Science of the Future and Us

 Hello everyone!

Today I would like to write about the relationship between science and us in the future.

The scientific revolution that took place about 500 years ago was a revolution of ignorance. We realized that we didn't know much about our environment, materials, or even our own bodies.

This led to an increase in per capita production and a truly rapid growth of the modern economy.

However, I would like you to stop and think about this.

Most history books focus on the ideas of great thinkers, the bravery of warriors, the deeds of saints, and the creativity of artists. They are also concerned with the formation and dismantling of social structures, the fall of empires, and the discovery of technology. But no one mentions how the growth or decline of such societies affected the happiness or suffering of each and every person!

With the development of science and technology, we have become capable of many things. Long-distance travel has become easier. We are no longer frightened by the darkness of the night. We can search and find out everything we need to know.

But what about our happiness? People are busier and more pressed for time than ever before. More people are losing their jobs to opportunity and artificial intelligence. It is said that in the future it may even be possible to control people's thoughts.

Of course, there are many ethical issues. But scientists will say, "This is for the happiness of mankind. " There is nothing we can do to stop justified science from doing its thing. The only thing we can do is to influence the direction that science is going in! We should not just rejoice in the development of technology, but think carefully about how to use it. 

Eventually, we may be able to manipulate our own desires with science and technology. If that is the case, then the question we face is, "What do we want to be?" but rather, "What do we want? Maybe. 

I know it's hard to visualize this right away, but please keep it in mind.

In writing this blog, I referred to a book called "The Complete History of Sapiens" by Yuval Noah Harari. This book is an international bestseller and I'm sure many people are familiar with it.

The author of this book really captures history from many different perspectives. He also uses many characteristic phrases that make you laugh.

"Homo sapiens did not cultivate wheat, rice, and potatoes, but on the contrary, Homo sapiens was domesticated by them.

This is an English translation of a book translated into Japanese, so the text may differ slightly from the original.

I felt the author's sense in this statement that the agricultural revolution was centered on crops, which are considered to be incapable of thinking. It is a very easy book to read despite the fact that it deals with a major theme of the history of human development. It is simply interesting as a piece of reading material.

I strongly recommend this book to everyone as the one you should definitely read at least once!

Now, back to the topic at hand. I believe that in this day, each and every one of us needs to have our own ideas about the state of science. I have not yet been able to give a clear answer either. However, I would like to cherish the attitude of trying to think.

Thank you for reading this far.

See you soon!