Supercomputing and the Human Endeavor: The Coming Scientific Revolution in How We Use Machines to Help Us Think (English Edition) [Kindle-editie] beoordelingen het boek quotes

The world is about to undergo three major revolutions. Not revolutions in politics or government, but revolutions that will change the very fabric of our existence and the societies in which we live. Two are scientific, and one is social. The first, the revolution in the biological sciences, has been much discussed. The second, an imminent revolution in supercomputing and large scale simulation, is less well known. The third revolution is a social one that will be the direct result of the first two. In this paper we will discuss each of these revolutions, with a focus on the ethical and social implications of the revolution in supercomputing. Why be concerned about a revolution in supercomputing? Because machines already under development will change the way that we think about the world and about ourselves. They will simultaneously create opportunities and dangers, just as have previous revolutions. Supercomputers will become the enabling engines of the knowledge economy, creating and transforming information at a fantastic rate. The access to such capabilities will exacerbate the growing “digital divide” between technological advanced countries and developing states. And, the application of supercomputing simulations to problems of psychology and biology will challenge humankind in a manner as profound as any philosophical or political revolution. It may even enable us to become the creators of our own successors. Something wonderful - and perhaps a little frightening - is about to happen. Human beings today are remarkably similar to what they were at the dawn of recorded history, some five thousand years ago. We are a little taller than our ancestors because we eat more protein and we live quite a bit longer than they did because we have a better living environment and better health care. However, the three hundred generations that separate us from our most distant literate ancestors are not enough to allow the significant natural evolution of our bodies. The same is true on the intellectual side. We have made great progress in applying our brains to ever more difficult problems, but our basic mental capabilities have remained about the same over millennia. One can debate whether Aristotle or Einstein was the greater analytical intellect, but it is unarguable that genius has manifested itself throughout our known past.