The Light

Life was better when technology was simpler…To what extent do you agree or disagree?

If someone says that life was better when technology was simpler, I can hardly agree with it. The reasons are quite simple: we develop technology for making our life better; if there are values in human sense, we should trust the motivation from hearts of our ancestors, especially those pioneers in inventing or spreading good technology.

In daily life, when our ancestors worried about their next meal and next shelter, some elites of them discovered fire, invented arrows and made tools. Nearly all historians and anthropologists may agree that this step indeed changed the whole profile of human being, unlike animals, that brought us into an intelligent time. Thus life was better when the problem of survival solved.

In economic and social development, when our ancestors faced famine and poverty, some genius created agriculture and economy. Based on the science of math, geometry, astronomy, biology and so on, agriculture and economy brought us into a new period which we can call it civilization. Life in some kinds of civilization was much easier than the Dark Age.

Now, we enjoy our life by sharing experience with loved one, extending sensory feeling, overcoming obstacle of time and space, or chasing fashion. Technology, like energy industry, information technology, computer science, precision manufacturing, or biomedical technology helps us again. Artificial intelligence in cell phone, laptop, camera and even every item in the future will enable us to do whatever we want, no matter when and where. High technology in clinical medicine will improve the life quality of everyone, no matter who you are and how much money you own. Life will be better meanwhile the technology will be higher.

I know there always are people who fears higher technology, because they think technology is cold and neutral with little human kindness. It is really reasonable when they fear enemy’s control or monopoly of technology, or when they fear running away of our own technology. But life has been changed, for long time, by every effort in technology, no matter how they feel. For these people, also for whole human being, the solution is to establish a wise and secure way of developing and using technology. That will be a new question in the area of politics, sociology and moral principles.