Kevin Kelly: How technology evolves

New Section

In this section, the speaker discusses their personal struggle with understanding the true meaning of technology in their life and whether to embrace or be wary of it.

The Speaker's Conflicting Views on Technology

• The speaker expresses uncertainty about what technology means in their life and whether they should fully embrace it or keep it at arm's length.

• They mention giving up possessions and riding across 3,000 miles on a bicycle without relying on technology, but also running a website on cool tools that focuses on the latest technological advancements.

• The speaker acknowledges being perplexed about the true meaning of technology as it relates to humanity, nature, and spirituality.

New Section

In this section, the speaker explores different definitions of technology and its historical origins.

Defining Technology

• The speaker mentions one definition of technology as that which is first recorded, referring to a syllabus from Cambridge University in 1829.

• They share Alan Kay's humorous definition of technology as anything invented after one's birth and Danny Hillis' perspective that technology is anything that doesn't quite work yet.

• The speaker expresses interest in finding a deeper definition of technology beyond its modern use and considers framing the question "What does technology want?" to understand its inherent trends and biases.

New Section

In this section, the speaker delves into exploring what technology wants by drawing parallels with biological organisms.

Viewing the World Through Technology's Eyes

• The speaker draws inspiration from Richard Dawkins' concept of looking at biological organisms as vehicles for genes and applies a similar approach to understand what technology wants.

• They propose looking at the universe and culture through the lens of technology to gain insights into its inherent tendencies over time.

New Section

In this section, the speaker reflects on the diverse forms of life on Earth and how they hack the rules of biology.

Hacking Life

• The speaker highlights the incredible diversity of species on Earth that are yet to be discovered and suggests exploring different locations to uncover hidden organisms.

• They emphasize that every organism hacks some aspect of life, challenging general principles of biology. Examples include an ant storing honey in its abdomen and a solar-powered sea slug incorporating chloroplast for energy.

• The speaker mentions six kingdoms as a way to categorize different approaches to hacking life: plants, animals, fungi, protests, bacteria, and Archaea bacteria.

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In this section, the speaker emphasizes the vast variety of life forms and their unique adaptations.

Hacks in Life Forms

• The speaker highlights that there is no single general principle of biology without exceptions due to organisms constantly hacking different aspects of their existence.

• They showcase examples such as a nudibranch incorporating chloroplast for energy and a sea dragon undergoing a transformation by ingesting algae pond scum.

• The speaker concludes that understanding technology's desires requires examining life itself since technology's origins can be traced back to biological systems.

The Six Kingdoms of Life

This section discusses the six kingdoms of life on Earth and the speaker's fascination with technology.

The Speaker's Fascination with Technology

• The speaker admits to being tempted by the latest advancements in technology and even traveled 4,800km across the US using his own body as transportation.

• He reflects on how technology dominates our lives and expresses uncertainty about what technology truly is.

Defining Technology

• The speaker mentions Alan Kay's definition of technology but also expresses interest in another definition that goes deeper.

• He shares his struggle to understand this deeper meaning and how it relates to his investigations.

Exploring What Technology Wants

• The speaker poses the question, "What does technology want?" and clarifies that he is not referring to its inherent tendencies or divergences.

• He compares this exploration to studying biological organisms from a genetic perspective.

• He suggests looking at organisms as vehicles for genes and wonders if we can view technology through a similar lens.

Extending the Origin of Technology

• The speaker contemplates extending the origin of technology further into the past.

• He expresses a desire to explore life on Earth and acknowledges that we do not fully understand the types of life present today.

• References are made to Craig Venter's work in understanding life on Earth.

Evolutionary Perspective on Life

• The speaker proposes looking at life from an evolutionary perspective rather than just categorizing it into kingdoms.

• He presents a visual representation showing all life connected through a central line, emphasizing that fungi and bacteria are as highly evolved as humans.

• The concept of evolution wanting certain things is discussed, highlighting different survival strategies among species.

Ubiquity of Life

This section explores the ubiquity of life and the speaker's thoughts on how it should be treated.

Life's Ubiquity

• The speaker asserts that life is ubiquitous and always striving to expand.

• He mentions studying life in great depth, including deep within rocks, where bacteria can be found.

• The speaker reflects on the meaning of technology in his own life and acknowledges the ongoing exploration of how life should be treated.

Estudo da Vida e Tecnologia

Visão Geral da Seção: Nesta seção, o palestrante discute a relação entre a vida e a tecnologia, explorando como os princípios evolutivos podem ser aplicados à tecnologia.

A Tecnologia como o Sétimo Reino da Vida

• O palestrante menciona que Richard Dawkins usa um truque para observar a vida como genes e veículos para genes.

• Ele destaca que as principais tendências na evolução tecnológica são semelhantes às da evolução biológica, como rumo à ubiquidade, diversidade e complexidade.

• O palestrante argumenta que a tecnologia pode ser considerada o sétimo reino da vida, pois suas operações são semelhantes às dos sistemas biológicos.

• Ele menciona Niles Eldredge e sua teoria do equilíbrio pontuado como ponto de partida para explorar a vida.

Explorando a Vida

• O palestrante menciona Craig Venter e sua tentativa de sequenciar o DNA de organismos do oceano para obter sua história genealógica.

• Ele destaca o trabalho de Brian Farrell em criar uma divisão do globo com base no parentesco das espécies.

• O palestrante enfatiza que, ao contrário da biologia, na tecnologia é possível resgatar sistemas antigos e estudá-los novamente.

• Ele menciona a importância de ressuscitar tecnologias antigas e como isso pode ajudar a entender sua evolução.

A Tecnologia não Morre

• O palestrante afirma que a tecnologia não morre, ao contrário da biologia.

• Ele destaca que não há um único princípio geral de biologia sem exceções, enquanto na tecnologia é possível encontrar exemplos antigos ainda em uso.

• O palestrante menciona que é possível comprar partes novas para um automóvel a vapor Stanley, mostrando como a tecnologia antiga continua presente.

Conclusão

Visão Geral da Seção: Nesta seção final, o palestrante conclui sua exploração sobre a relação entre vida e tecnologia.

• O palestrante conclui que as fronteiras entre sistemas biológicos e tecnológicos podem ser borradas.

• Ele destaca que muitas coisas incríveis estão escondidas em nosso próprio planeta e podem ser descobertas através do estudo da vida e da tecnologia.

• O palestrante encerra sua apresentação enfatizando a importância de explorar tanto a vida quanto a tecnologia para obter uma compreensão mais completa do mundo.

The Impact of Technology on Society

In this section, the speaker discusses the impact of technology on society and how it is becoming increasingly intertwined with our lives.

Evolution of Technology

• The speaker mentions that one of the things they like about technology is its cliché nature.

• They highlight the responsibility they feel for contributing to this cliché.

• The speaker emphasizes that machines are becoming more biological, indicating a convergence between technology and biology.

• They mention that people desire these technological advancements because they bring benefits.

• The main trends in technological evolution mirror those in biological evolution, such as differences, freedom, choices, and possibilities.

• Each new scenario created by technology leads to more opportunities for newer technologies to emerge.

• These platforms generate complexity and diversity as they evolve towards ubiquity and socialization.

Technological Evolution and Biological Evolution

• The speaker highlights the importance of understanding the evolutionary path of technology by comparing it to the evolution of armor or Mozart's music before pianos were invented.

• They suggest that if we could map out the evolutionary history of technology, it would reveal a genealogical tree similar to biological evolution.

• The speaker argues that considering technology as the seventh kingdom of life is crucial for society's progress.

• They give examples like Van Gogh or Hitchcock being born before certain technologies existed, illustrating how closely linked they are to their respective fields.

Technology as an Extension of Life

• The speaker mentions the potential for millions of children being born into a world where technologies of self-expression have not yet been invented.

• They argue that it is our moral obligation to invent technologies that allow every individual to realize their true potential.

• The speaker introduces Niles Eldredge, co-author of the theory of punctuated equilibrium, who suggests that technology is a way to evolve evolution itself.

• They emphasize the importance of providing individuals with the means to express their uniqueness and differences.

Technology's Persistence and Impact

• The speaker shares an anecdote about a historian who compared technology to evolving evolution itself.

• They mention some objections raised regarding deforestation and negative impacts of technology but acknowledge they don't have all the answers.

• The speaker highlights how technology can be analyzed morphologically, similar to studying biological genealogy over time.

• They suggest that technology's persistence and ability to be revived make it akin to a seventh kingdom, closely resembling life itself.

Technology as an Exploration

• The speaker discusses how technology can be used as a tool for monitoring life and exploring possibilities.

• They contrast technological extinction with biological extinction, highlighting how in technology, one can still obtain new parts or revive old technologies.

• The impact of using DDT in cotton fields is mentioned as an example of both positive and negative aspects of technology.

• The speaker argues that our humanity is defined by our relationship with technology and our ability to create more opportunities through it.

Conclusion

The transcript explores the intertwining relationship between technology and society. It highlights the similarities between technological and biological evolution, emphasizing the importance of understanding technology's impact on our lives. The speaker argues that technology is an extension of life itself and suggests that we have a moral obligation to invent technologies that allow individuals to express their uniqueness. They also discuss the persistence of technology and its potential for exploration and monitoring. Overall, the transcript presents a thought-provoking perspective on the role of technology in shaping society.

New Section

In this section, the speaker reflects on what technology wants.

What Technology Wants

• The speaker ponders about the desires and intentions of technology.