How progress changes our lives. How scientific and technological progress changes our lives
Looking at the sky, people dreamed of flying like birds, moving fast, having everything in prosperity. This is how fairy tales about flying carpets, walking boots, self-assembly tablecloths, a miracle - a stove that bakes itself - arose. And persistent human thought gradually turned dreams into reality. Scientists, for example, have studied that more than two hundred fantastic projects described in the books of Jules Berne were implemented after some time.
Scientific and technological progress is developing so rapidly that dreams do not even keep up with it. Space flights, satellite communications, computers, industrial work, video equipment. With their help, humanity has received almost unlimited possibilities.
What has been lost? There are also many losses, in my opinion. Reading fiction books replaced mindless browsing television programs, correspondence and communication - short telephone conversations, classical music - a set of electronic-metal sounds. Most people suffer from physical inactivity, as they use the services of cars, elevators and various new diseases associated with industrial accidents. Undoubtedly, we can no longer do without the achievements of scientific and technological progress. But care should be taken to ensure that its influence is less harmful to environment and for a person. Even a very beautiful artificial will never replace the natural, like an oxygen mask or an air conditioner - a fresh forest or steppe wind, and computer games - ball games with friends on a green field.
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The intelligent man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable tries to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, progress always depends on the unintelligent.
Bernard Show
Science and progress
The fact that science contributes to changing our lives, makes a variety of improvements and additions to it, no one will argue, and we are very grateful to her for this.
But, as in any other matter, there are no moments without a negative side, so in science there are sides that are far from creation and natural expediency. That's what we'll talk about in this article.
Let's start with everyone's favorite word - PROGRESS. This concept is considered to be the most positive today. Everything that contributes to the development of this very progress is considered good, and what hinders is considered wrong. Everyone agrees, cheers!
The very meaning of this word comes from the Latin progressus, which means moving forward, from lower to higher, from less perfect to more perfect.
And, at first glance, technological progress fully meets this definition. goes continuous improvement technical equipment of our life. Compared with the possibilities of the last century, there is a huge movement forward. Life has become better, life has become happier. TV, telephone, computer, cars and planes have completely changed our daily life, adding new, previously not even known, opportunities.
From this angle, everything is wonderful. Women began to spend less time on housekeeping, food in stores - any, getting to anywhere in the world is a matter of one day, you can even talk with Antarctica, and so on. There is progress.
But, interestingly, technical progress is about improving technology, and everything that is around it, providing necessary components. And how, in all this movement for the better, does the person himself feel? Can you see the same enhancement of human qualities?
Here, however, the situation is reversed. The qualities of a person with technical progress not only do not increase, but, on the contrary, one can easily see how modern man weaker and weaker physically and morally. How many previously unknown diseases and ailments appeared? How much will you see in today's society, really healthy people? Units, this has become more of an exception to the general rule.
The fruits of technological progress have changed the life guidelines of a person. Innovations in technology have become the goal for which many people are ready to sacrifice a lot, both life and conscience, and health. Ownership of these novelties has become a criterion for the success of a person.
As soon as a person acquires another novelty, he, after a very short time, begins to passionately desire and strive to own an even newer model, most often even more expensive, and it is not a fact that this novelty is better. It's just newer. So to infinity.
These are, today, one can observe the features of technical progress, so beloved by everyone.
I want to say right away that I, in no case, am against all these technical achievements. I myself, with pleasure, apply in my affairs what actually gives new opportunities and improves the quality of life. The same Internet, a computer, a good, reliable car, a mobile phone, all this greatly helps in Everyday life, allows you to solve many interesting problems much easier, more convenient, faster.
In no case do I urge anyone to drop everything and move into the forest, into natural life. This is the other extreme, the truth, as always, is in the middle.
First of all, I propose to look at what is happening from a different angle, to see not only the positive aspects, but also other facets of what is happening. This can help correlate correctly their processes with the trends that exist in the modern world.
See what happens. We can easily draw an analogy between technical achievements and the possibilities that are inherent in a person.
The plane is levitation
the car is teleportation
phone, TV thought transmission, telepathy
a computer - increased speed of thought the ability to quickly process a huge amount of information.
For some reason, at a certain point, a choice was made in the direction of investing in development technical devices, and not in the development of the skills of the person himself?
Try to imagine that all those funds that were invested in the development of industry would be redirected towards the development of human abilities. We could already levitate, and read thoughts, and so on.
But this was not done, most likely due to the fact that people with such skills would be very difficult to manage. It is much more profitable to make a large number of devices that replace the skills of a person, doing the necessary actions for him.
Why develop levitation, let's build an airplane, let the people pay money for flights, let oil be extracted, let metal be poured. How many people are in business, and you can earn money on each of them.
Therefore, at one time they stopped the development of electric vehicles and other engines with higher efficiency. We quickly figured out that with the help of oil you can manage countries and make very good money.
The same TVs. Already at the end of the eighties, there was a technology for making monitors no thicker than a sheet of Whatman paper, cheap and effective. But only today, twenty years later, people are gradually starting to talk about it. And all this time, with a serious expression on their faces, they offered to buy kinescopes, then panels, and so on.
Technological progress is controlled by those people whose interests are primarily aimed at obtaining income, influence and power. They will never think about doing something for the benefit of a person. First of all, they have to think about the interests of the system of which they are a part. If they do not do this, the system will simply throw them out as unnecessary. Therefore, they will gradually produce more and more new products, which, first of all, bring quick profits, forcing a person to buy more and more.
And there will always be many explanations for such actions. And not the possibility of restructuring enterprises, and the lack of technology, and so on. All this is only for one task - to gain profit, power and control over people.
And these same people created a harmonious system of so-called scientific institutes. Their activities are not aimed at developing human qualities, but at creating crutches that a person, like an obedient sheep, would buy throughout his life.
We will talk about this in more detail.
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People in contemporary world can hardly imagine their lives without machines. Every day either a new gadget is invented or an old one is improved. Different people appreciate new inventions differently. Some suppose that sophisticated gadgets are really useful and necessary, while others find them absolutely awful as they influence people badly. As for me, I am pretty sure that gadgets make people`s lives easier.
Firstly, they do all kinds of dirty and hard work, as cleaning. Secondly, devices can save a lot of time as well as storage space. For instance, a computer disk can contain the same amount of information as several thick books.So, machines help people in different spheres.
However, opponents of this point of view are definitely sure that gadgets affect people negatively. People are reluctant to work due to the influence of machines. People become lazy and disorganized. They just expect their latest gadgets to do everything instead of them. According to scientists, a great number of widespread devices produce radiation moreover that can cause serious health problems. Furthermore, more and more people are becoming addicted to their modern gadgets, for instance computers, TVs or mobile phones. So, they neglect their home obligations, work or school and spend all their spare time in front of a laptop screen or a TV-set.
In conclusion, I firmly believe that in spite of all the drawbacks, gadgets have, their benefits are much more considerable, as they save people`s time and let them enjoy life.
Translation:
Modern man can hardly imagine his life without cars. Every day, either new devices appear, or existing ones are improved. People react differently to new inventions. Some believe that sophisticated gadgets are actually useful and necessary, while others consider them terrible because of their negative impact on people. As for me, I am absolutely sure that new devices make our life easier.
First, they do all the dirty and hard work like cleaning. Secondly, the devices save both time and space. For example, a computer disk can hold as much information as several thick books. So, machines help people in various fields of activity.
However, opponents of this point of view are absolutely sure that new inventions negatively affect people. People do not want to work because of the influence of devices. They become lazy and disorganized. They are waiting for their latest inventions to do everything for them. Moreover, according to scientists, many widespread gadgets emit radiation that can cause serious health problems. In addition, more and more people are becoming addicted to the computer, TV or mobile phone. They ignore their household chores, school or work and spend all their time in front of a laptop or TV screen.
In conclusion, I believe that, despite all the disadvantages, the advantages of gadgets are much more significant, as they save time and allow people to enjoy life!
Kamenskaya Tatiana
” - the fourth industrial revolution, which marks a radical change in the global economy, lifestyle and much more. Smart machines will take away boring routine work from people: there will be no cashiers, conductors, accountants, drivers and many other professions that involve routine activities. Why trust a human to do something a machine can do better and for free? The foundation of the fourth industrial revolution will be artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, 3D printing, robotics and nanotechnology.
All this will affect the market. human labor. According to the World Economic Forum, almost 5 million jobs will disappear in the United States alone by 2020. The first blow will fall on the clerks and service personnel. But once they were the basis of the post-industrial economy.
What does this threaten us with?
The fourth industrial revolution will change our attitude to work as the only source of income. At some point, we will cross the threshold beyond which the efficiency of machine labor in routine operations will grow exponentially and will many times exceed the efficiency of human labor. Industrialization 4.0 will come along with universal software and hardware. If you have automatic robotic vacuum cleaners, you can imagine the scale of the changes ahead. Let now these machines are clumsy, but believe me, it's only a matter of time.
In the world of industrialization 4.0, work will be needed either for extra income or for pleasure. But absolutely no one will force us to lay our lives on her altar.
Today we live in a paradigm where work is the main source of income. In other words, we work to live. Often the work takes a significant part of the time, but does not bring joy. This habitual rhythm of life has not changed for a long time. What to do?
Imagine that the state answered your question - all the routine work is done by a specially trained machine, and once a month you simply receive a fixed amount that can cover your basic expenses. You will not be able to put something aside, buy something extra, but you will always be sure that you will not be lost even in the hungriest year.
An unconditional basic income, or UBI, is a fixed amount that every citizen of a country receives, regardless of the type of activity, social status and income. UBI gives room for maneuver when choosing a profession and self-realization.
According to this concept, with the introduction of UBI and the development of the industrialization of the future, work will not be an end in itself. People don't have to work to survive. They will have more time for themselves. A golden age of humanity may come, as the idealists think. The Strugatsky brothers call it "Humanity Noon".
An unconditional basic income in the conditions of the fourth industrialization will help free the budget from social obligations and bureaucracy. BBD is all benefits in one. But there are two positions here: for the introduction of the UBI and the preservation of benefits, on the one hand, and for the complete rejection of benefits in favor of the UBI, on the other. It is assumed that the BBD smoothes social inequality and prevents social explosion by maintaining the necessary consensus in society regarding the level of income.
Approximately as it was in the USSR - everyone was equally poor. In our case, everyone is equally provided with the minimum. This does not prevent you from working for your own pleasure.
However, the BBD is not a thing in itself. He is part of the system: economy, politics and society. To date, no country in the world is ready to accept a universal basic income for the entire population of the country. Even wealthy Switzerland, following a popular referendum, speaks out against the BBB. Why?
- This will require a change in tax policy - with the introduction of the UBI, the burden on the budget increases;
- Structural reforms in the economy are needed, because due to the UBI there will be changes in consumer habits, which will affect supply and demand;
- The readiness of the population for such changes is also questioned. Not everyone is ready to trade their social benefits for some dubious utopian idea;
- There are strong ideas about UBI as an opportunity for many lazy people to sit on the neck of the state.
It is not entirely clear how the institution of the profession will change. Today, the paradigm is this: we do work, get paid for it, and over time, work becomes an integral part of life. But how can you get money and do nothing? Such cognitive dissonance prevents many from accepting the fundamental idea of the UBI.
The first thing people say when they hear about UBB is that they get drunk, they kill each other from idleness, etc. Actually, no. For example, an experiment in Namibia (not the richest country) showed an increase in entrepreneurial activity and stabilization social relations in the territory of limited implementation of UBI.
Real life example
Another remarkable experiment has been going on since 2013 in a poor village in Kenya. Charity organization GiveDirectly raised several tens of millions of dollars from leading Silicon Valley tech companies and decided to just give away $22 a month to villagers for 12 years.
How to be ready?
human Creative skills- this is the last thing we can oppose to artificial intelligence. Journalists writing articles and investigations, sociologists, teachers, teachers, software engineers, scientists - all those people who are engaged in creative work will be able to survive in the world of the future if they take care of obtaining the appropriate education in advance. Look for yourself in the world, think about the future, look for answers. Don't take the easy way. .
To date, all these conversations are conducted in the abstract plane, because we do not yet have an artificial intelligence similar to a person. Therefore, theoretical constructions on this topic will be built for some time. It is likely that the machine is capable of surpassing us not only in labor, but also in creativity. For the time being, we defend ourselves against this argument only with our only counterargument.
One way or another, remember the American writer Kurt Vonnegut, who, in his speeches for graduates, constantly spoke about the need to do what the soul lies in:
“Do any art, music, dance, singing, acting, painting, sculpture, poetry, write essays, reportage, do it well or badly, not for money or fame, but for experience, to find what sits deep in you that makes your soul grow."
To be a UBI or not to be depends only on the willingness of society to accept this idea and its ability to correctly implement everything. Education should follow the times and bring up new values in people, teach them new rules of the game. Otherwise, people will simply not be ready for the new world. They will either shut themselves up in old capitalist money fantasies, like in the Ludacris and Pharrell Williams music videos, or they will be out of a job.
