Today, I was looking through the History channel which was talking about the challenges that we faced today. I remembered vividly hearing this statement from somewhere:
For a world to progress, people have to think of themselves only
Do I agree? Read more to find out.
Challenges the world faces today
In an ever-changing world today, people are getting more and more competitive. People start outdoing each other, finding different ways and devious means in order to get what they want. According to US census, the population would rise to a staggering 9,309,051,539 from the current 6,840,423,256. Dwindling fossil fuels, overcrowding, an expected rise in more devastating natural disasters, sparse opportunities and resources would be the largest challenge humanity has yet to face. One might argue that these problems would not exist in the future because Science had solved it. However, in science there are four main categories which are —- natural, social and behavioural, applied and formal sciences. These categories can be even further sub-divided and all this just goes to prove that science is vast and is like a big puzzle. Science and technology will be unable to catch up with the ever mounting problems. As George Bernard Shaw once said " science never solves a problem without creating ten more ".
1st scenario:
In every part of the world, riot after riot will be held due to the failure to meet people's basic needs. Schools, businesses, research and others will be shut down for good. Progress will not resume until the impossible needs of every person is met. Those people who are selfless will be extinguished and only those who will think for themselves will survive. At that time, those who are selfless would be taken advantage and preyed upon by corrupted officials who are also struggling to make ends meet. At this point in time, it would be every man for himself.
Therefore only the strong will be able to survive then. Countries will have to battle it out to gain supremacy. Through this, country after country will fall, massacres will have to be carried out to reduce the ever-growing population. Finally, after peace resumes, the last country standing will finally be able to colonise the whole world, and hence progress will finally be restored.
Humans find a scientific breakthrough that allows us to travel to other worlds and start our colonisation of the whole universe, letting us have an eternal amount of resources and land space. As our population grows bigger and bigger, and with the resources to support ourselves, the progress of technology would increase dramatically, making human progress unstoppable.
3rd scenario:
Nothing is done. Resources have ran out, and the population of humans shrink gradually but slowly, and finally dies out.
How I feel:
Hi Nicholas,
ReplyDeleteFirstly, I would like to commend you for using pictures in your blog post. It definitely lightens up my spirits and probably subsequent readers. Your post gave a description of what would happen and the different scenarios. I liked it as it deepened my knowledge in this topic. One thing that I feel is lacking is that you should give more elaboration on how you feel. Let me share some of my thoughts with you.
I think we humans should not be so calculative now and try to develop and inculcate a sense in which we share and help one another to solve the difficulties we face. We should start building up a community of trust and respect at this point of time as well. This would aid us in future as we would then be able to handle problems as one world, as one mankind. I have read an article in Time magazine regarding the end of the human race. The title is “Do you think Earth cares?” Its content is mainly talking about the human race is nothing much compared to dinosaurs in the eyes of the Earth. We live only about a week in the Earth’s time. That is just how insignificant we are. However, I find that if we are able to make a change, we would be able to do so and make a mark in the universe.
Cheers,
Leonard
Dear Nicholas,
ReplyDeleteI find your scenarios rather interesting to read about, and it has definitely been helpful to me in finding out more about another person's point of view about what would happen in the future. In a world where life is fast-paced and stressful, humans have failed to stop and consider this extremely important question, instead having the mindset that this is a trivial problem that would not affect the person in his or her lifetime, and I am pleased that you have brought this topic up for discussion.
In my opinion, I would not mind an apocalypse to end all of humanity, or even better, a situation where humanity causes its own death. Why? Well, all of humanity is selfish, all it has ever done are for its own benefit. Even great human qualities such as courage do nothing but to serve humanity to soar to greater heights. Perhaps, I am being too sceptical here, after all, animals, plants and all other living things are also selfish. However, have they caused as much destruction as humans have? I rather agree that "for a world to progress, people have to think of themselves only", after all, is that not how humans have progressed in the first place? Is not the development of technology due to humans wanting to improve their own lives?
Regards,
Chong Kai En (2i106)