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Saturday, May 28, 2005 + Irrational Fears #48: The Rise of the Machines + Ever since the days of Frankenstein's Monster, we have always been afraid of the possiblity of our creations turning against us. Now in the nuclear age, we feel for once... our machines can actually wipe us out. Three factors will lead to this: (1) they become self-aware (2) they suddenly get pissed/power-crazy/bored and decide to (3) they actually listen to Seasame Street and learn that working together is cool. therefore the probablity of that happening is effectively zero. Nevertheless, Hollywood has been quick to cash in on all irrational fears. For instsance: they surmise that if u and ur gal happen to be hot teenagers and make-out in a car, some bad-ass 300-pound psycho in a ski mask will hack u two to death with a chain saw. Thus the impending rebellion of robots, computers and microwave ovens has been demonized in flicks such as the Terminator trilogy, Matrix trilogy, i robot, AI etc. But the whole concept that one can acually create something powerful enough to destroy its creator is bogus dude. Thats like a bird building a bird-eating nest or termites building a... termite-squishing thingamajig. Guess we think so highly about ourselves that we think we can figure out how to make a race of robots in our image and then somehow allow them to decide our fate. After the industrial age we have managed to find really efficient means of killing each other. I concede that making CPU's with the ability to learn can't be far away. But making all-knowing, all-controlling computers? Bullshit. Think God creating something that can kill God. Fundamentally impossible. Most monkeys can't recognise their own friggin reflections in the mirror, wanna build a better monkey anyone? So the next time your hard-drive crashes, blame the manufacturer, its not the computer trying to ruin your exam preparations. Having said that, even the psycho slasher guy dicing teenagers is more realistic than a Terminator, put him on Discovery Channel, people! But hey, we all ain't immune to irrational fears, sometimes you can't help but think that damn thing is out to get you. On Wed. afternoon the friggin Bank Deposit machine ate my passbook! Trying to stop my money moving from the bank?! I wield a Debit Card! suck on that you sentient bastard! Or how about those toilets with the auto-flush system that triggers off before u're done? Fuck you! Can't ur fucking sensor detect im still sitting here?! Then the whole mass of human waste and toilet water starts to swirl. Then the water level rises... and u're there rooted to the spot wondering if thats eventually gonna hit ur arse. Caught with your pants down, literally. Scary shit indeed. a whole new level of scary shit. Cheers people! Screw the machines! raises wine glass We passed upon the stair, we spoke of was and when Although I wasn't there, he said I was his friend Which came as some surprise I spoke into his eyes I thought you died alone, a long long time ago Oh no, not me I never lost control You're face to face With The Man Who Sold The World I laughed and shook his hand, and made my way back home I searched for form and land, for years and years I roamed I gazed a gazely stare at all the millions here We must have died along, a long long time ago Who knows? not me We never lost control You're face to face With the Man who Sold the World Words and music by David Bowie/ covered by Nirvana "The Man Who Sold the World" ian wong beats around the bush@ 2:48 AM Comments: Post a Comment

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Saturday, May 28, 2005

+ Irrational Fears #48: The Rise of the Machines +

Ever since the days of Frankenstein's Monster, we have always been afraid of the possiblity of our creations turning against us. Now in the nuclear age, we feel for once... our machines can actually wipe us out. Three factors will lead to this:

(1) they become self-aware
(2) they suddenly get pissed/power-crazy/bored and decide to
(3) they actually listen to Seasame Street and learn that working together is cool.
therefore the probablity of that happening is effectively zero.

Nevertheless, Hollywood has been quick to cash in on all irrational fears. For instsance: they surmise that if u and ur gal happen to be hot teenagers and make-out in a car, some bad-ass 300-pound psycho in a ski mask will hack u two to death with a chain saw.
Thus the impending rebellion of robots, computers and microwave ovens has been demonized in flicks such as the Terminator trilogy, Matrix trilogy, i robot, AI etc.

But the whole concept that one can acually create something powerful enough to destroy its creator is bogus dude. Thats like a bird building a bird-eating nest or termites building a... termite-squishing thingamajig. Guess we think so highly about ourselves that we think we can figure out how to make a race of robots in our image and then somehow allow them to decide our fate. After the industrial age we have managed to find really efficient means of killing each other.

I concede that making CPU's with the ability to learn can't be far away. But making all-knowing, all-controlling computers? Bullshit. Think God creating something that can kill God. Fundamentally impossible. Most monkeys can't recognise their own friggin reflections in the mirror, wanna build a better monkey anyone? So the next time your hard-drive crashes, blame the manufacturer, its not the computer trying to ruin your exam preparations.
Having said that, even the psycho slasher guy dicing teenagers is more realistic than a Terminator, put him on Discovery Channel, people!

But hey, we all ain't immune to irrational fears, sometimes you can't help but think that damn thing is out to get you. On Wed. afternoon the friggin Bank Deposit machine ate my passbook! Trying to stop my money moving from the bank?! I wield a Debit Card! suck on that you sentient bastard!
Or how about those toilets with the auto-flush system that triggers off before u're done? Fuck you! Can't ur fucking sensor detect im still sitting here?! Then the whole mass of human waste and toilet water starts to swirl. Then the water level rises... and u're there rooted to the spot wondering if thats eventually gonna hit ur arse. Caught with your pants down, literally. Scary shit indeed. a whole new level of scary shit.

Cheers people! Screw the machines! *raises wine glass*

We passed upon the stair, we spoke of was and when
Although I wasn't there, he said I was his friend
Which came as some surprise I spoke into his eyes
I thought you died alone, a long long time ago

Oh no, not me
I never lost control
You're face to face
With The Man Who Sold The World

I laughed and shook his hand, and made my way back home
I searched for form and land, for years and years I roamed
I gazed a gazely stare at all the millions here
We must have died along, a long long time ago

Who knows? not me
We never lost control
You're face to face
With the Man who Sold the World

Words and music by David Bowie/ covered by Nirvana "The Man Who Sold the World"

ian wong beats around the bush@ 2:48 AM

Comments: Post a Comment

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