human nature

Three frightening inventions

I’m an inventor. It’s not something that is well known. I have my secret laboratory and make stuff.

I invented three new drugs that I knew could be absolutely wonderful.

Then I realised that they could destroy the world! So I destroyed them.

The Antiaging Drug

Yes. I invented a drug that not only stops you aging but actually reverses the whole aging process.

We could all have the bodies of a twenty-year-old.

Wonderful.

But then I began to think it through.

There are eight billion of us and we are destroying the planet. Just think if they never died and made way for the next generation? We’d be standing room only.

Just think if the politicians and big pharmaceutical companies obtained the patents. They’d sell it for profit to the rich.  Only the rich would be able to afford the benefits. The politicians wouldn’t want the plebs to get their hands on it.

An antiaging drug would be a disaster.

I destroyed it.

The Genius Drug

I invented this pill that enhanced brain function. It reversed all types of dementia, sent IQs soaring into the stratosphere and turned imbeciles into geniuses.

We had the ability to have a whole planet of Einsteins and Newtons to solve every problem. We would have the intelligence to do anything.

All people could have brain enhanced, rocket propelled lives!

But then I thought it through.

The politicians and pharmaceutical companies would get hold of the patents.

They would sell it to the wealthy for profit. Soon we’d have even greater division and inequality. There would be the brainy wealthy and stupid poor.

The wealthy would use their intelligence to devise more ways of making themselves richer while keeping the poor poorer.

The politicians would harness the power of intelligence to devise ways of keeping them in power. They would employ rooms of geniuses to devise weapons and to use the media and internet to spread propaganda to extend their power.

We’d have an arms race, a targeted internet campaign to spread spin, lies and hate.

They would be so clever nobody would see through their deviousness.

The world would be a mess!

It became clear to me that intelligence is not our best characteristic. We have far more important attributes – empathy, responsibility, compassion, caring, love, respect, tolerance…………..

Intelligence in an evil person would be disastrous.

I destroyed the genius pill.

The Love Drug

I invented a pill that altered the brain to remove all hints of aggression, violence and negativity. Anybody who took it had their brain chemistry altered so that they loved everything and everyone, saw the best in everyone and lost all desire to hurt, hate or even dislike other people.

Perfect bliss.

No more criminals, prisons, murders or cruelty to animals.

But then I thought it through.

In the hands of unscrupulous politicians it could be used to control opposition. Armies in enemy countries could be given the drug. Conquest would be simple.

Elections would be a formality. Tyranny would be absolute. There would be no opposition. He or she who controlled the drug controlled the people.

All ambition would evaporate.

The people would sit around blissfully benign. Nothing would get done. There would be no motivation.

I destroyed it.

The trouble with human beings is that that will always find a way of making something good turn horribly bad.