most advanced rocket and spacecraft ever designed for the manned Mission to Mars, planned for sometime before the end of the next decade. Read more about NASA's Orion spacecraft that will carry four astronauts and provide an entirely new national capability for human exploration beyond Earth's orbit.

Just this past week, the BBC reported that the European Space Agency is actively discussing building a village on the moon. China is also actively moving forward with their lunar exploration program. Russia, India, and others are also planning other ventures that are sure to be unveiled in the near future.

As I've written before, we are currently in the process of transitioning from a Type 0 Civilization to a Type 1 Civilization. Some of the characteristics of a Type 1 Civilization include the capability of interplanetary spaceflight, interplanetary communication, and interplanetary colonization. For more detail, on the future of civilations, read Redefining Our Purpose as Civilization Keeps Evolving

Again, the race is now on to launch manned inter-planetary space missions and begin the first phase of a long process to colonize the planets in our Solar System. There's going to be some exciting times ahead for our children and grandchildren.

The planets of our Solar System currently include: The terrestrial planets include: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars The giant planets include: Jupiter and Saturn (gas giants); Uranus and Neptune (ice giants) Dwarf planets include: Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris

* For more on Space Exploration, visit Wikipedia or do your own more extensive search on the Internet. You might also want to read some of the latest news articles on Human Spaceflight at Space.com

Is It Time to Redefine the Mission and Vision for Mankind - Again

So what are the really big issues facing humanity and the world today. I'm talking the really really big issues. If we held a brainstorming session what would we come up with? How about the following:

Over Population Climate Change Energy Needs Food Shortages Scarcity of Water Mass Migrations or Displacements Human Rights Issues Womens Rights Distribution of Wealth

Terrorism Regional Conflicts Global Conflicts Religious Conflicts Educating People Access to Information Resources Health & Healthcare Need for Jobs Need to begin Colonizing our Solar System

These are some of the many big issues, but I'm sure this list is far from complete. What else should be added to the list?

Once you look at the list, you start to see patterns. Many of the issues are interrelated and a number of them can also be grouped together.

But the question I keep asking is - What are we going to do to address these issues or solve these global problems?

For those who haven't heard me say this before, I keep coming back to the fact that I believe we are in the process of transitioning from a Type 0 Civilization to a Type 1 Civilization. Read Redefining Our Purpose as Civilization Keeps Evolving

A Type 0 civilization extracts its energy, information, raw-materials from crude organic-based sources (i.e. food/wood/fossil fuel/books/oral tradition); pressures via natural disaster, natural selection, and societal collapse creates extreme risk of extinction; it's capable of orbital spaceflight; societies that fail to improve social, environmental and medical understanding concurrently with other advancements, frequently accelerated their own extinction. A Type I civilization extracts its energy, information, and raw-materials from fusion power, hydrogen, and other "high-density" renewable-resources; is capable of interplanetary spaceflight, interplanetary communication, megascale engineering, and interplanetary colonization, medical and technological singularity, planetary engineering, world government and trade, and stellar system-scale influence; but are still vulnerable to possible extinction * See http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kardashev_scale

As we make this transition, we need to revisit and redefine the purpose of Humanity - What is our Mission? What is the Vision we have for our future? I'm talking the need to think at least 100-200 years out!

Again, lets do some brainstorming. Here's the type of questions that immediately come to my mind when I think about the future:

• Is our mission to procreate, colonize, and inhabit other planets in our Solar System and nearby Galaxies? Or do we simply stay focused on life on Earth?
• Do we continue to compete for 'individual' wealth and power? Or do we learn to become a society that collaborates and shares wealth and power?
• Do we proceed with human augmentation technology and solutions that allow people to achieve 'Singularity'? Do we focus on solutions that will allow people to live forever in some new form?
• Do we declare an end to the 'Age of Fossil Fuels' immediately and aggressively pursue unlimited, low cost alternative energy sources?
• Do we want to ensure everyone has access to free education and information resources that will enable them to be more productive and achieve their full potential?
• Do we set a cap on the total population on Earth? Do we want to cap the number of children people can have?

What type of questions spring to your mind?

Can society reach some consensus on where we think Humanity should go? How it should change? What specific 'big' changes must we agree to tackle and collectively make?

We have to actively think about, discuss, and reach consensus on the future of Humanity and Earth - now!!! We've been avoiding or dancing around the issues for quite some time. It's time to 'fish or cut bait'!!

It's time!!

Redefining Our Purpose as Civilization Keeps Evolving

Think Type 1 Civilization

 
Let's take a quick stroll through history. Civilizations have generally advanced when radically new ways of communicating and sharing ideas have emerged. One of the first major advances occurred when mankind learned to speak. People started to gather togther and socialize around the campfire. Tribes began to emerge and form. Civilization on Earth was born.

This was followed many centuries later by the next major advancement, the creation of the written word. This in turn led to the start of commerce and the creation of the first nation-states, e.g. Egypt, Greece, China. Over the next many centuries, ships and roads allowed commerce to spread and written ideas to be communicated and shared with others across great distances. Civilization continued to slowly but steadily advance.

Jump forward a thousand years through the Dark Ages to the 1400's and the invention of the printing press. Knowledge and ideas were able to be shared on a much wider scale than ever before. The Bible and many other great works were suddenly available to more than just the select few. The pace of innovation and change around the world began to slowly pick up speed. Kingdoms started falling and the Protestant Reformation radically disrupted civilization and the status quo.

Then came the 1800's and the invention of the steam engine and the telegraph. Steamboats and steam powered trains allowed ideas, information, and goods to be shared faster. The telegraph allowed communication to really speed up. These inventions set the stage for the transition from the Agricultural Age to the Industrial Age of the 20th century.

The first half of the 1900's saw the invention and mass production of cars, airplanes, electricity, telephones, the radio, and television. The pace of innovation accelerated and all aspects of our civilization were disrupted as new ideas, inventions, information and knowledge were shared as never before. The stage was set for the transition into the Information Age of the 21st century and globalization.

Computers, digital telecommunications, software, fiber optics, satellites, robotics, the Internet, nanotechnology and so much more are all contributing to the quantum leap forward we are now in the process of taking together, sharing information and knowledge on a global scale. Innovation and the rate of change continues to increase with each passing day.

Today, someone can come up with a new idea, share it with millions on the Internet, and see the idea rapidly transformed into action and reality within days or weeks. Something that took decades if not centuries to ocurr can now happen almost overnight. Talk about a dramatic change of pace! But you ain't seen nothing yet.

Are we prepared for where this is taking us all? Probably not. Are we ready for the death of nation states? For every human having the ability to access all the world's knowlege? Having the capability to replace body organs and living for many hundreds of years, tapping into unlimited sources of energy, colonizing other planets in our solar system, and...

We are on the threshold of moving from a Type 0 civilization to a Type I civilization. (see http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kardashev_scale  )

A Type 0 civilization extracts its energy, information, raw-materials from crude organic-based sources (i.e. food/wood/fossil fuel/books/oral tradition); pressures via natural disaster, natural selection, and societal collapse creates extreme risk of extinction; it's capable of orbital spaceflight; societies that fail to improve social, environmental and medical understanding concurrently with other advancements, frequently accelerated their own extinction.

A Type I civilization extracts its energy, information, and raw-materials from fusion power, hydrogen, and other "high-density" renewable-resources; is capable of interplanetary spaceflight, interplanetary communication, megascale engineering, and interplanetary colonization, medical and technological singularity, planetary engineering, world government and trade, and stellar system-scale influence; but are still vulnerable to possible extinction

A Type II civilization extracts fusion energy, information, and raw-materials from multiple solar systems; it is capable of evolutionary intervention, interstellar travel, interstellar communication, stellar engineering, and star cluster-scale influence; the resulting proliferation and diversification would theoretically negate the probability of extinction.

A Type III civilization extracts fusion energy, information, and raw-materials from all possible star-clusters; it's capable of intergalactic travel via wormholes and intergalactic communication, galactic engineering and galaxy-scale influence.

A Type IV civilization extracts energy, information, and raw-materials from all possible galaxies; it's effectively immortal and omnipotent with universal-scale influence, possessing the ability of theoretical time travel and instantaneous matter-energy transformation and teleportation, moving entire asteroid belts and stars, creating alternate timelines, ...

We are facing the need to revisit and redefine our purpose as humans and the world we live in as we continue to transition into a more advanced Type 1 civilization during the remainder of the 21st century.

What are some of the basic questions we need to be asking ourselves right now? How do we incorporate and strengthen our faith in God as we continue to transition to a Type 1 civilization? Think about this and share your constructive ideas with us.

* Check out this video by Michio Kaku: The Birth-Pangs of a Planetary Civilization