"In doing so, AI threatens to undermine what remains of our shared world." - this is an interesting potential outcome. Benedict Anderson in Imagined Communities argued that the key source for 'nationalism' (which manifested itself with the independence of colonies) was due to the shared world - i.e. reading the same newspapers, similar novels and going through similar experiences. If these disappear, it might have other important ramifications for our 'imagined community'.
The spaghettification analogy is a great one, since not every black hole would result in spaghettification for those unlucky enough to be nearby. The larger a black hole is, the smaller the tidal forces. I suppose there's some way to translate that into the robustness of society and technology. As in, we won't have social spaghettification if we can only make our society strong enough to withstand the coming storm.
As an interesting side note on black holes, if you were to calculate the size of the event horizon for an object with an average density the same as the universe as we observe it, the event horizon would be the same size as the observable universe (within an order of magnitude anyways).
The divide between the elite and the underclass is reflective of contemporary social values.
On one hand the elite are lauded for their wealth or talent or both.
On the other left wing neo-Protestants have resurrected the medieval practice of poverty worship.
This leaves out the middle class, whose unique historical emergence has prevented the fracturing of the social world into haves and have nots.
Only when there's a healthy respect for the middle class will we stop accelerating toward such a divide.
"In doing so, AI threatens to undermine what remains of our shared world." - this is an interesting potential outcome. Benedict Anderson in Imagined Communities argued that the key source for 'nationalism' (which manifested itself with the independence of colonies) was due to the shared world - i.e. reading the same newspapers, similar novels and going through similar experiences. If these disappear, it might have other important ramifications for our 'imagined community'.
Very good thought provoking piece.
There is also the possibility we are living in a simulation 😅 and the experiment is reaching its end.
I frequently think this.
The spaghettification analogy is a great one, since not every black hole would result in spaghettification for those unlucky enough to be nearby. The larger a black hole is, the smaller the tidal forces. I suppose there's some way to translate that into the robustness of society and technology. As in, we won't have social spaghettification if we can only make our society strong enough to withstand the coming storm.
As an interesting side note on black holes, if you were to calculate the size of the event horizon for an object with an average density the same as the universe as we observe it, the event horizon would be the same size as the observable universe (within an order of magnitude anyways).
I will have to stop and think about that one...