Future Thoughts

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I – Energy is ultimately a finite resource. 

II – Not all sources of energy are created equally when examined from a human or environmental perspective. 

III – As any civilization grows in size and complexity its need for energy will increase. 

IV – Conservation of energy is a vital element in maintaining suitable supplies. 

V – Efficiency of generation of energy is a vital element in expanding and maintaining suitable supplies. VI – Research into new and more efficient technologies to generate energy is vital to expanding and maintaining suitable supplies. 

VII – As energy is finite humanities supplies will eventually run out.  

I – Given the existence of reality the principals which underpin reality are absolute even when our understanding of them are not. 

II – All aspects of reality are in a state of change as guided by the underpinning principals of reality. 

III – All things both known and unknown are part of the system which is created by and governed by the underpinning principals of reality. 

IV – Every part of a reality has a direct and measurable effect on every other part of reality. 

V – Earth is a component of the system. 

VI – Life as we know it is part of the system. 

VII – Humanity is part of the system and we necessarily affect it.  

I – All species have a direct and measurable effect on the environment. 

II – Natural processes which are unrelated to life have a direct and measurable effect on the environment. 

III – Humanity necessarily has a direct and measurable effect on the environment. 

IV – There is no way for the human species to continue to exist without altering the environment. 

V – When stressed all species will act in their own best interest.  

VI – Humanity can directly comprehend how its actions effect the environment, as such all reasonable efforts should be taken to minimize harm and maximize good for both the environment and for the species.  

VII – It will become increasingly necessary to actively select species and environments to modify, preserve, remove, or create.  

VIII – Human selections have long lasting and serious consequences which will affect the environment and all components thereof.  

IX – Humanities impact on the environment will have a direct impact on humanity.  

I – Active terraforming is the purposeful alteration of some system to render it more usable, likable, or sustainable. 

II – Reactive terraforming is the purposeful alteration of some system to restore it to a previous state, or to limit further change. 

III – Passive terraforming is the unknowing effects of celestial, geological and meteorological changes to a system. 

IV – All systems are necessarily affected by some form of terraforming be it active, reactive, or passive. V – As all systems are always necessarily in flux there is no true lasting natural state. 

VI – Biology will actively terraform the systems it occupies to its own advantage.  

VII – As biology increases in complexity its effect on its systems necessarily increases. 

VIII – Conscious organisms such as humanity can perceive and understand its effects on the systems it occupies. 

IX – Since humanity is conscious and can perceive its effects on the systems it occupies it is in a position where it can actively select the effects of its terraforming activities not only for its own benefit but also to the benefit of other biology. 

X – In order to persist and advance conscious organisms such as humanity must actively select changes made to the systems it occupies in such a way as to maximize benefits and minimize degradation.  

I – Due to the current rate of genetic mixing between populations caused by interconnectedness of the modern world traditional speciation is unlikely to occur in Homo sapiens. 

II – However, due to the current and increasing social separations between existing socio-economic group’s social speciation is likely to occur.  

III – Due to inherent inequalities in wealth and opportunity between social groups one group will necessarily be more successful the other group(s). 

IV – The more successful group will necessarily have greater access to advanced technologies, education, and medical science.  

V – The more successful group will use its greater access to advanced technologies, education, and medical science to further its own advantage thus modifying the terms of their existence at a greater rate than the other group(s).  

VI – The more successful group will actively select to utilize advanced technology and advanced medical science to provide desirable traits and conditions to themselves and their offspring. 

VII – This artificial selection will cause genetic drift to occur a much higher rate than would usually occur via natural selection. 

VIII – The accumulation of genetic change in the more successful group can and will cause it to become a separate species from Homo sapiens.  

I – If humanity is to endure it must continue to advance its capabilities to gather, process, create, use, and transmit information. 

II – The rate of technological and societal advancement humanity is experiencing is increasing at an exponential rate. 

III – As humanities’ technologies and societies advance the complexity of said technology and society necessarily increase.  

IV – As the complexity of its technologies and societies increase humanities’ ability to gather, process, create, use, and transmit information must also increase. 

V – These required increases of ability will come from education, technology, and evolution.  

VI – Evolution via natural selection is a slow process. 

VII – The mechanisms of evolution via natural selection will not be rapid enough to pace with the demands of the increasing complexity of humanities technology and society.  

VIII – In order to keep up with its needs and to compensate for the slowness of evolution via natural selection humanity will need to carefully apply artificial selection to speed its own evolution. 

IX - In order to keep up with its needs and to compensate for the slowness of evolution via natural selection humanity will need to integrate technology into its form.