What possible future (technological) breakthrough might be a grave mistake? \ stacker news ~science

What possible future (technological) breakthrough might be a grave mistake?

4663 sats \ 56 comments \ @Fabs 23 Jan science

Since my post from yesterday (#396905) bumped into an unexpectedly large pile of interest, I thought I'd do another one, this time; What possible (technological) breakthrough might turn out to be a grave mistake?

Something set to most-likely happen within this decade or the next.

I'll start with one from yesterday's post, which was originally commented by @DiedOnTitan :

He says that modern-day humans are a mere link in the chain of evolution, and that one day, we will be dwarfed by our own creations; Highly intelligent robots.

I've read somewhere that our "consciousness" is a mere computation created by our brains, could we replicate this with advanced Ai? Could we combine that with advanced robotics? Interesting...

I personally think that inventions like CRISPR/Cas9 and the likes could usher-in a Utopia, or Dystopia, depending on what we use it for and on... Who knows what's being experimented on within those governmental facilities...

Anyways... Do you think that we humans are "only" a means to an end, leading up to something better than us?

And what else could turn out to bite us in the ass?

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1022 sats \ 3 replies \ @benthecarman 23 Jan

Anything that threatens all of humanity. Best example is nukes but the genie is out of the bottle there.

Something that has been hypothesized is bring very large asteroids into earths orbit so we can more easily mine it, this could be super dangerous, if we get one calculation wrong, we get dinosaurs 2.0

100 sats \ 0 replies \ @Fabs OP 23 Jan

Oh boy, that would be a Dance with the Devil for sure, sadly enough I think humans really are greedy enough to risk it.

21 sats \ 1 reply \ @ek 24 Jan

if we get one calculation wrong

in that case, maybe humanity will have a gravestone in some alien backyard on which is written

extinction caused by metric vs imperial system

in that case, we would deserve dinosaurs 2.0 lol

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Fabs OP 24 Jan

🤣🤣

746 sats \ 2 replies \ @03479d0ee6 23 Jan

Hard to tell, Robots + AI could be it, maybe the computational power will overcome our best brains, and we might just become slaves, but I think that there will be a time where we will consider these robots entities with equal rights and we will work together even though they will do things we can't or won't but we will cooperate. Also an advantage of humans is impredictability, we can think outside of the box, adapt to all different conditions, the randomness of our genetics+environment gives us an edge against AI I think.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @Fabs OP 23 Jan

You're talking about modern-day humans like they are the same as our ancestors from 30 000 years ago - I think modern-day humans aren't all that capable without the fancy toys of the last 200 years.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @03479d0ee6 23 Jan

We are mostly the same. We have the advantage of being born as a clean slate, which means that in difficult environments new generations adapt to environment and control it, we live in good times now, but we can still see human engenuity in many ways.

43 sats \ 3 replies \ @0245bdaef2 23 Jan

Bioweapons seem like a terrible idea and are already here

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @Fabs OP 23 Jan

They're all fun and games as long as you're not on the receiving end...

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @0245bdaef2 23 Jan

Assuming that we can control a biological agent is silly. Mutations occur in the wild and there’s really no telling how it will adapt in order to survive.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Fabs OP 23 Jan

Doesn't make it less-interesting, though.

Ohh... Imagine the possible horrors, patiently waiting in the dark, only to strike terror into our hearts the moment we feel most safe...

How's that? Has a little something, doesn't it?

20 sats \ 6 replies \ @okpj 23 Jan

fully autonomous drone swarms.

the risk is incalculable and the potential threat to human civilization is greater than even nuclear weapons in my opinion. also… its almost here. we are one battery power breakthrough away.

0 sats \ 5 replies \ @okpj 23 Jan

fuck

42 sats \ 4 replies \ @Fabs OP 23 Jan

You make me feel uneasy, fellow Stackie.

0 sats \ 3 replies \ @okpj 23 Jan

I don't mean to. Some sats for your worries.

I think its unfortunate this isn't getting more attention. Nuclear tech has barriers to entry that make it "easy" to gatekeep.

These things are gonna be built with 8+ year old cellphone parts and will cost $2 each on Aliexpress.

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @Fabs OP 23 Jan

Thanks, but i'd appreciate some more comforting words, too.

Also, can we get some additional info on the pic?

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @okpj 23 Jan

Link to an article: BETAVOLTAIC BATTERY RATED TO PROVIDE POWER FOR 50 YEARS

While the batteries in the picture and article are low power/long life batteries, it's only a matter of time before the Wh/kg of battery tech reaches a point these drone swarms become feasible.

On the bright side there's money to be made developing personal low-range EMPs or similar for defence, but that's another can of worms.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Fabs OP 23 Jan

Hmm, promising, but I think in order to really "use" those, one would have to increase their size -> capacity, which would come at a hefty price tag.

54 sats \ 15 replies \ @kr 23 Jan

hmm, another tough one.

i’m generally optimistic that when humans make mistakes they’re able to recognize them and reverse course in time to avoid total catastrophe.

i think most things people might recognize as mistakes happen when humans get “stuck” trying to use inefficient technology at scale.

whale oil was once used to light candles, and led to a dramatic decline in whale populations (near extinction) before electric lighting rendered whale oil useless.

wood was the resource that britain almost ran out of 500 years ago, when it was the primary construction/heating material.

239 sats \ 14 replies \ @Fabs OP 23 Jan

i’m generally optimistic that when humans make mistakes they’re able to recognize them and reverse course in time to avoid total catastrophe.

... Okay, well, I can't share that sentiment - I think that one of our greatest weaknesses - and source of many unnecessary trouble - is our hang to indifference. And boy, am I guilty of that.

0 sats \ 13 replies \ @kr 23 Jan

i’m sure there are examples where human action or lack of action has led to total catastrophe, are there any particular moments that come to mind?

0 sats \ 12 replies \ @Fabs OP 23 Jan

What about the ongoing hunger in the Eastern parts of the globe?

Do you care about those people?

Because I don't- just like most of the Westerners. I know I (we) should, but since it doesn't hit me, who cares.

It's harsh, it's blunt, but that's the truth.

Same about consumerism;

The global West mindlesly consumes and dumps the trash it doesn't need anymore in some shit hole of a country- but don't worry, that very trash will come back to bite us in the arse, too, some way or another, be it through microplastics or what not.

I really think that our indifference will cost us our heads in the end, we Sapiens simply grew too fast, too furious.

We haven't had the oh so sourly needed time to develop the necessary "oversight" and "responsibility" (for lack of better words) of the power we wield and the implications it has on our planet and its inhabitants.

21 sats \ 11 replies \ @kr 23 Jan

What about the ongoing hunger in the Eastern parts of the globe?

extreme hunger was once pretty common around the world, but technology has eliminated this problem from many people’s lives.

https://ourworldindata.org/famines

undernourishment and malnourishment are still issues affecting 10-20% of the world (which i’m optimistic will eventually be solved), but extreme hunger and famines are quite rare today.

0 sats \ 10 replies \ @Fabs OP 23 Jan

And we could eliminate the rest, too.

0 sats \ 9 replies \ @kr 23 Jan

i think we will.

but this is getting off-track, my original question was if you can share any good examples of human action (or lack of action) leading to total catastrophe? i’m specifically thinking about things that once they are broken cannot be fixed.

0 sats \ 8 replies \ @Fabs OP 23 Jan

good examples of human action (or lack of action) leading to total catastrophe?

Acting accordingly on the many warnings we've received decades ago on the impending (and lasting) damage that were to happen to our ecology, ecosystems and climate if we were to not change our habits and reduce our ecological footprint, and reduce our consumption of - but not limited to - fossil fuels.

I'd say we're well on our way.

I dont know why you're so stubborn on acknowledging that we Sapiens could very well be digging our own grave, we aren't the "Juwel of evolution" that we like to portray ourselves to be - we're special, that's true, but not in a good way.

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33 sats \ 5 replies \ @Roll 23 Jan

Try to reproduce what happens the day of "big bang" through Higgs Boson (God particul)

if it s true CERN sent us to a parallel universe said max-laughlin:

https://teslatelegraph.com/2022/04/01/max-laughlin-and-his-controversial-theory-cern-sent-us-to-a-parallel-universe/comment-page-1/

https://home.cern/science/physics/higgs-boson

10 sats \ 4 replies \ @Fabs OP 23 Jan

Oh come on...

0 sats \ 3 replies \ @Roll 23 Jan

Some people from Geneve (where is the Cern) mentioned that they saw some storm, strange meteologic effects du to Cern experiment :

i ve no clue if it s true or not but overthere they are trying to reproduce the big bang (they do not know what they are playing with or effect can cause.. )

10 sats \ 2 replies \ @Fabs OP 23 Jan

Yeah, the CERN is shrouded in mystery, I know (the Indian goddess of destruction which is situated on their square in it's destruction-pose certainly doesn't help either), but I think it takes more than some local storms to warp us into a parallel universe while destroying our universe.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @Roll 23 Jan

Your question was : What possible (technological) breakthrough might turn out to be a grave mistake?

And my response is may be the Cern as it is something from another perception, understanding and etc....

Max Laughlin is 13years old and considers as genius but also with his contreversy: here is a video :

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Fabs OP 23 Jan

True, all good.

There certainly could be happening some fishy things over at CERN.

21 sats \ 1 reply \ @geisterde 24 Jan

I am skeptical that the human mind could be replicated, we have no working theory of how conciousness works. I personally presume that its not anything that can be conventionally explained; maybe your body and brain is remote controlled through the microtubules in your brain, and you are really some 5th dimensional being. If that sounds crazy, at least theres an open lead on it, compared to reducing the human being to computation, for which we have no serious path forward.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Fabs OP 24 Jan

Maybe we won't be able to recreate it 1:1, but I think advanced robotics, combined with "human-like" abilities in regards to complex thinking could be dangerous enough- imagine a computer that has no cap of learning, and is free to do with that information whatever it wants. The newfound knowledge would dwarf ours pretty quickly.

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @Atreus 23 Jan

Plutarch records a quote from the Spartan king when he first witnessed engines of war being used:

When he saw the missile shot by a catapult, which had been brought then for the first time from Sicily, he exclaimed, "Great Heavens! man's valour is no more!"

Observation: It's not inaccurate that being squashed by a distant catapult nullifies all your warrior training, but even that wasn't the end of man's valor.

"Adapt and overcome.”

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Fabs OP 24 Jan

Beautiful comment! As Informative as it is funny, you should make a more thorough post about it!

0 sats \ 5 replies \ @kurszusz 24 Jan

My reply will be the shortest possible: teleportation.

0 sats \ 4 replies \ @Fabs OP 24 Jan

Dude! I just now read your nym in another post and thought: Has this Stackie ever commented on one of mine? He seems familiar, and BAMBOWSKI!

There you are, my little sunshine!

I'm not kidding, this has to be one of those universal brain farts of coincidence!

Anyways. Teleportation is a tricky one, can you tell us something more about it?

0 sats \ 3 replies \ @kurszusz 24 Jan

It exist some studies (just in theoretical phase) based on which the teleportation will be available only if the "body can be separated by the mind"... iDK if / when this will be available, but I think it will be a bad thing.. Anyway...a lot of peoples are working to develop bad things, and they earn a lot of money for this unfortunately :(

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @Fabs OP 24 Jan

I only ever thought that the main challenge was to "disassemble" and "reassemble" one's body down to the molecule, which is quite a feat to achieve on it's own, but the "mind"... Good one.

You essentially "force" the mind to shut down while being teleported, only to restart it again, which could have some serious side-effects, ain't it?

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @kurszusz 24 Jan

Hm...interesting approach But I think different (sorry if our opinion does not match)... I think it is not required to mind to shut down, because the mind does not conscientize the "travelling" because of the short time (fractions of seconds). In my opinion not the mind is the most important factor here, but also the time. If we surpass the lightning speed, time stops (this is also just a theory), and our mind have "no time" to react to this change (the travel with teleportation) => our mind does not shut down :) This was just my opinion, not supported by any scientific evidence

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Fabs OP 24 Jan

Ah, I see; the time it takes to go from A -> B is so insignificantly small that the mind isn't capable of processing it, thus not noticing it, correct?

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @south_korea_ln 23 Jan

Pretty good posts on in this ~science territory, @Fabs. Keep the quality content coming~~

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Fabs OP 24 Jan

I'm actually surprised that these two went so well, pretty much nothing but speculation- albeit in on an interesting topic.

I think i'll work out a few scenarios which interest me personally, I think that would be interesting for others, too.

Thanks though, I appreciate it nontheless.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @justanumber 23 Jan

This isn't exactly future tech (video from 5 years ago) and it's already here, as you'll see in my reply to this. But future use of this is quite terrifying.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @justanumber 23 Jan

sorry it's a twitter link

https://twitter.com/Getty776/status/1748959961496051789

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @oliverweiss 23 Jan

Like nanodevices with self-replicating capabilities originally designed for drug delivery, but eventually get out of control and kill us all? Btw., why necessarily governmental facilities? I can well imagine a “dude in his garage” … :)

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @Fabs OP 23 Jan

Oh right! There's also being worked on "biological robots"! They're essentially "Nano Bots" which can multiply themselves, and are able to do some extra things compared to "regular" Nano bots, if I remember it correctly, that is- at least the part of independent multiplication is true!

Awesome stuff.