What is the goal of technology?

[idNut]

My conversation with Nocturnal had me stir up an idea that's been floating in my head: what exactly are we aiming for with our technology? Are we working toward computers running everything so man can stay idle and receive the pleasure of leisure his entire life? Are we trying to head there for equality so that everyone can have everything they want, in a virtual world? The idea came from the movie "Mindwarp" with Bruce Campbell and Angus Scrimm where the entire population of the world is just plugged into their own world where every and any dream is possible. It's not like the matrix where you're constantly plugged in because you can go in and out of your dreamworld at anytime to live in your little apartmant. There is a bathroom and green muck for food.

The reason I mention that is I believe it's a believeable scenario. That is, after all, what we live for: pleasure. As much of it as we can get by having kids, eating, fvcking, engaging in drugs, all to reach our own heavenly status. So is this what we are striving for in technology?

 

[m2kewl]

it's to guarantee humanity's annihilation - hasn't it sunken in yet after two terminator and one matrix movies???!!

 

[idNut]

^

 

[Ender]

The goal of technology is to keep us satisfied with life.

 

[idNut]

Originally posted by: Ender
The goal of technology is to keep us satisfied with life.

That's a pretty good answer.

 

[Martin]

its supposed to make our lives easier and more enjoyable, as well as give us more free time, but that's just a bunch of crap IMO. Workers today do not have more free time than workers in the early 80s...

Sometime I think it would have been better if we stayed monkeys...sleeping, eating a having sex...nothign else...Alwasy reminds me of the movie "Instinct"

 

[idNut]

Originally posted by: MartyTheManiak
its supposed to make our lives easier and more enjoyable, as well as give us more free time, but that's just a bunch of crap IMO. Workers today do not have more free time than workers in the early 80s...

Sometime I think it would have been better if we stayed monkeys...sleeping, eating a having sex...nothign else...Alwasy reminds me of the movie "Instinct"

I agree.

 

[HappyPuppy]

The goal of technology is to keep us happy in our insignificant lives while, at the same time, convincing us that we are actually free and not slaves.

 

[wfbberzerker]

well, i think that in order to understand the things we do, we have to go back to the beginning, when we first started to invent things. why did we invent tools to help us hunt and make shelter? to survive. once that was accomplished, we looked for ways of making it easier. so, basically, what it all boils down to, imho, is that society is driven by the need to make survival easier. so, that drive will probably never end.

 

[NoReMoRsE]

There is no ultimate "goal" of technology. Humanity is blindly developing better and faster technology because of several reasons:

1. What do you do after you build a mousetrap? Build a better one or improve an existing one. The only other option is to sit around and do nothing, which would be pointless.

2. If we don't build a better mousetrap, our enemies / future enemies will.

 

[Schadenfreude]

goal of technology = meaning of our existence

there isn't one.

 

[idNut]

Originally posted by: Jehovah
goal of technology = meaning of our existence

there isn't one.

Interesting post coming from someone named 'Jehovah'.

 

[dolph]

since i can't read any threads longer than 8 words due to inebriation, i'm gonna have to ignore all the other replies and say that the goal of technology is to have vr eventually replace sex

 

[m2kewl]

we're like ants in the universe. no one will care if one died.

 

[alkemyst]

There are several goals really...in medicine to help us live longer, in manufacturing to make cheaper and faster production, in the home less work after work, etc

Some people just give up on technology and move to no man's land and do it all on their own.

 

[Killbat]

Primary reason for technology: communication.

All else is secondary.

 

[Sluggo]

Originally posted by: dolph
since i can't read any threads longer than 8 words due to inebriation, i'm gonna have to ignore all the other replies and say that the goal of technology is to have vr eventually replace sex

Yep, virtual reality sex.

 

[dighn]

power, productivity, comfort and for progress

technology in general, not just computer tech

 

[dighn]

i swear i clicked only once

 

[Dudd]

The goal of technology is to make more money for Intel, AMD, NVidia, etc etc. In a capitalistic society, that is pretty much what the goal of every industry is, barring non-profit charities of course.

 

[Ronstang]

Originally posted by: Dudd
The goal of technology is to make more money for Intel, AMD, NVidia, etc etc. In a capitalistic society, that is pretty much what the goal of every industry is, barring non-profit charities of course.

BINGO.....the rest of you are trying to hard to be philosophers. Technology is purely driven by $$$$$. With no rewards no one would spend the R&D to develop new technologies.

 

[Killbat]

Originally posted by: Ronstang

Originally posted by: Dudd
The goal of technology is to make more money for Intel, AMD, NVidia, etc etc. In a capitalistic society, that is pretty much what the goal of every industry is, barring non-profit charities of course.

BINGO.....the rest of you are trying to hard to be philosophers. Technology is purely driven by $$$$$. With no rewards no one would spend the R&D to develop new technologies.

If that's how you define technology, then yes, absolutely, but that definition of technology is critically narrow.

 

[Martin]

Originally posted by: Ronstang

Originally posted by: Dudd
The goal of technology is to make more money for Intel, AMD, NVidia, etc etc. In a capitalistic society, that is pretty much what the goal of every industry is, barring non-profit charities of course.

BINGO.....the rest of you are trying to hard to be philosophers. Technology is purely driven by $$$$$. With no rewards no one would spend the R&D to develop new technologies.

except you ignore the fact technology predates both money and capitalism.

 

[notfred]

The reason we build things is to make a living. People at intel designed the P4 so that they could pay thier mortgages, not so that some people on the internet can have more pleasurable lives, or simpler communication, or whatever else was mentioned in this thread.

There is no set goal for some global destination of where technology is going, the only thing that unifies it all is that people show up at work every day so they can afford to live. Even if money wasn't an issue, there still wouldn't be some technological goal for the world, there'd just be people building stuff cause they found it useful, not because they expected the whole world to change.

 

[dighn]

Originally posted by: MartyTheManiak

Originally posted by: Ronstang

Originally posted by: Dudd
The goal of technology is to make more money for Intel, AMD, NVidia, etc etc. In a capitalistic society, that is pretty much what the goal of every industry is, barring non-profit charities of course.

BINGO.....the rest of you are trying to hard to be philosophers. Technology is purely driven by $$$$$. With no rewards no one would spend the R&D to develop new technologies.

except you ignore the fact technology predates both money and capitalism.

and that businesses exist because of consumers. if consumers don't want technology, businesses can't survive. and i thin some of you are speaking as if "technology" == "computer technology" when in reality "technology" encompasses much much more.

the cutting edge consumer level computer technology maybe mostly money driven (even so, it is driven by the consumers really), but can you speak the same for the rest of it all? semiconductors, the telephone, penicillen, laser, space technolgoy etc