Alt-BEAM Archive

Message #03426



To: BEAM Mail beam@corp.sgi.com
From: Nigel Joyce nigel.joyce@qr.com.au
Date: Thursday, May 20, 1999 12:33 AM
Subject: Evolution Comparison


Hey Guys and Gals, (Do we have any girls on this list?)
I was just thinking of an interesting parallel, Religion
aside, it took God millions of years to "develop" us, and when we play God
and develop ALife, if there was just 1 of us, having to develop
electricity,electronics,computers,components, etc. it would probably take a
few million years as well. BUT, working as a collective (watch those borg
terms) It has taken humans what 50-100 years to discover and develop to
the stage we are at now. Take a macro view and the human race is just a
very big hive with the Cities as our nests and Countries as our Hives, we
have the infighting between different hives ie. Wars, the unproductive
drones ie. Those who are too lazy to work, the "Queens", ie. the leaders of
our respective countries. And regardless of how you look at it, in
working for ourselves, we are working to better the "Hive". Plumbers, when
they fix a drip in your tap, are improving the Water infrastructure of the
Hive, Farmers are just like advanced hunter/gatherers of the insect world,
Technology people are working to extend the hive, Space Exploration, which
alot of our fun sort of leads towards, is an attempt to extend our hives
boundaries, if we could, would we not go off and colonise another world,
just like a bee swarm? The comparison I am trying to make is between a
"hive" of humans being more effective than just 1 human or even God, and a
hive of bots being more effective than one complex bot, which is where the
micro/nano bot research is headed.
Sort of removes your individuality to think of yourself as part of the
human hive or collective, doesn't it.
You can draw further comparisons between the lifespan and achievements of
individuals in the insect world compared to the lifespan and achievements
of the hive, then compare that to the human hive, your achievements and
the achievements of humans as a whole. Scary isn't it. I mean, as we go
about our daily lives, we swear to ourselves that we are not working for
the good of the human race, but are working for ourselves, ever heard the
expression "productive member of the community". I wonder if bees and ants
act as individuals, may be even see themselves as individuals (this is
probably reaching) and are only going about their daily lives with no
thought to the "Good of the hive".

OK, Ok, time for me to come back to reality for a while, (and get back to
work, "for the good of the hive" };-) )
Cya's later
&
Blue Skies
---Buzz---
Home is where you hang your @



------------------------------------------------------------------------

eGroups.com home: http://www.egroups.com/group/alt-beam
http://www.egroups.com - Simplifying group communications



Home