It’s Insane
It’s insane
Does a plant feel pain?
How would we know?
Does a plant run away?
Does it scream?
Does it laugh and play?
Is it human?
Is it sentient?
Does it think?
Do it’s emotions foment?
From its roots to its shoots
Does a plant have feelings?
When its skin ends up
Among the peelings?
Do its senses flip-flop
When its body’s for the chop?
Does it know what’s coming
When it hears the chainsaw humming?
Does a plant possess intelligence?
Does it have common sense?
Or is a plant as dead as wood?
Merely growing as it should?
It’s insane
Does a plant feel pain?
But how would we know
If it doesn’t show?
Opher – 3.2.2019
Namaste Opher 🙂
I see you are on a poetic role this morning 🙂
Personally, I think our higher mental faculties – the reach and extent of the human-brain – have capacity and capability far beyond our current level of understanding and/or knowing: that our awareness and ability to perceive the world around us has devolved. Our senses now respond to a very narrow spectrum of potential possibilities and frequencies – we have become denser in body and mind – far more attuned to lower vibrations and materiality and less able to determine realities beyond our physical senses. We no longer resonate with nature – our natural state of being – as once we did. But that is set to change as we move deeper and deeper into the Aquarian Age: when occurring simultaneously alongside rapid scientific advancement that increase our the range of our sense perception there will be a counter-balancing awakening of the heart of humanity – where human-kind becomes keenly aware of its brotherhood with all beings and all life. Current definitions and limitations of words like ‘sentience’ or ‘consciousness’ will be inadequate to describe/express such evolving awareness of the world about us.
My view is that all organic-life is conscious and sentient in ways that science will soon discover. Their findings will reaffirm what the ancients knew and what has been long forgotten by modern-mankind.
Namaste 🙂
DN
I think you are right! All things are sentient. Science will discover that we have mental powers way in excess of what we presently believe.
As I spend time editing a creative urge wells up that comes out in what I call poems.
Excellent, then we are in full agreement 🙂
Further more, I think human-kind’s evolution has yet to begin in earnest – that in actuality scientific discovery brings us to this moment in ‘time’ when we stand on the threshold of a whole new epoch: an epoch that will now illuminate our ‘inner worlds’ and bring about a revolution of deeper ‘spiritual’ understanding and truth – scientific enquiry will no longer be the dominant force usurping, supressing, and subsuming spirituality but instead will relate to it symbiotically so as to substantiate and promote it. What is discovered in the ‘laboratory’ will ebb and flow into mainstream life and slowly educate, transform, and evolve us simultaneously. Mankind cannot live by bread alone but requires sustenance on a deeper level so as to feel sated 😉
You write: ‘As I spend time editing a creative urge wells up that comes out in what I call poems.’ – curious indeed. One wonders why that should be the case? Perhaps your mind is so keenly focussed and less distracted by what is going on around you that you are more receptive to what is going on inside you as bubbles of unconscious thoughts rise to the surface and pop as poems. Go with it…I wonder where it will lead? 😉
Namaste 🙂
DN
I like the quote from the historian AJP Taylor. When someone asked him when the Dark Ages ended. He said: they haven’t ended. We are still living them.
Science is in its infancy. There is so much for us to learn and understand. We are on the threshold. The journey has only just begun – particularly when it comes to the human mind.
Namaste Opher 🙂
That is a great quote and highly relevant to contemporary times. The human-race tips on the very edge of another Renaissance. ‘Tis almost as though all that happened in the 14th/15th centuries was a dress-rehearsal for this, the greatest show on Earth in our current age.
Many on-line are talking about current times and of the ‘falling of the tower’ – an allusion to the Tower Card in the Tarot deck – Tarot became popular in Europe in the mid 15th Century. It seems to me that in our information rich age the foundations upon which the established order was built are crumbling/have crumbled as more and more truth is revealed globally. Mainstream media and state owned broadcasters strive to maintain their hold through absurd illusion but in reality it is futile. Their output is clearly observed to include fake and false and blatantly untrue content.
Science is in its infancy but it is/has opened doors to possibilities previously not explored. The more it probes – the more it aligns itself with the teachings of an ancient, long-forgotten age – the deeper our understanding of this wondrous world becomes, and by extension the more receptive humanity becomes to it. It’s essential that human-kind doesn’t repeat its historical mistakes – that the established order falls and a new tower is built – so that humanity advances with spirituality and science symbiotic keystones in its evolution. The Age of Aquarius – the dawning of a Golden Age – is said to harmonise these co-dependant aspects of human-kind so that we emerge in 2,500 years into the true Golden Age of Capricorn having advanced in body, mind and soul. If human-kind are destined to one-day leave Earth and venture into other galaxies we must do so having left this current age – and cycles – behind us with assured intention to never repeat our violent history nor take our current Dark Age mind-set with us and poison other worlds.
‘Tis the Dawning of a New Age! 😎
Namaste 🙂
DN
I hope you are right Dewin. We could do with a new age to wipe away the nastiness, selfishness and greed – a more positive age of compassion and seeking.
Namaste Opher 🙂
I couldn’t agree more! Whilst led by the blind who focus solely on materiality we head for a bottomless pit of despair.
It becomes essential that science works towards deeper understanding of the complex nature of existence yet technology is a double-edged sword…if used wisely it will benefit all of human-kind, and if not, then human-kind will suffer even more than it is at our own hand.
Namaste 🙂
DN
And A/I is the biggest dilemma – a threat or a boon?
That is the six-million dollar question Opher. Who knows what will actually happen? Science speaks in hypothetical terms, there are few clear facts
AI might conceivably pose an existential threat to humanity. Large swathes of the working population engaged in cognitive tasks could be made redundant, but yet AI might also help us eradicate wars, disease, and poverty: it has the potential to be the biggest event in human history. But I imagine its benefit will be dependant on the intelligence of those that deploy such technology.
It is a huge subject and we are decades away from achieving it, but sure as eggs-are-eggs AI and super-intelligence is inevitable.
What is your opinion? threat or boon?
Namaste 🙂
DN
The evidence that I am seeing is that it is being used to create wealth. I see none of the benefits filtering down. It is a wealth creator for the minority. It’s wider beneficial potential is not being addressed.
Unless there is major civil unrest I don’t think those in charge will alter what they are doing. I think they might give a few sops but that’s it.
In that sense – it’s a threat (and that’s without the threat of the massive surveillance and control tha is going on which could be misused by a totalitarian government or the threat of algorithms deciding that we are a nuisance and they could do better on their own).
Namaste Opher 🙂
You write: ‘Unless there is major civil unrest I don’t think those in charge will alter what they are doing.’ – Is this what you see happening as response to the inequity already in existence in the world, or as a reaction to the adverse accelerated effects of AI advancement?
Namaste 🙂
DN
I think A/I will result in greater inequality and despair and that will result in civil unrest. I think government play the game of giving everyone as little as they can get away with without causing rebellion. They walk a fine line. A/I could tip the balance.
Namaste Opher 🙂
Whilst governments continue to turn the Earth on an axis of fool’s gold and use technologies to further advantage the few, I think you might be right. (Further) constriction, restriction and straitening of the masses cannot be a good idea for one-day the worm will turn.
It is the intelligence and moral standing of the hand that deploys AI technology that is concerning…or as Shakespeare wrote in Julius Caesar: ‘The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings.” (Julius Caesar, Act I, Scene III) The technology in and of itself is not in question.
Namaste 🙂
DN
Unfortunately the morality of the establishment is extremely suspect. They lie, cheat and exploit with arrogance and superciliousness.
They are the ones designing A/I for their own selfish ends.
Namaste Opher 🙂
The scientific community continues to debate the moral, ethical, and human-centred issues surrounding AI, but in truth no-one actually knows what the ramifications of it will be or what collateral damage it will do. There is however great concern being given to these issues, but yet, there is almost universal agreement that huge job losses will occur and the weaponising of AI technology is inevitable. There is also discussion around AI operating as/on a global-network, which might at once accelerate its development and usage but also thwart attempts at deploying it for politically motivated ends. If it isn’t then deepening division between economies that have AI and those that do not have AI is highly likely resulting in huge shifts to the balancing of global power: given the ‘quality’ of world leadership this is a potentially grave concern to millions of people world-wide.
I do not know enough about AI at all to suggest whether it can be developed or replicated by non-state funded agencies. If it can then perhaps that might set the precedent for conflict as factions strive for greater market share or political/economic/social dominance.
I think in 50 years time the world will be a very different place to live in, or survive in. But who knows what might happen between then and now? I guess only time will tell.
Namaste 🙂
DN
I think that change will come a lot sooner than you envisage. I’ll give it ten years for the full impact to hit.
I notice that some governments are talking of introducing a basic wage for everyone – you receive an income for not working. I think that is A/I beginning. They are talking about driverless taxis in Greenwich next year!
Well that is surprisingly fast and uncomfortably close! Ten years for the full impact to hit seems far to quick – surely the majority of companies don’t have the infrastructure or substructure in place to enable that? Those that do have the obvious advantage already. One imagines global corporations are ahead of the game.
You wrote, ‘I notice that some governments are talking of introducing a basic wage for everyone – you receive an income for not working.’ – Really? Why might they do this? How will people be able to afford to live?
Driverless Taxis. The Independent report the project is due to commence in 2021, but even so, that is quite something. I have no idea what to expect. I appreciate the Docklands Light Railway has been driverless since 1987, but there’s a big difference between rail and road. I guess this ‘brave’ new age has to start somewhere sometime.
The world is changing so quickly: one can only hope great thought has gone into these changes but I fear otherwise. I do not believe we can place our entire future in the hands of technology.
It’s gonna get crazzzzy!
Namaste 🙂
DN
I’m sure I heard them talking on the radio that the driverless car taxis were going to happen next year.
Once these things get underway there will be no stopping them.
They already have a near complete automation at Amazon. We’ll have driverless deliveries. They have invented supermarkets with automated stocking and shelf stacking.
It’s nearer than you think.
It’ll be quick, efficient and make huge profits. Who will benefit?
I’m not sure us Earth-signs are designed to embrace such rapid change – even if Mercury is our ruling Astrological deity lol 🙂
Reading a bit more I note driverless Buses are scheduled to start running across the Fourth Bridge in 2021 as well, although the report suggested each bus will have a ‘driver’ aboard because of safety legislation. Makes me question the safety of these vehicles.
I guess next will be road haulage up and down the motorways and on the railways as well. And then shipping, or is that largely auto-piloted already? How do these vehicles defend against hijacking?
I’ve a family member who tells me of small delivery robots already operational in their home town. They look innocuous enough but who knows what they’d do if tampered with lol 🙂
It all seems to be gathering momentum very fast.
You wrote, ‘It’ll be quick, efficient and make huge profits. Who will benefit?’ Well I know it’ll not be me deriving bigger profits although more efficient delivery might benefit me. ‘Tis a slippery slope slipping faster towards job-losses. Good grief!
Namaste 🙂
DN
They’ve carried out driverless convoys down motorways without incident.
Imagine no car ownership. Uber, or equivalent, holding cars in areas for when required – cuts costs enormously. No problem with accessibility. Quick easy, cheap.
Five years I reckon.
Hmmm. I’m yet to be convinced about safety Opher. Time will tell. What happens when the first major pile-up occurs? Who does the public sue?
No car ownership sounds rather good as long as there is dramatic improvement in public-transport systems. But who will pay for this massive investment in this area, the tax-payer perhaps, who will already have undoubtedly funded the car-manufacturers? How does the tax-payer afford to do this when everyone is on minimum wage? Where’s the money suddenly coming from? How do we get rid of 1 billion plus cars already in existence in the world? (a figure derived from 2010)
Inner-city driverless cars…now that is something I agree on. Cities would benefit by being mainly pedestrianized. But again, affordable, quality, public-transport is key.
Namaste 🙂
DN
It will take time but I reckon they’ll be safer than humans. Having been in a few crashes due to other idiots I’d give driverless a chance. We’ll see. I think it’s inevitable and nearer than you think. There’s big money to be made. Money talks.
You’ve not answered any of my questioning statements nor convinced me of the safety of driverless vehicles.
I think you might be right about the inevitability of it happening if there are massive profits to be made for the few. I’d still rather see child poverty fall to zero in the UK first before any of this happens. If there’s funding for these sort of projects then why no funding to eliminate poverty, suffering and homelessness? Money talks? Yes so does Love.
Namaste 🙂
DN
I think time will tell on the safety. I think that they are likely to be far safer than humans. But there is no way of telling yet.
It remains to be seen whether we can wrest A/I from the elite to serve the many. I think there’s going to be a struggle.
A/I is the next battlefield. We’re sleep-walking into it stage by stage. It is dramatic and far-reaching. They’ll probably offer us sops.
P.S: Do you ever foresee a time when a dispassionate cold calculating machine will ever spill tears at the beauty of a sunset, or be moved by feelings of Love to either write exquisite poetry or paint a masterpiece?
You might have to read my latest Sci-fi novel to get my view on that Dewin.
Okay, I’d be more than happy to do so Opher: when it’s finalised send me a copy 😉
Namaste 🙂
DN