Stephen Hawking: "The Human Species Has Entered a New Stage of Evolution"

Well, I give more credence to what Stephen Hawking has to say than some of the mumbo-jumbo about how our 12-stranded DNA is going to be activated by aliens building waterslides on Niburu in 2012, or whatnot.

www.dailygalaxy.com...

Hawkings, on the other hand, is saying that the technological/ informational advances made by mankind will overtake DNA in terms of our future evolution:

This means Hawking says that we have entered a new phase of evolution. "At first, evolution proceeded by natural selection, from random mutations. This Darwinian phase, lasted about three and a half billion years, and produced us, beings who developed language, to exchange information." But what distinguishes us from our cave man ancestors is the knowledge that we have accumulated over the last ten thousand years, and particularly, Hawking points out, over the last three hundred. "I think it is legitimate to take a broader view, and include externally transmitted information, as well as DNA, in the evolution of the human race," Hawking said.

Really, Hawking seems to be saying that we are approaching the singularity, where we will be able to tweak our DNA ourselves:

...we are now entering a new phase, of what Hawking calls "self designed evolution," in which we will be able to change and improve our DNA. "At first," he continues "these changes will be confined to the repair of genetic defects, like cystic fibrosis, and muscular dystrophy. These are controlled by single genes, and so are fairly easy to identify, and correct. Other qualities, such as intelligence, are probably controlled by a large number of genes. It will be much more difficult to find them, and work out the relations between them. Nevertheless, I am sure that during the next century, people will discover how to modify both intelligence, and instincts like aggression."

This last part is pretty a pretty damn interesting thing for Hawking to say. Not that it is an original thought, but considering the exponential rate of change we are experiencing, it is cool to think what another ET civilization that is only a couple 1000 (let alone millions) of years more advanced than we are could be up to at this very moment. Based on this, it seems more likely that UFOs/ETs would be sent devices, as opposed to biological in nature. Of course, if technological devices were designed out of DNA from a really advanced race, well, that's a whole other conversation....

If the human race manages to redesign itself, to reduce or eliminate the risk of self-destruction, we will probably reach out to the stars and colonize other planets. But this will be done, Hawking believes, with intelligent machines based on mechanical and electronic components, rather than macromolecules, which could eventually replace DNA based life, just as DNA may have replaced an earlier form of life.

Best,
Skunknuts




[edit on 1/6/2010 by skunknuts]

Lol !

Whats the point?

I read the article.
He may be right but whats the point?

If we have to replace ourselves with mechanichal alternatives driven by our own alternative DNA equal what will we achieve?

The Age of the Machine?

Colonysation by machines?

To serve what purpose?

That of an extinct ego?

I really see no point in the prospect...

Regards of love
GEORGE

I have often wondered how far we will let DNA/genetic modification go in the future.

If you think about it, there are some serious ethical questions about tampering with that kind of stuff.

DNA is the written code of nature; it works fine, and besides maybe fixing some errors, I really don't think we should be messing around with anything that can change the way we work.

Originally posted by GEORGETHEGREEK
Lol !

Whats the point?

I read the article.
He may be right but whats the point?

If we have to replace ourselves with mechanichal alternatives driven by our own alternative DNA equal what will we achieve?

The Age of the Machine?

Colonysation by machines?

To serve what purpose?

That of an extinct ego?

I really see no point in the prospect...

Regards of love
GEORGE

LOL, what do you mean 'what's the point?'

What's the point of anything?

Best,
Skunknuts

reply to post by GEORGETHEGREEK


He wants everyone to be like him, part machine!

reply to post by GEORGETHEGREEK


I think what you miss is FUNCTION in real ways...

A machine is a function of a system just like you are a function of a system..

being human is not a special as you may think..

its primitive thinking that is holding the human race back

IE GOD and religion..

and money..

all will be come redundent when up against the very survial of life and re repoduction and sustaining of it.,

aliens in this regards are like a tree

they DO what is needed and what was always required



S+F

and just so you know all human invention and creativtiy comes from NATURE and the Enviroment

Bioigcaly systems will be used and surpased by our own creation and understanding of it

machines are not separte enterties

they are indeed a tool to prefect our self

They are an exstenion of the HUMAN mind

get use to it.

[edit on 6-1-2010 by 13579]

That's cool and all, but couldn't that affect a person's individuality? Fixing diseases is great, but tweaking intelligence and then what? That's my only problem, I don't like being completely the same as my neighbor or my friend. The "machine DNA" thing is interesting, It'd be curious to see that one unfold.

I fail to grasp why we need a mechanical society....I mean machines are great but how many terminator sequels does it take for us to see that we shouldn't be doing artificial life like that.

I think if we over-think and abuse this technology it could ruin our and future societies. DNA manipulation could lead to plenty of medical breakthroughs though or can be used to evolve us at a faster rate artificially...Basically a super human.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's not about machines at all.
Hawkings is saying that we will be able to tweak the DNA we already have. There's nothing mentioned about machines or mechanical things. Of course it is doubtful it will get past the medical-only stage because of the ethical questions that will be raised so you don't have much to worry about in terms of a society where everyone has the same personalities and looks.

i want to redesign myself with wings!

Originally posted by Tantalus
That's cool and all, but couldn't that affect a person's individuality? Fixing diseases is great, but tweaking intelligence and then what? That's my only problem, I don't like being completely the same as my neighbor or my friend. The "machine DNA" thing is interesting, It'd be curious to see that one unfold.

I totally understand what you are saying. However, that assumes that we aren't already biological machines, for lack of a better term. I've read how some researchers think that DNA, the sequence itself, has to be nothing more or less than very complex code (as in computer code) that has to have intelligent design behind it. If that is true, and one wants to reason beyond mankind's earliest explanations of the universe, what other explanations remain?


Best,
SN

Originally posted by Nventual
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's not about machines at all.
Hawkings is saying that we will be able to tweak the DNA we already have. There's nothing mentioned about machines or mechanical things. Of course it is doubtful it will get past the medical-only stage because of the ethical questions that will be raised so you don't have much to worry about in terms of a society where everyone has the same personalities and looks.

I think he's hinting that future 'machines' will be coded using principles similar to DNA, thus convoluting our current conceptual dogma that necessitates the demarcation of the line between biological and mechanical.

Best,
SN

[edit on 1/7/2010 by skunknuts]

Like I've been saying for a while now. If the technological singularity can occur, it won't be triggered by self-improving A.I. It will be triggered by self-improving humans who augment their intelligence via gene therapy and BCI enhancements. The first proposed complete simulation of a human brain inside a computer is suggested to occur by the end of this decade - and whether or not consciousness emerges is still unknown. Even IF it does, it will be like a newborn human child which must learn though and develop as we study it's operation. From there, we can start reverse engineering to really dig into a proper functional model.

By the time A.I. reaches human scale competency or above on a level that they start become a feature in our societies - we will already be well on our way to cyberization. When prosthetic technologies start to exceed biological function and utility - they will cease being prosthetics and start becoming consumer grade enhancements.

The division between "Us" & "Them", between Man & Machine, will be blurred to the point of irrelevance. We'll be merging into them, and they will be improving variation from initial templates of our brain. They will be functionally derived from humans - therefore I see no reason why there should be a division at all.

reply to post by Lasheic


Wow, that was really well stated.

I just hope that we make it to that point, that is, if our society is less douchebagistic, and the technology will be shared and implemented in a utilitarian manner. Or, maybe it is this level of technology that will allow us to grow ethically, which would be somewhat ironic from my standpoint.....

Best,
SN

'

Correct, evolution is inevitable. I dont put dont much stock into it. everything and everyone evolves.

just because Hawking say's it, ... it doesn't make it concrete fact.

These are just theory's ans I've heard countless times before. nothing to be affraid of.

Originally posted by IntastellaBurst
'

Correct, evolution is inevitable. I dont put dont much stock into it. everything and everyone evolves.

just because Hawking say's it, ... it doesn't make it concrete fact.

These are just theory's ans I've heard countless times before. nothing to be affraid of.

Into what don't you put much stock? What have you heard repeatedly?

Look at the last 50 years, the last 100; things are crazy different. The change/growth is not linear, it is exponential. With all due respect, if we don't knock ourselves off the current rate of advancement, the world, our lives, ourselves will be dramatically different than you seem to be able to comprehend in the near to medium range future.

Best,
SN

You know, I personally believe that I have entered into this next stage regardless to your disbeliefs, brutal truth isn't measured in mass appeal.

Originally posted by SpiritHipHop
You know, I personally believe that I have entered into this next stage regardless to your disbeliefs, brutal truth isn't measured in mass appeal.

To what and who are you responding?

In any event, there surely seems to be some mass appeal to the concept of 'entering the next stage.'

Best,
SN

reply to post by Nventual


No what you have to understand is the one thing that you are missing here

REPRODUCTION

You see... as i will point out.. humans came into being via what ever reason or method you wish "god" creationism blah blah big bang.. so lets leave them for a moment..

and look at the very principle of life its self and what its its function.. now many people like to forget the role of life as a force that created life hence the mixup ..

being alive / life / projection / obervation of it yet it made you and i blah blah..

so.. what is in fact life? well its a function a force

So you are saying that we will turn into Gods ourselves - creating life more perfect than our own? As I said earlier, ethics WILL come into play if/when this happens and believe me you aren't alone in your view and I'd say a good majority of the population (remember - there's A LOT of religious people out there!) will be against it.