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Why The Future Doesn't Need Us
Atec Февраль 29 2008 20:16:19
Книга только для ознакомления
.) I was also reminded of the Borg ofStar
Trek, a hive of partly biological, partly robotic creatures with a strong destructive
streak. Borg-like disasters are a staple of science fiction, so why hadn't I been
more concerned about such robotic dystopias earlier? Why weren't other people
more concerned about these nightmarish scenarios?
Part of the answer certainly lies in our attitude toward the new - in our bias
toward instant familiarity and unquestioning acceptance. Accustomed to living
with almost routine scientific breakthroughs, we have yet to come to terms with
the fact that the most compelling 21st-century technologies - robotics, genetic
engineering, and nanotechnology - pose a different threat than the technologies
that have come before. Specifically, robots, engineered organisms, and nanobots
share a dangerous amplifying factor: They can self-replicate. A bomb is blown up
only once - but one bot can become many, and quickly get out of control.
Much of my work over the past 25 years has been on computer networking, where
the sending and receiving of messages creates the opportunity for out-of-control
replication. But while replication in a computer or a computer network can be a
nuisance, at worst it disables a machine or takes down a network or network
service. Uncontrolled self-replication in these newer technologies runs a much
greater risk: a risk of substantial damage in the physical world
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