Letter from the Editor
A few words from our favorite biologist
NEIL GREENBERG
In December of 1983, the great science fiction writer (originally trained as a biologist) Isaac Asimov made a few predictions about what the world would be like in 2019. We thought would make a nice companion to our artificial intelligence article, since this was the man who wrote extensively about robots and created the Three Rules of Robotics. He chose 2019 because 1983 was 35 years since the publication of George Orwell’s 1984, and so he wanted to look another 35 years into the future. It turned out that Asimov was more perspicacious than Orwell, but still missed on a few points. Some of his observations:
• Computerization has already made itself essential to industrial nations, and it is now beginning to make itself comfortable in the home • The mobile computerized object, or robot, is already flooding into industry and will, in the course of the next generation, penetrate the home • [Nations] will clamor for computerization as they now clamor for weapons • Computerization will create more jobs, involving the design, the manufacture, the installation, the maintenance and repair of computers and robots, and an understanding of whole new industries that these “intelligent” machines will make possible • Entire populations must be made “computer-literate” and must be taught to deal with a “high-tech” world. The next generation will be one of difficult transition as untrained millions find themselves helpless to do the jobs that most need doing • Efforts to prevent overpopulation by encouraging a lower birthrate will become steadily more strenuous and it is to be hoped that by 2019, the world as a whole will be striving toward a population plateau • We will enter space to stay, with planned settlements on the moon and beyond • Human irresponsibility in terms of waste and pollution will become more unbearable with time and attempts to deal with this will become more strenuous. Advances in technology will place tools in our hands that will help accelerate the process whereby the deterioration of the environment will be reversed • He hoped that quarrels between and within nations will diminish, to be replaced by increasing co operation among nations and among groups within nations, not out of any sudden growth of idealism or decency but out of a cold-blooded realization that anything less than that will mean destruction for all • The world will seem more and more to be “running itself,” and more and more human beings will find themselves living a life rich in leisure You can see a video on the rest, with a link to the original article, here. It’s a fascinating augury by one of our most respected scientists and authors. We try to keep up with all this, and bring you the people who have a grasp on change. We hope that it will be informative, and assist you in furthering the work you do every day. Let us know what topics will be most useful to you!
Neil Greenberg, Editor To become an HS&M contributing author or provide feedback, please email me at ngreenberg@hsandm.com.
5 | HS&M JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
