yes, this is right up Gibson's alley. I think he foresaw a lot of the technological impacts and moods of the current state of affairs.
Also, this is not meant to be a literal truth, but a rhetorical technique that brushes very close to what could very well come about (ie sentient internet). It's a way of putting the technological advancement in perspective; a way of updating what we think of as 'human'. A brain is a complex network, the Net is a complex network, so...
Also, this is the plant doco:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_botany_of_desire
and this is teh Kevin Kelly book:
http://www.kk.org/books/what-technology-wants.php
He calls the future state of technology a "near-living system" with its own imperatives. I think this is a very powerful idea - and begs a whole lot of speculation (will it have behave with intent, good or bad, ethics etc). And basically I'm taking that idea as a given.
It can be taken as cybernetic paranoia, but as a rhetorical device, with which to maybe one day look back and trace the root mood and interactions that were the early signs of this Living Thing, I think it's bonza speculation.
This is a fascinating concept. It reminds me of some of William Gibson's work (he coined the term 'cyberspace').
ReplyDeleteThe point at which the net becomes self-aware could perhaps be termed "cybermorphic", rather than anthropomorphic.
~Joe
Joe,
ReplyDeleteyes, this is right up Gibson's alley. I think he foresaw a lot of the technological impacts and moods of the current state of affairs.
Also, this is not meant to be a literal truth, but a rhetorical technique that brushes very close to what could very well come about (ie sentient internet). It's a way of putting the technological advancement in perspective; a way of updating what we think of as 'human'. A brain is a complex network, the Net is a complex network, so...
Also, this is the plant doco:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_botany_of_desire
and this is teh Kevin Kelly book:
http://www.kk.org/books/what-technology-wants.php
He calls the future state of technology a "near-living system" with its own imperatives. I think this is a very powerful idea - and begs a whole lot of speculation (will it have behave with intent, good or bad, ethics etc). And basically I'm taking that idea as a given.
It can be taken as cybernetic paranoia, but as a rhetorical device, with which to maybe one day look back and trace the root mood and interactions that were the early signs of this Living Thing, I think it's bonza speculation.
reens