The Pace of Technological Change vs. Social Change

We are all passengers on a ball of molten rock hurtling through space at more than 1.5 million miles an hour. There are now almost 8 billion of us but in our daily lives most of us never stop to think that our destinies are inextricably linked.

We humans face a stark reality. The pace of technological change has become exponential while human social evolution is stuck in the dark ages. The end result is that we are going to destroy ourselves and our planet if we don’t find a way to create a world united and at peace.

Sadly, there are no world political or religious leaders actively working to unite the world.

We pollute the air, land and sea and kill other life forms for food or just because they get in the way of our ever-growing population. Ecosystems around the world are approaching tipping points from which we may not be able to recover.

The burning of fossil fuels has accelerated the carbon cycle of global warming. The last time there was so much CO2 in the atmosphere sea level was 60 feet higher than it is now.

Sixty years ago I learned how to hide under my desk at school if the Russians launched a nuclear attack on North America. Today, school children can find out how to make a nuclear bomb on the internet. Nine countries now have nuclear weapons and terrorist groups will soon be deploying “dirty” bombs.

Chemical, biological and cyber weapons can readily be developed by any country or terrorist group using modern technology.

Teenage hackers can bring down companies. Social media companies are developing psychological profiles on their users and selling them to advertisers or political action groups that want to manipulate their behavior.

Genetic manipulation is increasingly easy to accomplish. Whether you want to manipulate tomorrow’s children or do a makeover on yourself, anything will soon be affordable and readily available.

I like to retain a positive outlook on life and I deplore all of the science fiction novels that depict a dystopian future for planet Earth and its inhabitants.

However, if we as a species cannot come together to be at one with ourselves and our planet soon, a dystopian future it will be!

I would like to offer a couple of simple ideas that could help human beings become closer to each other.

Firstly, we didn’t buy a ticket for our short-lived journey on space ship Earth. We are all here just because we were born. If we don’t respect and work with each other our voyage may come to a premature end.

Secondly, every person alive today descended from the same African mother who lived 200,000 years ago. When we struggle with cultural diversity we should stop and remember this fact.

Thirdly, we should demand that our top level political and religious leaders dedicate themselves to creating a world united and at peace. We need a clear shared view of the kind of world we want for our children and their children. Then we must make sure that the individuals who fill the leadership rolls are fully qualified, are committed to the task and are held accountable on an ongoing basis.