In a cave, they found strange fish. It does not have any eyes. Scientists observed that a long period of cave life deprived it of eyesight because in the cave there is no light therefore any visual device is meaningless.
In the near future, human will be deprived of faculty of writing statements because of AI.
Artificial Intelligence. It will bring us darkness of consciousness as like fish in a cave, don’t you think? Novel, poetry etc will soon be created by AI. Then will a situation follow in which nobody wants to be novelist or poet? Because, by the knowledge of a fact that real human writes them can one come to wishing being another author.
Will a world that is ruled almost by AI bring something new and better to human or it merely bring bad degeneration or retrogression? To what extent anything of so called artificial should be developed?
Sisyphus may abandon his toil of bringing the stone leaving the task on artificial Sisyphus.
Excess artificial leads to devoid of mind and spirits and most importantly emotion.
Pleasure is good thing for human unless it is given through dangerous drag. Pleasure given by such bad thing is “Artificial Pleasure”, we may call it perhaps?
With the emergence of practical AI, further the definition of human is getting difficult i.e. what does exactly form the meaning of human? Anyway, too much extreme will never be rational so it’s better to stop talking about it at this point.
I do not want to be like fish in a cave. However badly clumsy I am, I want to use my own system to an acceptable extent, the extent that can identify the meaning of human.
Please note that the talk above is just a lament and murmuring of an absurd man who is not convinced of the value of AI.
Good morning! Dr. Hypatia. What is the topic today in our classroom? How about observing stars we all together tonight then, please tell us about their movements in mathematical manner. Or shall we talk about Diophantus’ theory? ”Arithmetica” Dr. Hypatia, you are respectable “scientist”, who are still reminding us a spirit of scientific approach to everything.
Hypatia: I came to know her just a few years ago on some YouTube contents.
And then I have been so admired at those stories on her that this time on this science monologue, I can’t help writing about her eventually. Although I have just a few knowledge about her.
Alexandria, the place of a Big Bang of human knowledge: She was living in Alexandria in late 4th century to early 5th century.
Don’t blindly believe things without deeply meditating on by yourself! It is reportedly said that she often said something like that.
Her science and philosophy, that were destroyed by violence.
Stars in the sky, standing next to next we all there, all spirits huddled together, among those who are standing there, found is she I believe. Her spirit, with an astrolabe in her hand.
I have been admired at stories of revolutionary scientists who in their life were criticized as an outlaw, bothering the commonsense of the society such as Galileo Galilei. But in reality, it is quite difficult to be a person who tries to bring in an idea not exactly of revolutionary yet even of an improving something. They were courageous. And Hypatia was maybe I think one of those.
Now a days, world society looks shifting toward accepting new and revolutionary ideas than did in the era of Galileo Galilei. But in reality, the same expelling of new idea by conservatives actually is still being practiced of course in mild and gentle ways still exists, I believe.
I like star gazing. Whenever I look at stars, I can feel a kind of strength flows into my mind even if I am suffering from a negative thought caused through my daily life as I am not such competent person in my society. Dr. Hypatia, please give us the strength to carry on!
Sustainable and Development. These sounds to me somewhat conflicting. Developing something means generating entropy. Therefore, sustainable means to throw the entropy that is generated through development away as distant as possible from us. Herein, a self-proclaimed amateur scientist murmurs something that might have already been well stated by real specialists, in a way of pretending to know. But anyway, somewhat of a manner of ignorant yet eager to learn outlaw. (But maybe reading this gives you a good distraction. )
Is everything necessary?
Everything which is presently available is really necessary? Is tobacco, as somewhat tangible example, necessary? “But then tobacco makes up certain portion of economy and the tobacco economy supports people who need what is necessary therefore tobacco is necessary.” Is this logic flawless? OK then, what if tobacco is fully prohibited because it is considered unnecessary thereby people who are supported by tobacco economy are completely extinct? If those people are the consumer of modern communication network then having lost this considerable consumer block, the modern communication network, which might be one of necessary things, will be in the blink of extinction. Is this scenario practical? This kind of domino-effect is my very point in thinking of establishing a civilization in sophisticated balance. If minimizing CO2 emission needs to delete certain economic block, can other economic blocks be kept?
Feedback effect between each other; Technology, Economy, Manpower,
Of course, if energy or other industrialized system that are the source of CO2 emission are fully replaced with new system which CO2 emission is absolutely zero, then that sort of concern will be solved completely. But is that really possible? The more sophisticated balance is sought the more manpower will be needed and thereby another phase of entropy growth might be caused. The more streamlining of consumption is sought the further the vulnerability of economy might matter. The above two could be in a feedback loop; The more manpower is mobilized, the further the vulnerability of balance will extend. This could be a case in streamlining vs vulnerability of economy as well. Sophisticated is not synonymous to luxurious, of course. But can streamlined be really of innovation? After all, quantity matters, isn’t it? Otherwise, frugality overwhelms sophistication, civilization or innovation, maybe? We all would be driven to return simply back to of primitive, obsolete and then rudimentary life if it were inevitable to resign innovation because of sustainability.
Quantity matters?
Does quantity matter? But knowledge is the vital tool for sophistication and civilization and knowledge is grown in an atmosphere of diversity. Diversity needs sufficient or say, large quantity. Is this true?
A specific work necessitates another specific work
Let’s Imagine, we are now enduring primitive life and then one of our kids is suffered from a kind of ailment which normally is easy to cure if it is modern world. Although now we have knowledge on it, any facilities to cure it is no more available and therefore the kid died of it.
For Covid-19, vaccination was quite quickly developed as we have the knowledge on what is virus and how it can be mitigated and how to produce vaccination. Of course, not only the knowledge but also facilities, energies and manpower were necessary. Then furthermore apparently, even during normal days when such things as Covid-19 does not emerge these things should be kept on waiting mode. Could such industry as pharmaceutical be kept at a level that is always ready for such situation as Covid, while well minimized and shrunk as necessary for frugality the infrastructure and economy is kept?
Initially human started introducing agriculture which gave human surplus amount of food supply. The surplus further gave human opportunities for extending its activities to things other than purely food obtaining ones. That then further enhanced the human survival and at the same time generated quite a nuisance of anti-environmental byproducts.
Minimum condition of Population to Minimum Items to be in function
Returning to the theme today, let’s see how a well balanced civilization can be. Enhanced survival needs knowledge. To practice the knowledge whenever it is required needs well stand-by facilities. Well stand-by facilities need well grown economy which causes large amount of energy. The energy generates entropy which causes anti-environmental emissions. How can we minimize the anti-environmental emissions to a level that can be absolutely evaluated as no harm at the same time that the level of civilization is kept at higher level? Structure of the system should be kept. Then the quantity should be reduced. putting it another the quality is kept while the quantity is reduced. How? How about our population?
Population matters most?
The word “population” suddenly has come to my mind. To make population under control in order for it to be the best suits to balancing between creation and conservation, number of births control system will be an option. Number of births control? Yes number of births control! But how!? Oh don’t impose such a tough question! Anyway, Ok how about this. For instance, what if a government issues the right-of-giving-birth ticket to some people who were chosen in a way that can keep whole population almost constant. Calculation, of course, would be necessary taking into consideration on matters; quantity, knowledge, sophistication, innovation, civilization, diversity and minimum required volume of economy. But, number of births control? Only chosen people? Probably some people would oppose, insisting that everyone has the right to have their own children. So, the government would introduce a measure against that opposition. In the measure, all the babies born through that government birth program are raised and educated by a public organization so that no child belongs to any particular family. Immediately after being born, each and every baby is isolated from its parents with no traces left. uuuuu, Is this correct in terms of humanity? However rational its logic can be, it looks to me somewhat wrong.
Greta Thunberg, her yacht
Her yacht sailed to New York. The yacht was equipped with telecommunication and power generation device that had not been available in an era of sailing ships. I mean her yacht somehow is representing balance between creation and conservation in a way that minimizes the increase of entropy. Thanks to that telecommunication and power system on board she was able to safely navigate through once a dangerous ocean field at the same time then with minimum emission with such energy source as sun right, ocean tide and natural wind. Anyway its very strengthened hull is made of, maybe, fiber reinforced plastic which might lead another and diverse technology, thereby may consume so much of energy, economy and therefore a considerable quantity of something. Here then quantity matters again? The idea of the yacht could highly be evaluated as message since I myself has also been inspired of an idea of balanced civilization anyway. Then at the same time, it implies the difficulty as well, I suppose.
What are necessary for making semiconductor? What are required for making medicines? What are essential for making food?
For semiconductors; silicon, and other metals, energy, chemicals, clean room, factory, people who design it, procure, fabricate etc. Medicine as well and then food. Thinking of such a diversity of ingredients and facilities, I can’t help posing a question: After all, “Quantity matters most”, isn’t it? Minimum required quantity is determined at the quality which human think necessary. If the quantity is put as the most prioritized factor then it represents quality. Can the nature be in a best balance with civilization while human never give up “Fake Luxury”. Fake Luxury?! No! True luxury is I think surrounded by beautiful nature peacefully.
Future, optimistic or pessimistic?
They say world population may turn in a decline in a future. If so, naturally quantity of civilization will be suppressed in a way that can keep things at a sustainable level while quality of civilization is best ever highly sophisticated. But maybe that will be too late, comparing the speed of entropy which human is presently experiencing, with a decline rate of world population. Also to bear in mind is the way of seeking economic growth. I can’t describe it practically, but I think it should be of more spiritual. Oh, I am scarily. I am not such specialist that can speak of such a difficult thing. Everyone in the world seeks happiness although the way of realizing happiness sometimes quite a bias, yet I want to trust in human.
Once I was a lazy ant. No name nor ID was given but I was being fed with enough food. They were working. I was not. They were feeding me. There were lots of ants like me. How could I know the word “lazy”? Because an ant who once fed me said “I know you are not working at all, you are so called lazy ant”. One day, l was hit by sudden sensation of workaholic. I don’t know why but anyway I am working now and feeding another lazy ant.
Several years ago, I read a short article about “lazy ant” on some kind of news article. Then, I came up with an idea of expressing it in a personification way as above.
Lazy ants make themselves useful in unexpected ways
In that article, being described was a fact that scientists found that lazy ants exist indeed, and they are being fed by other working (task holding) ants. After all, the scientists concluded that those lazy ants were as kind of reserve work force, that article stated.
So, if some amount of work force is lost somehow, then the lazy ants will turn into working ants immediately. Maybe some sort of secretion process is underway, the article had explained.
Sorry, this is just my unclear memory of that article and therefore if you want to know it precisely and to deepen it further, you should contact real specialist.
Anyway, let me continue.
Initially I thought that those lazy ants are for keeping diversity of DNA. If ant’s population necessary for enough DNA diversity is larger than that for food hunter- gathering and furthermore working ants can collect food sufficient for feeding those idle ants as well, then the system can work. Anyway, OK, they are reserve work force. Yes, it’s quite simple interpretation and consistent logic.
So, can this mechanism be applicable to human society? If so, I want to be the lazy side forever. (You would say; You! such a man!) The point is the word “forever”. I know there is nothing being forever. Also. worth notified is that mechanism; lazy ants quickly turn into substantial work force.
Assuming that there are a lot of lazy employees in a company in which only a few people are working indeed in a productive way and then suddenly those working people have moved to another company, can those lazy people turn immediately into productive work force?
It is impossible of course! They don’t have well nurtured skill which normally is attained through out rigorous work life. In Ants case, the skill is in their DNA, perhaps.
So, how can such risk as losing skilled workers be hedged? No reserve, no spare, no standby. You! company top brass bastards! Why don’t you do things on your own!
Oh I should not use such a coarse language. Anyway, you see. The point is the spirit for work. Person who has strong spilites toward contributing a certain company, well determined in devotion, will not leave the company.
Ants do not have work spirit, maybe anyway. Spirit is not a part of system. DNA is part of system. And in ant’s case, those working ants and lazy ants are both a kind of consumable, I suppose.
Communism, capitalism, socialism, corruption-izm any -izms may contain spirit.
What is really “Working”? Imagine, a man who has long endured such hard work as pumping up groundwater from coal mine by driving the pumping device with his own muscle, then one day he invented steam engine to drive the pumping device. So, somewhat in this short story, the point is a question; did he come up with the idea of steam engine in order to escape from such backbreaking hard work and then to be lazy?
Probably, he would further make tremendous effort to invent another new machine that is more energy efficient and more powerful than those initial models. Or maybe he would be really lazy like nobles in corrupted dynasty who are sedentary on his success.
Imagine again, here we see a girl who wants to be a pianist. She then told her lover who is a computer scientist that she wants to be a pianist and therefore she is “working hard” to practice playing the piano. Then, the lover said; My sweetheart, you don’t need to make such “inefficient effort”. I can build a piano control program with a computerized system so any music can be played in piano sound whether or not it is composed by you or others. You do not need to endure hard lessons to play the piano. Frowned, she then murmured, “You don’t really understand what my desire is all about.” ……. She left from him forever. “Good Bye!”
What she wants is simple. She wants to make something embodied within a time and space where she and her audiences can share the feeling powered with the music. And the fact that she is now really and directly playing the piano by her body, nerves, intelligence, consciousness, and memory of tremendous hard work so far etc. further enhance that feeling, a kind of ecstasy state.
Imagin, she and her audiences are in a state of ecstasy.
Oh, what was the theme today? So, lazy ant. The pianist, she doesn’t want to be a greedy company top-brass nor corrupted noble rather she needs hard work only. Her hard work is not for becoming lazy person. Hard work itself is the aim.
Then, could that lazy ant feel such extasy in being lazy? Or for lazy ants, is it possible that there is nothing like ecstasy even after getting transformed into workaholic ants, I wonder. And then, do only the queen and prince gain a sensation of ecstasy when they feel their group of ants thriving? At this moment, I do not know it nor even could imagine it. In case of human, there may be nothing like spares as any idling human can never be replacement in such a quick manner, like ants, as each has its own personality.
For ants, such expression of “lazy” will never fit. For human, ecstasy may fit to the discussion in Knowledge Argument.
私は当初、怠け者アリは DNA の多様性を維持するためのものだと思っていました。 十分な DNA 多様性に必要なアリの個体数が狩猟採集に必要な個体数よりも多く、さらに働きアリがそれらの休眠中のアリに与えるのに十分な食料を集めることができる場合、システムは機能します。 とにかく、まあ、彼らは予備の労働力です。 ということで、それは非常に単純な解釈であり、同時に、首尾一貫した論理です。
Plague is survival? Is this what you really mean? Hello ——-, anybody home——????, are you OK?
I am OK. (Perhaps) When it comes to the word Plague, there are several meanings and here being talked about is that deadly disease, also known as “Black Death”.
It has given human so many ordeals, which were resulted in, anyway, the sort of admirations such as, resilience, perseverance, or, simply expressed, a strength.
The Oldest Historical Record
Traces of the pathogen of plague was found in some Bronze Age human remains from some 5000 years ago. But it is not the sort that can be called Historical Record because those Bronze Age humans might have not been aware of recording their history and the traces were just detected in the human remains by modern science.
Then, some historical records were found in so called Amarna letters, some cuneiform text of Hittite king Mursili II or Books of Samuel in Old Testament. All of them were in BC era and written in the language being used at that time. ——– Some thousand years old sufferings of human being.
Nevertheless, those plagues all had come to end always and eventually leaving human precious lessons learned and “creation”. Creation from what they learned.
In England, 1655, a small village “Eyam”
The village, called “Eyam” was hit by plague. Anyway, later on found was the remarkable difference in numbers of survivors, compared against other villages. Some scientists finally concluded that certain genetic mutation called Delta32 is responsible for that remarkable numbers of survivors. There are some stories about the villager’s fight against plague. The most impressed for me is story of a wife whose family members were all died of plague but the wife herself was not infected with plague even though she had been exposed to all her family members. She was giving them any cares as she could think of as possible. Hundreds of years later, found are holders of a specific DNA pattern among her bloodlines. Her devotion to her family conveyed the knowledge to future scientists.
Delta32, the protection shield given to some people but not to all
So, a question is posed. Why do not all people have Delta32? In army organization, infantries are rationed with handheld guns and some personal protection devices while armored division is given mechanical equipment such as heavy tanks, cannons and missile launchers. Never be forgotten is unarmed civilians whose protection is quite weak. Nature does things in a way somewhat similar to what army organization does. Even nature, something of holy and divine (my personal opinion), is undertaking such a harsh human discrimination, it seems to me.
Delta32 to AIDS
There is an experiential knowledge; a person who has Delta32 is never infected with AIDS. A set of knowledge from a lesson has just been found to be linked with another, further enhancing the effort of human to survive. That kind of process can be seen as creation. The creation, or the effort of human to survive looks somehow trying to eliminate all such discrimination that look like a given ordeal by an intention of something divine.
Human, at least we can say, is not perfect even after the completion of its form. As like Personal Computers, which continuously are evolving, human has also been in evolutionally process.
In this regard, such sequence of events, ordeal-recovery-review and try to do, can be considered driving force to reach a point that is as perfect as possible but never at complete perfection. It’s like an infinite series (mathematical) that converges continuously into a certain figure that is conditioned with some mathematical relations, and it never stops the converging process. For instance, actual value of “Pi”; 3.14159 26535 ——————– to be continued forever.
Why had it not been given to all, from the very beginning of human appearance on the earth?
However, I can’t help thinking why such protection was not given to all human at the very beginning of human.
If there is a kind of existence that intended to create human, it seems that that existence cannot create something perfect from the very beginning in almost instantly. Instead, it gives human harsh lesson as part of its creation process. If human were intended to be created by such mysterious existence, then the process of that creation is still underway.
By giving such harsh lesson, something that is converged into something strengthened from diversity is created, maybe or may not be, I am not sure ——. Just feeling it quite vaguely. Diversity may also be important where everything is uncertain.
We are well aware of the usefulness of scientific approach. And facing at Covid-19, we made tremendous effort such as large scale of virus detection like PCR, development of the method of treatment specific to Covid-19 and development of vaccination.
Now returning to the introduction of this short talk; “Plague, long time driving force for survival”, Something necessary is not always something positive. Anything positive maybe is created by human after an ordeal is overcome.
So, that lady in that village “Eyam”, Her story will never be positive. But thanks to her remarkable determination in taking care of her family, we can now be aware of Delta32.
Now a days, there are lots of negative stories such as war. Would all those give strength to human in future, even if it is caused by the very human not by nature? “War, long time driving force for survival?” The very survival by killing enemy not by taking care of suffered.
科学好きの独り言 Science Monologue 