If science fiction movies have warned us once, they've done it a thousand times: machines will be the doom of us all. But in a potential ray of hope from across the world, some scientists may be working to prevent our eventual destruction from coming to pass.... OR ARE THEY?
The fear that our end will come at the pincers, claws, hydraulic rams or holographic actuators of our own devices dates back long before the creation of science fiction - probably back to shortly after the development of fire.
Somehow we've always feared, deep down, what was coming... the legendary golems of Jewish lore, Shakespeare's 'The Tempest' (and the 1956 Hollywood version 'Forbidden Planet'), most of James Cameron's career, they all point the same way.
But now, the "Center for the Study of Existential Risk" - aka, and I kid you not, 'the Centre for Terminator Studies', is set to open at Cambridge University.
It's stated purpose will be to study the 'greatest threats to the human species' and will be staffed by some of the major names in respectable scientific harrumphology, including Britain's Astronomer Royal Lord Rees and another honorable personage who is actually named - I'm still not kidding - "Huw Price".
Lest all this seem a hopeful sign of preventive action, wisdom and foresight, go get your industrial-grade eye protection and take a peek at this other news item: the Europeans are also working to develop the world's most powerful laser.
It is expected focus over 200 million, billion watts of power onto a single dot, and ultimately will be capable of - again, I wish I was joking - "ripping apart the fabric of space-time" itself. (that's actually a quote from the article)
If anyone has not already guessed, this doomsday beam - which is being likened to the 'Death Star' weapon from Star Wars - will also be situated in the UK. They hope to have the first stages of the machine operational by 2017.
By 2018, I guess all the current arguments about firearm laws is going to seem pretty... quaint. The end is near!
The fear that our end will come at the pincers, claws, hydraulic rams or holographic actuators of our own devices dates back long before the creation of science fiction - probably back to shortly after the development of fire.
Somehow we've always feared, deep down, what was coming... the legendary golems of Jewish lore, Shakespeare's 'The Tempest' (and the 1956 Hollywood version 'Forbidden Planet'), most of James Cameron's career, they all point the same way.
But now, the "Center for the Study of Existential Risk" - aka, and I kid you not, 'the Centre for Terminator Studies', is set to open at Cambridge University.
It's stated purpose will be to study the 'greatest threats to the human species' and will be staffed by some of the major names in respectable scientific harrumphology, including Britain's Astronomer Royal Lord Rees and another honorable personage who is actually named - I'm still not kidding - "Huw Price".
Lest all this seem a hopeful sign of preventive action, wisdom and foresight, go get your industrial-grade eye protection and take a peek at this other news item: the Europeans are also working to develop the world's most powerful laser.
It is expected focus over 200 million, billion watts of power onto a single dot, and ultimately will be capable of - again, I wish I was joking - "ripping apart the fabric of space-time" itself. (that's actually a quote from the article)
If anyone has not already guessed, this doomsday beam - which is being likened to the 'Death Star' weapon from Star Wars - will also be situated in the UK. They hope to have the first stages of the machine operational by 2017.
By 2018, I guess all the current arguments about firearm laws is going to seem pretty... quaint. The end is near!
About the Author:
Ben Scott is a blogger whose muse is shadenfreude (a German word meaning "laughing at another's misfortune") - you can read more of his satire at Why We're Doomed and if you enjoyed this piece, you'll probably love this post!
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