Technology

Well this is my essay i had to do for school about the impact of technology through evolution:

Evolution is the slow process of change to all living creatures. But how did we as humans become the dominant species from the time of over 2 million years ago, long before writing and cities, before the uses of metals and farming? How did we go from men living in a cave fighting off deadly animals on a daily basis just to survive to sitting at home on our laptops and cell phone taking these things for granted? In terms of our DNA, we are 99.6% the same as apes but clearly there are big differences between us. Unlike our cousins who subsist on raw food, spend their days and nights outdoors, and wear a thick coat of hair, humans are dependent on artificial things such as clothing, shelter, and the use of tools, and would die in nature without them. We can now live in the most extreme conditions, varying from deserts to landscapes surrounded in ice. Yet, despite our status as the weakest ape, we are also the masters of this planet. Cloning, genetic enhancement, robotics, artificial intelligence, and nanotechnology are just a few examples of what we have achieved, But how did we humans come out on top? In this essay I will outline that technology has had a major impact on our lives and has made us the most dominant species on the planet. I will analyse how important theories have influenced our thinking about human domination, specifically Andy Clark's ideas about humans being 'cyborgs' as well as other theories, including Wright's theory, Darwin's theory of Evolution and Agricultural Evolution & Civilisation.

Ronald Wright: A Short History of Progress

While others may think that progress is the reason we evolved so quickly, Ronald Wright[1] insists it is the problem that is holding us back. He invented terms called 'progress traps,' that pursue progress, but then introduces problems that the society doesn't have the resources to solve or any use of attempt, preventing further progress. Other instances that involve 'progress traps' are the state of technologies or advances that, like weapons, are initially useful but become dangerous to civilization once fully developed. An example is irrigation systems. This was a great and beneficial idea for the Sumerians, allowing them to grow food in the desert, where food wouldn't naturally produce. However, as time went on, irrigation led to a build-up of salt in the land. Eventually, over a few centuries, those fields began to turn white from salt. After about a thousand years, their crop yields fell to only a quarter of what was possible in the fields they started with. Large parts of southern Iraq had to be abandoned, and still haven't recovered. As we domesticated plants, the plants domesticated us. Without us, they die; without them, so do we. Because of the salt they were forced to leave - there is no escape from agriculture except into mass starvation, and it has often led there anyway, with drought and blight. Most people, throughout most of time, have lived on the edge of hunger-and much of the world still does.

Innovations in hunting during the Stone Age allowed for more successful hunts and consequently more free time during which culture and art were created (e.g. cave paintings, bone carvings, etc.), but also led to extinctions. Wright argues that, in trying to escape the perfection of hunting trap, some of our ancestors started the Farming Revolution, which has spread to encompass most of the world and has proven to be an even more dangerous trap. As smaller and smaller games were hunted to replace larger extinct animals, the hunts became less successful and culture declined - another negative side to progress.

Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution

Darwin's Theory of Evolution describes the change in the genetic material of a population of organisms from one generation to the next[2]. Though changes produced in any one generation are normally small, differences accumulate with each generation but can, over time, become big changes in the population. Darwin suggests that even though species are different from each other they are all related to each other one way or another. But what makes species different is that animals and plants produce too many offspring. Offspring is a child of something. For example, how many rabbits do you see in the start of spring compared to the end? A lot of them die, because there's not enough food and prey to dividend between the remaining species. Of course these animals they their very best to retrieve the food they need, so they have to compete with each other; this is also called the environmental niche, or 'selection pressures'. Selection pressures are like rules of a game; you either play by them, or as depressing as it sounds, you and your species perish and become extinct. These rules influence the survival prospects of an organism. They pressure the species to find enough food, find a mate to breed with, cope with disease, hide/defend against predators, and to find shelter to obtain civilisation. Darwin also describes that evidence of creatures come from DNA and blood, but the smallest things can make the biggest differences! For example, Darwin studied birds that he called Darwin's finches that eat nuts and annually, he captured the birds and measured their bodies then released them onto the island again. But when a drought appeared, only the birds with the toughest beaks could manage to eat the remaining nuts, and all the rest died. When those birds produce offspring, their beaks are most likely to be the same size as their parents. Although it is only about 2mm bigger, things like this can be a big difference to selection pressures and the ability to survive.

Agricultural Evolution

Humans have changed nature in many ways since their existence on the earth[3]. Some of these changes caused benefits, but many did not. Since the Neolithic Revolution (the world's first revolution in agriculture), humans have domesticated animals. The positive effects of this are that the animals are fed and kept clean. Despite this, the animals must sacrifice their freedom as wild creatures. For example, cows are kept and bred to provide milk, food, and clothing. Horses and camels are forced to bare a human's weight on their backs, and carry the human where he or she pleases. These domesticated animals have no free will and are virtually slaves to humans throughout history. Agriculture led to permanent settlement because humans could eat more without travelling too much and develop the future. They could find fresh pasture for their animals that they depend on and took advantage of, and this led to population growth because more people could be fed properly. Also the more people who settle in villages the more chance is that you can build a family, which leads to enhancement on the population. Then, a portion of farmers produced more food than they ever needed, and that was when they started exchanging their crop for resources (e.g. potters and weavers evolved to exchange their products for hunter gatherers who produce food and vice versa.) Animals today can be trained for specific tasks, such as a guide dog or a talking parrot. Dogs are kept by homeowners for protection and used by law enforcement to sniff out drugs or bombs in places like airports. This type of human-animal relationship only benefits the people; the animals' abilities are just being taken advantage of. One of the reasons that humans are the fittest in the planet is by just using every other living thing to test and help them support their lives. The great thing about new inventions and new technology is that they don't test as many animals as they used to, which is a great start for improving our future. If we all start working together and avoid 'progress traps' as Ronald Wright describes, we can actually let our grandchildren see the animals that we see today.

Le Guin stated that the main theme of her book Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come Out Tonightwas the domination of nature by the human race. Le Guin explains that the main character, Gal, experienced first-hand how the animals lived before the humans took over, and Chickadee explained to her "When we lived together it was all one place. But now the new humans live apart. They weigh down on our place, they press on it, draw it, suck it, eat it, eat holes in it, and crowd it out…" This shows us those other areas of life that we often either forget or simply treat as tools. The man also explained how humans had forced the animals into isolation. She saw the wickedness of human nature when the farmers shot at Coyote on sight, and then set a trap to poison her. We need to stop using nature for our resources, as they're just like us, living creatures, and we need to stop taking advantage of this, especially if it is bad for our health.

The Last Ape Standing

"We did not pop out of the jungles in Africa, big brained, tool laden, and ready for modern life."

Chip Water explained that we came in stages, part of a vast and jumbled experiment largely driven by our home planet's fickle ways[4]. Back then everything was more dangerous, and staying alive demanded more mobility, energy, toughness and cunning. The world was testing them, harshly, and the forces of evolution were remorselessly moulding them into a new kind of ape. "We need to hope for the right genetic mutation at the perfect time, but we are so steeped into technology and used to controlling our environment. We need something happening entirely on accident, like us and our past." I think that Water means that there are no evolutionary shortcuts and no quick technological fixes that are in our everyday lives. But sometimes you just have to get lucky. Water also explains that travelling on two feet is also 'more efficient than scrambling along with four.' For example, take seals, dolphins, and whales. They were all former land animals but developed fins - they couldn't inherit these traits from one another because they were distinct species and evolved independently. But because they are now living in water their features seem to favour creatures that grow fins of some kind. Upper walking made our ancestors more mobile and efficient, to evade the predators that were evolving along with them. As another example of Water's idea of something happening by accident, in one stage, two species were striding down two distinctly different roads - one that included smaller figure and so called 'gracile' apes, and another that embraced bigger, thicker jaws and teeth, otherwise known as 'robust' apes.

Out of the two, robust apes were the safer, the more conservative one[5]. They were undoubtedly resourceful and socially bonded than the apes they were descended from. The other path plotted completely by the combination of genes, environment and random chance was the one we like to call 'gracile.' These primates were very slim and only thought to be seen to walk on two legs, although the robust were thought to vary between walking on two and four legs. The shapes of their jaws and heads indicate that they didn't care much for nuts, bark and berries, but they had developed an appetite for meat and the protein it provided, which may account for their larger brains. But this leads to one question: which approach is best? Gracile or robust? "You couldn't be blamed for putting your money on the robust side of the table. They were strong and durable and have adapted the jungle ways well. Gracile apes on the other hand looked less likely to succeed." I think that Water meant that the robust approach was stable, but the gracile was very risky. But sometimes, however risk pays off. With bigger brains and a more upright position gracile apes were succeeding. This shows me that our future depends on us taking risks "Good news for us, because it was from those lines you are here today."

Andy Clark's ideas about Cyborgs

"Half the people here aren't entirely where they seem to be when they are using technology"

What does it mean to be a "natural-born cyborg?" asks Clark in this popular science account of recent trends in the world of cyborgs[6]. Cyborgs are people whose functioning is aided by or dependent on a mechanical or electronic device, such as a cell phone. His answer, which is firmly stated, is simply to be human. We have a natural liking for tool-based extension, and this, coupled with the development of recent smart technologies, explains why we are beginning to resemble the traits of being who we are. Andy Clark talks about how all about humans becoming stronger, faster, and more powerful through the use of integrated technology. He writes about the town in England that he used to live in, formerly a once-sleepy English seaside, and is now only wired. He explains that in his ten-year absence in the United States, the town has 'converted itself into a town that seems to sell nothing but coffee and cell phones.'

"Not only is it wired. Half the people aren't entirely where they seem to be." Clark means that it seems like the people are not in the room talking directly to him and are talking to people outside of the room - it almost seems like the cell phone is the person. The cell phone is almost 'part of you,' because it caters for your basic needs and, for most cell phone users, is in your hands more than a knife and fork. It makes your life easier by doing jobs like: storing all your contacts, GPS, online food and clothing ordering, emails, notifications, alarms, or just simply to take notes with. Clark suggests that software upgrades (like downloading an updated operated system from Apple) is just like a 'mindware' upgrade. For example, when the new iOS 7 for iPhones came out, numerous amounts of people were so thrilled about it, but many other people were distraught. The reasons of these emotions were that this small update was a magnificent part of their life. But this doesn't account for every living human being, as some don't even know what technology is, or some people don't believe in it. But that can sometimes be a problem - humans in Africa die because they can't get hold of resources and food and therefore die. Our brain is like a laptop, computer or a calculator, and our thinking is sort of like the processes that take place in those objects. In a newspaper article (The Times, February 4th 2014) a reporter suggests that computers will become smarter than humans in the next fifteen years. They have already made robots complete arcade games without the assistance of humans, and believe that robots can tell us more about ourselves that we already know.

Each of the theories I have discussed, covers important aspects of why humans have been dominating the world. Only when these theories are connected, a more complete picture emerges. For example, the technological advance of technology highlighted by Andy Clark may well lead to a progress trap in accordance with Wright's ideas. People just may find life too easy once all tasks are computerized. Other theories cover important aspects of why humans started dominating the world, including agriculture and the use of animals, evolution of our DNA and the concept of gracile apes.

With all these theories explaining our evolution, it is possible to forecasts further technological or other advances that will further represent the dominance of humans? In my opinion I don't think it is. The future is really hard to predict, for example, household robots have been forecasted to help humans with their chores for at least 50 years, but the use of robots so far has been limited to automated manufacturing and highly specialised tasks such as entering places that are too dangerous for humans to enter. The real breakthrough technologies like the steam engine, telephone, and more recently the Internet, probably couldn't be imagined before they emerged from human evolution. Sometimes it is a small, overlooked invention that over time leads to breakthrough improvement like the invention of the standardized shipping container which has revolutionised world trade. Whatever the human mind has developed, evolution has not come in a straight line, nor has it been predictable.

So where is evolution taking us? While nobody knows the answer for sure and new technologies that can't be even imagined right now may be just around the corner, there are certain global risks that concern me at the moment, specifically overpopulation and climate change. Although I think that the likelihood of humans becoming extinct is very small, I strongly believe that both could be considered a great risk to humans worldwide and therefore might have an impact on evolution. Us humans are already experiencing climate change today, for example the recent hurricane, but if it continues and develops into dangerous global warming and even more extreme weather patterns we might lose a big area of the world where food can be grown or produced and where humans can live and breathe.

This scenario leads to my second worry which is overpopulation, as the 20th century saw a rapid increase in human population due to medical developments and massive increase in agricultural productivity. If this growth continues and extreme global warming sets in there might not be enough food to feed the world and a combination of famines and extreme weather might lead to outbreak of diseases, nuclear warfare over food and other disastrous situations.

No one knows where evolution is heading. The human race has come a long way and I hope that humans will always use their brains and intellectual capability to take the right decisions that are in the interest of the whole planet, decisions that influence evolution in a positive way, for the benefit of all living creatures. Whatever this will be …

References

· The Myth of Prometheus - Plato

· Chip Water Jr, 'Last Ape Standing,' 2013, Walker & Company (New York)

· A Short History of Progress, Charles Darwin, 2004, Da Capo Press

· Charles Darwin on the Origin of Species (The Illustrated Edition), 1859, Stirling Publishing

· Colin Campbell & Roger Childs, (1993), Moving Experiences: The Mobility of People and Ideas. McMillan Publishers NZ Ltd.

· Andy Clark (2003), Natural Born Cyborgs - Minds, Technologies, and the Future of Human Intelligence, Oxford University Press

· From Peppered Moths to Walking Sticks

· Populating the Earth: R. McKie, Chapter 3

[1]A Short History of Progress, Ronald Wright, 2004, Da Capo Press

[2]Charles Darwin on the Origin of Species (The Illustrated Edition), 1859, Stirling Publishing

[3]Populating the Earth: R. McKie, Chapter 3

[4]Chip Water Jr, 'Last Ape Standing,' 2013, Walker & Company (New York)

[5]Ibid

[6]Andy Clark (2003), Natural Born Cyborgs - Minds, Technologies, and the Future of Human Intelligence, Oxford University Press

yes,

every family should have one or somesort of machine to communicate each other with.

Answer

Telephone is the life blood of a business. The right kind of the phone system such as the Virtual PBX system have the ability to unify home and office communication devices . So, the functions and features of telephone is very necessary to run the daily business activities.

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You could expect a few different things. each computer has the possibility of having onboard and a video card as an internal preiphreal device.

Below are some common things that would occur during a post of a PC with a displaced video card:

Computer when started makes a beep as normal, internal sounds may or may not be heard as the computer boots. After some time the computer may or may not make a sound as the operating system starts. The monitor may flicker or not, the monitor may display a red geen and blue bar set on the screen and it may or may not be moving from location to location on the screen. The screen may appear black and not working.

1. If the computer beeps when starting with a single short beep sound the computer has entered the start sequence laidout by the BIOS. This should indicate that you should see something rendered on the screen. if not check these things first:

Monitor cable is plugged in and working as indicated by a light of some sort on most monitors. Amber NORMALLY indicates a standby state while the monitor looks for activity from the computer. If its amber, and you can tell the computer is started, (sound from speakers, activity on the hard drive by case lights and or audio clues) try using the onboard VGA port to see if you get anything rendered that way.

Monitor is turned on.

Some disadvantages of increasing human dependence on technology are:

• The more people rely on technology, the less they rely on themselves in some instances, such as using calculators instead of learning math.
• Sometimes technology may not be advantageous in the long run, such as in the case of using synthetic chemicals for controlling pests, which can be very detrimental to the environment and possibly result in health consequences for people and animals.
• Technology can fail, like when electricity goes out and in turn computers don't work you can't buy gasoline or shop at most places.

An absolute loader is the simplest type of loader scheme that fits the general model of loaders. The assembler produces the output in the same way as in the "complier and go loader" . The assembler outputs the machine language translation of the source program.

Disadvantage:

• The programmer has to specify the address to the assembler that where the program is to be loaded.
• It is very difficult to realocate in case of multiple subroutine.
• Programmer has to remember the address of each subroutine and use that absolute address explicitly in other subroutines to perform subroutine linkage