How technology is changing what it is to be human

About

Some underlying aspects of human beings are constant over time and place, although their particular manifestation is affected by culture. For example, the enjoyment of food, sexual pleasure, greeting people, avoiding people who are smelly, being lonely, and fearing death.

Such emotions, desires, and behaviours are at the core of what it is to be human. They are affected by technology. The changes of the last 50 years, and the changes we can expect in the next 25, are the subject of Technology & Humanity.

 

Illustrative Topics

  • How we remember our ancestors. When we die, we’re leaving ever-richer electronic traces by which we can be known. Two thousand years hence, the real you can be familiar in a way that’s never before been possible. We look at the changes of the last 50 years, and what the next 25 have in store.
  • What we find sexy. This is very influenced by culture. And now, the internet is exposing different types of eroticism. We look at how things such as erotic gifts and clothing have changed over the last 50 years, and what the next 25 has in store.
  • Our feelings of self-importance. It’s easy to feel important if you live in a small village. But we exist in a world in which our irrelevance is increasingly obvious. We look at how we feel self-esteem has changed over the last 50 years, and what the next 25 have in store.
  • Religion. As we become more exposed to people of other religions, how are our own religious views evolving? We look at the changes of the last 50 years, and what the next 25 have in store
  • Loneliness. People in poor countries are rarely lonely. But in rich countries, the benefits of technology have had the side-effect of solitude. More recently, technology has started to bring us together again, and the outlook looks good. We look at how loneliness has changed over the last 50 years, and what the next 25 have in store.
  • Tolerance. Globalization brings us in closer human contact with others, and it’s increasingly hard to see them as not like us. We look at how our tolerance of differentness has changed over the last 50 years, and what the next 25 have in store.
  • Community. Our sense of community was mainly determined by geographical proximity. Increasingly, we work hand in hand with people across the world. We look at how our sense of community has changed over the last 50 years, and what the next 25 have in store.
  • Pornography. Pornography is changing, for example in the variety and type of content, and in the ease of access. We look at the changes of the last 50 years, and what the next 25 have in store.

 

Different Versions for Different Media

Each essay is produced in several different formats:

  • An informal and easy-to-read version, with a focus on human interest. 800 words plus illustrations and short video clip.
  • A version for IT magazines. Here, more emphasis is placed on the underlying technologies. 1200 words plus illustrations and short video clip.
  • A version for business publications. This contains more discussion on business opportunities. 1200 words plus illustrations and short video clip.
  • A full version. Typically about 3,000 words, published on this website six months after publication of the versions for third party media.
  • A version for “absent friends”. The intended readership here is intelligent beings who may exist millions of years hence, who have little in common with human beings. This is also published on this website, six months after publication of the versions for third party media.

Other versions may also be prepared for different types of media partner, such as full video versions.

 

With Special Thanks To . . .

We would like to thank Deliberate Web Development for its excellent work with our website. We recommend this firm highly!