The Future Is Rosy
Friday, September 28, 2007 Filed in: Places
What will the future bring? Some say war, anarchy,
turbulent weather, and rising oceans. Freeman Dyson says the future
is rosy.
Before you ask what kind of medication Dyson is taking and why he needs it and how long dementia has been in his family, consider this. Dyson is a respected scientist, a theoretical physicst and mathematician. He's the kind of guy who knows and can explain quantum mechanics, solid-state physics.
Not that most of us would know whether Dyson's explanation was accurate or not.
Dyson is an intelligent man, an educated and experienced thinker, and at 84, he's been around a few blocks. He also resembles Ross Perot without the Texas accent. Dyson never earned a Ph.D but did pick up 18 honorable degrees. He's known as much for his writings and prognostications of science and technology as his is for his considerable role in unifying quantum electrodynamics.
Why does Dyson think the future is rosy? It's the mix of religion and science which he finds fascinating, and which he thinks will save the world from destruction.
Are religion and science at odds? Not according to Dyson, who once said:
Why? Dyson says, "Most places are better off being warmer than being colder."
That's hard to argue with. The problem may go beyond that. Those places that are already too warm could end up even warmer. As in too hot. No matter, because Dyson says much of what happens in the world is cyclical in nature. For example, he says glaciers were smaller 2,000 years ago, got bigger over the centuries, then began getting smaller 200 years ago. So, mankind didn't cause all the so-called damaged. It just happens. What goes up, must go down. What's bad will become good again if we wait long enough.
Since the world often seems like it is going to hell in a hand basket, all we have to do to make our future rosy is to wait for it. And wait long enough for the cycle to tick upwards again.
That works for me.
Before you ask what kind of medication Dyson is taking and why he needs it and how long dementia has been in his family, consider this. Dyson is a respected scientist, a theoretical physicst and mathematician. He's the kind of guy who knows and can explain quantum mechanics, solid-state physics.
Not that most of us would know whether Dyson's explanation was accurate or not.
Dyson is an intelligent man, an educated and experienced thinker, and at 84, he's been around a few blocks. He also resembles Ross Perot without the Texas accent. Dyson never earned a Ph.D but did pick up 18 honorable degrees. He's known as much for his writings and prognostications of science and technology as his is for his considerable role in unifying quantum electrodynamics.
Why does Dyson think the future is rosy? It's the mix of religion and science which he finds fascinating, and which he thinks will save the world from destruction.
Are religion and science at odds? Not according to Dyson, who once said:
Dyson is the same guy who studied climate change 30 years before it became a political hot potato, and he's not impressed with the science behind global warming estimates."My conception of God is not weakned by my not knowing whether the physical universe is open or closed, finite or infitine, simple or multiple. God for me is a mystery, and will remain a mystery after we know the answers to these questions... I cannot imagine that he is greatly impressed by our juvenile efforts to read his mind."
Why? Dyson says, "Most places are better off being warmer than being colder."
That's hard to argue with. The problem may go beyond that. Those places that are already too warm could end up even warmer. As in too hot. No matter, because Dyson says much of what happens in the world is cyclical in nature. For example, he says glaciers were smaller 2,000 years ago, got bigger over the centuries, then began getting smaller 200 years ago. So, mankind didn't cause all the so-called damaged. It just happens. What goes up, must go down. What's bad will become good again if we wait long enough.
Since the world often seems like it is going to hell in a hand basket, all we have to do to make our future rosy is to wait for it. And wait long enough for the cycle to tick upwards again.
That works for me.
