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  1. Tales

    Tales New Member

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    Technophobic examples from real life

    Discussion in 'Research' started by Tales, Jul 31, 2009.

    Hi I am currently writing a fanfic on a current work and it has a technophobic feel to it sorta like Terminator.
    But I searching for convincing quotes that warn us not to make our machines too smart that they rebel against us. In my story, the world is drowning in decadence and laziness becos now machines are intelligent enough to take orders and do many stuff that we used to do. Then in the midst, some people probably those who had their jobs replaced by robots and those technophobics they form a group that does sorta terrorist acts that destroys machines that are too smart for their own good.

    But religious examples only go so far. I need more quotes or references from real life[not fiction or religion] that warns us that we should not make creations too smart

    So far I have one example from the Bible.
    Adam and Eve Example

    God created the world, Adam and Eve.etc Then God gave the order to Adam and Eve that they must not.... I repeat must not eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. But however becos of a reason, they ate the fruit and thus sinned or disobeyed against God.

    If we are created from God and we disobeyed him, how can we be sure that our own creations will not do the same?
     
  2. arron89

    arron89 Banned

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    If you're gonna go there, we were technically led astray by Satan - it wasn't our idea. If you can think of a decent "Satan" then that example would work, otherwise it doesn't quite make sense.
     
  3. Tales

    Tales New Member

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    But Satan represents more of a evil thought or temptation but the Bible personifys it as a snake or devil.
    If Eve and Adam do not have that tendency to succumb to temptation, they wouldn't take the fruit, right? Similarly, if we are not clouded by evil thoughts, we would not sin.

    That's why I said a religion example isn't a really good idea.
     
  4. arron89

    arron89 Banned

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    Depends on how you view Satan - to be an adversary of God, he must be pretty near all-powerful, in which case humans have a tendancy to succumb to temptation in the same way ants have a tendancy to become crushed when trodden on.

    But anyway, this isn't a religious discussion. Sorry I can't think of any other examples, besides trashy B-movies from the 80's.
     
  5. Rumpole40k

    Rumpole40k Banned

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    On the original topic, I think the line from Jurrasic Park is appropriate - "Man spends so much time wondering if they could do something, they don't ask if they should."
     
  6. Tales

    Tales New Member

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    Hmm that could apply but if it's examples from sayings from real people and real events?

    But that Jurassic park line should work.... well even for biotech stuff
     
  7. Rumpole40k

    Rumpole40k Banned

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    Yeah, I was drawing a blank from the real world, but the JP line still is oneof my favorites.
     
  8. losthawken

    losthawken Author J. Aurel Guay Role Play Moderator Contributor

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    I'm not sure that there are examples of real human creations being too smart (yet...)

    You might have to go with some of the unfortunate side-effects of science in general, atomic power/atomic bombs, fears of cloning, etc. Stuff like that...
     
  9. JavaMan

    JavaMan New Member

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    Alot of theoretical research nowadays is in the area of "true" AI: - machines that can think for themselves rather then just be good at learning. From what I understand, this is centered in organic computers, bio-machines and the like. There is also work being done fusing the mathematics of quantum and chaos theories that would create base "programming" (for lack of a better word) that is not binary in nature. The smartest computers today can only think in one dimension - the various possibilities along the single line of 1 and 0. If, a machine can "think" in, say, base ten, it stops being a machine of simple overly analytical processes (yes, no...on off etc) and possibly think in terms of dimensions such as feelings, intuititon etc.

    Also, I once read an artical on how research is being done on the theorectical "evolution" of software today. Any time a large program is copied - or any digital occurance takes place, there is a (extremely) tiny chance for data loss or corruption. In a similar way the prions or DNA strands diversify over time, a program can too. Remember that DNA and much computer code is 64-bit based.

    Of course all of this sounds like something out of a sci-fi book, but to the best of my knowlegde, it is a very real realm of research today. Think about the National Defense applications alone!

    I thought that you'd like to know that. As for actual quotes or sources, I can't help you. but I swear I'm not making this up.
     
  10. JavaMan

    JavaMan New Member

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    Sorry for the double post but I think that it is extremely important to add this:

    The reason why I mentioned organic computers using base ten instead of binary mathematics is not becuase they would be able to computer large problems more efficiently. the reason is that over the past few decades or so, some academics have come to beleve that the continuum of numbers - and in this case, programming, is multi-demensional, and not always linear. Let me explain:

    If your Mac thinks in binary, it thinks only in terms of the possiblilites associated with a single geometric line - 1 on one end and 0 on the other. If it can think otherwise, the picture that you see on a webpage becomes something more to the CPU - instead of thinking in a single dimension, it can now think in terms of, say a shape like a cross or square - even as part of a base programming.

    Just a bit of info for you. Again, I cant remember my sources but I swear that to the best of my knowlegde, this is all true.
     

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