05 April 2009

Relentless acceleration

One billion years ago, our ancestors were single-celled organisms in the primordial seas.

One hundred million years ago, our ancestors were tiny mammals probably similar in appearance to mice, though biologically more primitive.

Ten million years ago, our ancestors were apes living in the forests of tropical Africa, probably comparable in intelligence to today's chimpanzees.

One million years ago, our ancestors were proto-humans who made and used stone tools.

One hundred thousand years ago, our ancestors were physically fairly similar to modern humans, but still living in the stone age.

Ten thousand years ago, we were fully human; most of us were hunter-gatherers, though crude agriculture had arisen in at least one region (the Fertile Crescent).

One thousand years ago, we had widespread agriculture, written languages, large states and empires, and some dim beginnings of an understanding of how the universe around us worked.

One hundred years ago, much of the world had an industrial economy, and electric power and high-speed communications were coming into use.

Ten years ago, advanced computer and biological technology were in common use in the developed nations and spreading into the Third World.

= = = = = = = = = = =

A billion years ago, there was very little change even over a typical million-year period. A million years ago, one would not have noticed much progress during a millennium. A thousand years ago, there was nothing like today's routine expectation of new technological advances from one year to the next.

And the relentless acceleration continues.....

2 Comments:

Blogger Ranch Chimp said...

I know....the acceleration these day's is moving at a much faster pace...and were sure as hell going to need it to. I have alway's said Mr.Infidel...that we have been damn lucky...because we havent really had any really harsh catastrophy,especially from that 100,000 year mark or so...we simply like every other animal of today...just went with the flow...migrated such as that era after the last ice age....moving into the America's...and creating tool's,clothes,and adapting to the enviroment's. I mean...sure we showed alot of talent...but the way I see it...is what if even 50,000 year's or so ago...some rock or ice chunk or any large debris would have hit the earth...similar to when the dino's got alledgedly hit back 65 or so million year's ago? Our ass would have been less then grass. Everything from stem cell research to robotic's to transhumanism, and artificial intell,and whatever need's to get full support of the globe...because the faster we accel, the more insurance we have when something big and challenging comes along...to defeat it. But I love to watch the chimp's in their natural habitat's on film...just to watch how they organize,their emotion's,playing,clashing,etc. I feel like I am getting a free ride back in time...to get an idea of what our earliest ancestor's might have been like. Some folk's find it boring...and I have had a few ole boy's poke fun of me for doing so...but to me it's fun!

05 April, 2009 19:38  
Anonymous Blurber said...

This is a great way of looking at how we are subjected to a rate of change in our environment for which evolution could not prepare us .

07 April, 2009 08:34  

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