Published: September 30, 2009 08:46 am      

LION AND THE LAMB: Will people get smarter soon?

The Cub and the Kid

The Kid was nibbling at the July/August issue of Atlantic magazine. He stopped at a story titled "Get Smart," by Jamais Cascio. The Cub looked at the Kid. He was wondering what was happening. “Something really slowed you down,” the Cub said. “Did you hit a rough patch in that magazine?”

The Kid shook his head and ate more slowly as he explained and read from the magazine. “The author of this article, who is with the Institute for the Future, in California, says humans are about to get a lot smarter. Cascio is already taking a drug that makes him alert and focused, even during long periods without sleep. But that’s not the only thing that will magnify human intelligence. He says the Internet is creating an information flow that will make humans smarter. He also speculates about tools that will bring more human control over the environment and greater skill and efficiency in managing human endeavors. Higher intelligence will come more quickly in wealthy nations that have well-educated citizens. People who can’t or won’t take advantage of the new tools will be left behind so far as their enlarged smarts departments are concerned.”

“What does he say about goats and tigers?” the Cub asked.

“Nothing,” the Kid answered.

“That figures,” the Cub replied.

The Kid ignored what the Cub said. “They even have a fancy name for it—‘intelligence augmentation,’” the Kid continued. “Cascio says people today don’t have good tools to make the best use of the information flow.”

The Cub was puzzled. “I suppose he’s talking about implanting computer chips in human heads?”

The Kid read on. “No,” he said. “The author says that computer chips too quickly become obsolete. People would be constantly having the latest chips installed in their brains. He sees better software tools for smaller computers instead, with programs to filter out the trash.”

The Cub scratched his right ear. “To do what?” he said with a disbelieving tone.

The Kid looked at his friend to see if his interest was genuine. “Lots of things,” the Kid said. “Drugs are one. Not stupid drugs like meth, but tested drugs that help people focus better, learn faster and stay awake and alert when they need to.”

The Cub’s interest picked up. “Would humans leave drugs around where we could get to them? I might be an undiscovered rocket scientist.”

The Kid shook his head. “I hope not. If we get too smart, humans might discover that we already know lots more than they think.”

The Kid pressed on. “The author says that in a few more generations humans may develop artificial minds running on what he calls a ‘machine platform.’ Children now in school may see that day.”

The Cub snickered. “That’s baloney. Why would a mind, real or artificial, want to live in a machine?”

The Kid thought for a moment. “To survive, I guess. It wouldn’t happen tomorrow, but humans might welcome intelligence augmentation in a few more generations—machine minds to think for them, like a pet wonder brain in a box. You could get a teacher brain box, a preacher brain box, a carpenter brain box—whatever.”

The Cub was unconvinced. “I’m glad I’m a tiger. Imagine all the human arguments about moral issues, religious differences, national goals and plain old fashioned political contrariness.”

The Kid agreed. “You’re right. The big question is: if humans get smarter in the near future will they find improved ways to work together instead of more ways to shout silliness and shoot at each other?”