Here is a short film adaptation of the apocalyptic science fiction story The Machine Stops (by E.M. Forster. Remember him? He wrote Howards End, which we discussed in our first class.)
For Discussion: How close are we to the machine dependence he depicts? I know some of you said robots would never take over the earth (in discussion below) but what if we let them like Forster envisions?
For Discussion: How close are we to the machine dependence he depicts? I know some of you said robots would never take over the earth (in discussion below) but what if we let them like Forster envisions?
posted by Anthony at
11:44 AM
45 Comments:
I think this video is very strange, and I don't think we will ever get to a point where a machine takes over. Yes, technology is on a constant rise but i believe everyone loves the natural freedom of this world.
By
Jaclyn Dicarlo, at Mon Dec 06, 05:10:00 PM 2010
I can never imagine a world in which we follow up on robotic being just for the fact of living naturally. I believe technology is in a constant rise too, but we shouldn't be too worried about living in a "computerized, robotic" world until maybe Earth millions of years from now will come to an end. Forster had an idea that maybe someday they would take over the world, but it collasped apart just as fast as it was probably built.
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NatalieSmirne, at Mon Dec 06, 07:50:00 PM 2010
ok lets say we let machines do every thing for us, that still dont mean that machine could evertake over the world. The way machine are made now, they need a master to control whats it does, unlike in the video, machine could never over power human beings. Machines are just there to make life easier for us humans.
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orane churchill, at Mon Dec 06, 10:52:00 PM 2010
again i agree with natalie because i too cannot imagine a world where we have to live under robotic creatures and even serve them no matter how crazy my imaginations are.
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orane churchill, at Mon Dec 06, 10:53:00 PM 2010
We are dependent on machines, but I don't think the world would ever come to the point of dependency that is shown in the movie. Let alone seeming impossible I think too many factions of people would be greatly opposed to the start of any such project, and would stop it before it reached the point of wretchedness that the movie depicted.
By
egreen, at Tue Dec 07, 10:02:00 AM 2010
I may be in the minority, but I think that robotics will eventually get up to the level of us humans eventually. not necessarily in my generation or my children's generation but down the line for sure. Eventually, robots or humanoids or whatever you want to call them will indeed take over. It just may be a very long time.
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bkohler, at Tue Dec 07, 10:53:00 AM 2010
While I do think that there are a lot of things that machines or robots will be able to do I do not think that they will be able to run the entire country. I think that there is to much at risk and there is to much to lose when it comes to allowing robots to run the enitre country or world.
By
Alex George, at Tue Dec 07, 02:19:00 PM 2010
I think that this video is also very strange. But I do not think that we will ever be able to allow a machine to do absolutely everything for us. It is a scary thought though.
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kregensburg, at Tue Dec 07, 04:51:00 PM 2010
I also agree with Alex. Machines are not humans, they do not have the conscience like we do. It is to much of a risk to even come close to allowing machines to be put in charge
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kregensburg, at Tue Dec 07, 04:54:00 PM 2010
I think we are very dependent on technology and have become lazy because of it. I wouldn't doubt that sometime far in the future we have robots doing things for us, but technology doesn't have conscious thoughts like we do. Therefore, they cannot think or know that they can take over.
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samanthatellip, at Tue Dec 07, 07:46:00 PM 2010
I thought this video was quite strange also. I find the events hard to believe since we would have to either build a machine or build a machine to build the mega complex depicted in the video. Also after this mega machine is built, I do not think it would be possible for the machine to take over the human race.
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dudeck20, at Tue Dec 07, 11:46:00 PM 2010
I do not think that technology will ever completely take over. Even though technology is advancing on a daily basis, I do not think people will ever become completely dependent on machines and techology. I agree with Natalie because I cannot imagine a world in which we depend on robots or technology. It seems impossible for robots to totally run a country or any type or society.
By
mskevofilax, at Wed Dec 08, 12:03:00 AM 2010
although our world heavily depends on technology I dont think it is possible for machines to ever take over. Machines are designed by humans and therefore can be destroyed and controlled by humans. Machines cannot think and could never make conscious decisions.
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theresaroman, at Wed Dec 08, 10:31:00 AM 2010
Technology is getting better and better but I think we are far from what is shown in this video. I also think that even if we get technology that is capable of what it was in the video, we would never allow it to totally control us like that.
By
Matthew Buono, at Wed Dec 08, 12:30:00 PM 2010
I feel again that this still perches past the moral, ethical, religious, and in this case medical reasoning and goes straight to a wow point. I see no possibility for such a future unless the world surface is reduced to nothing but ash. Also this “machine” would be years away, for as we discussed science is also limited by economics. Where would the funding and resourced for such an endeavor come from. Perhaps this is just a brilliant depiction of what man is becoming, and the possibility to stop it.
Mark Attilio
By
Vader, at Wed Dec 08, 06:15:00 PM 2010
Yes, it is true the technology is constantly progressively changing. You get a new I-pod or a new computer or television and it's out of date in a very short span of time. However, I do not think that we will ever get to the point in this video where a machine takes over the world. After all, machines are only as smart as the people who make them so I don't think that it will ever get to the point where the roles are reversed. We will always control the machines not the other way around.
By
Amanda Rossi, at Wed Dec 08, 10:52:00 PM 2010
This was an interesting video. An interesting idea for its time. The "machine" as it is deemed in this short story is limited by the ideas of the time. It may have been an analog mechanism, but I think the warning is for our modern, digital machines.
Will robots ever be as intelligent as humans? What we need to do to answer that question is quantify intelligence and then reproduce it in the computer.
What is intelligence? Let's imagine that it is something in the mind. The human brain is completely biological. Because it is biological all its functions are biological. That can mean that its functions can be put into formula. If intelligence is produced as a function of the human brain then it is absurd to believe that intelligence can not be written for a computer.
Now, computer scientists have figured out how to breed intelligence, sentience. Now there is the issue as to why we would put this idea into a vacuum cleaner. That is just silly. Ooh, ooh, look at me I am buzzing around picking up dust... but why? That would reduce productivity.
What then would be the motive to put intelligence, sentience into a robot. I mean the word robot means worker in some eastern European language. So, why would we want the workers to be aware of themselves. That is a detriment to everyone involved. They would be unhappy and we would be scared. Or they would love working and we wouldn't really feel bad. But why does a machine have to like its work? My calculator is indifferent to the many processes that it completes and it does it with the efficiency of an avid enthusiast.
What is the point then in developing intelligence, sentience in a computer? Well think of this: we finally can simulate a human in a computer. It is just in a computer (we were intelligent enough not to put it in a robot) as a simulation. He talks, he has original ideas like all people do. When it is nighttime, to save resources, we shut off the computer. During reboot, it is the same person (he only has the same knowledge as when he was shut down nothing more nothing less). So we have one, we can produce an unlimited number of them, and eventually have them run processes faster than a human. Then they would be humans, but faster. They could analyze, interpret, imagine faster. They can apply this method to anything, even computer science to make themselves more intelligent. They could produce things faster that can produce things faster which produce things faster that produce things faster, etc.
That would be a great machine. It would be more intelligent than any single person on earth. More than any two or three or any number of people on this planet. So, I must wonder, if we produced a computer that is a more efficient thinker why wouldn't we put it in power, give it governance over all that we do as a nation?
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Unknown, at Thu Dec 09, 08:43:00 AM 2010
I find it hard to believe that society as a whole will ever be comfortable with the idea of living underground. If machine dependency ever gets to the point where we cannot survive without it, who is the one really in charge? If we depend on a machine, are they not our leader? our provider?
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Unknown, at Thu Dec 09, 03:31:00 PM 2010
I do believe that one day humans will either be dependent on machines or will be extinct. For example, let's say there was another ice age, which is a reasonable assumption. If humans create a machine that will save them, even if they have to change their lives drastically, they will do it. It would suck to be run by machines, but it would suck a lot worse to be dead. That's why I think that it's not unreasonable.
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Unknown, at Thu Dec 09, 03:34:00 PM 2010
I agree with Matthew i cannot imagine that humans would ever be compliant, without significant reason, to live underground. I believe people always need to be exploring, and one can't explore while underground in a confined machine which is controlling everything inside it's walls.
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dudeck20, at Thu Dec 09, 11:12:00 PM 2010
I don't think that people will one day live underground or be confined to the type of "machine." But people are starting to confine themselves inside on their own. Now adays people spend more time on their electronics, like their computer and tv, rather than being outside and enjoying nature. Maybe people won't literally be confined to an underground home, but people are becoming more and more confined to their homes and seeing less and less of nature.
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Amy.Davies, at Thu Dec 09, 11:17:00 PM 2010
I believe that we can get to this type of technology, but i dont think we are very close to this yet. We might beable to design machines that can function on their own to some degree, but to be able to make one machine that can contol the entire human world is still a far reach away. However, if this was to happen life would certainly change. Letting machines control the world i believe would change the way people act and what they believe in. People would no longer have to worry about everyday problems becuse the machines would take care of everything. Humans would be become very dependent on the machine and we would lose out ability to survive on our own. This means when the machine did fail like in the video the human race would fall a part. We would no longer have the machine to do everything for us, and depending on how many generations people are in the machine would determine if humans would be able to survive.
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mttshaver, at Thu Dec 09, 11:41:00 PM 2010
I agree with what Jaclyn is saying. I dont think that letting a machine take over would ever happen. I believe that to many people like the idea of freedom and taking that away is not what people as a whole will want.
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mttshaver, at Thu Dec 09, 11:43:00 PM 2010
The video can cause different arguments from different points of view. As it was said in class, it is unlikely that our generation will get to the point in which all we do is sit in front of a computer, but i think it is definitely a possiblity for generations to come since technology is becoming a greater influence on society as time passes, not getting any less.
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ninasorbelli, at Fri Dec 10, 10:11:00 AM 2010
I think that we are no where near the machine dependence that is depicted in the film. However, it is possible that one day, way in the future, we will have that sort of dependence on machines. Our dependence on machines has consistently grown over the past several decades due to the inventions and technologies introduced into our world. We can't live without our cell phones, we can't travel without our gps, and we can't indulge in leisure activities that have nothing to do with electronics at a growing rate. Even though our dependence is growing I don't think there will ever be a time where robots would completely take over the earth.
By
Cynthia Kiesling, at Sat Dec 11, 03:20:00 PM 2010
I agree with Sammy. In order for robots to take over the earth we, us humans, would have to program robots with there own sense of consciousness which is beyond our reach at the current time. I also believe that if we reached a point where we were able to put a conscious into a robot it would be strongly opposed and fought by the humans that were against it.
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Cynthia Kiesling, at Sat Dec 11, 03:21:00 PM 2010
I'm going to disagree a bit with the people saying computers can't take over the world since most of them are taking the argument ad absurdum. Robots and computers don't need to become self-aware and enslave the humnan race to take over the world (a la The Matrix). I believe in the future computers will be so efficient we'll basically willingly turn most of our world over to them. And this isn't such a bad thing. Machines can do so much more than human beings can. Therefore, computer probably will take over the world, and we will let them.
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RyanHabib, at Sat Dec 11, 09:56:00 PM 2010
I personally do not believe that the human race will ever come to this for the reason I stated in class, people are uneasy about technology despite how much they love it, this is why we buy warranties for our cell phones and televisions, man knows that technology has flaws and no matter how well it works it can always malfunction and because of this I doubt man will ever be willing to completely surrender the functions of their lives to machines and become completely dependent on them as they did in the movie.
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Unknown, at Sun Dec 12, 07:19:00 AM 2010
Although there have been advances in technology, all of these technological devices need to be programmed and controlled by humans. There will never be a time where robots control the world because they are controlled by humans.
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BrianZ, at Sun Dec 12, 07:17:00 PM 2010
I agree with Donny. Machines may get to a point where they are equal to us (like I said in my original posting), but that does not mean we will give up without fighting. That is just human nature!
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bkohler, at Sun Dec 12, 09:11:00 PM 2010
I don't think the world could ever fully depend on technology. Like in class, we discussed persons trust in it, and it seems that although our lives are basically framed arund using our computers, ipods and cell phones we could never get to the point where we allow robots and technological beings to dominate the real world. I think that with technology or not, the human race strives to maintain physical contact but more importantly control of their livestyles, using technology as only a leg up.
By
Amber Nicole Konopka, at Mon Dec 13, 08:20:00 AM 2010
Just adding on to what was said in class, most people seemed to agree that no one would ever let our dependence on technology get to the point where we can't do anything on our own. Seeing as most people think that way I believe that it won't happen in our lifetime. We have all been brought up in the era where we have seen technology develop over the years, we do know how to live without it. As for future generations who knows.
By
samanthatellip, at Mon Dec 13, 03:38:00 PM 2010
It does seem like this video is an exaggeration of robots taking over. I believe that it will never come to this point, because there is a big number of people who would oppose this kind of world.
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Emily Christian, at Mon Dec 13, 04:31:00 PM 2010
@ Ryan,
You mentioned that technology can do so much more than humans. You are limiting our intelligence. Not only are you limiting our intelligence but you are also not tkaing into account the fact that technology is programmed by humans.
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Emily Christian, at Mon Dec 13, 05:08:00 PM 2010
I would hate to think that machines or robots would take over humans, but I would agree that as technology increases and gets better we become more dependent on it. Machines will surpass the brain capacity of humans but will not take over the world.
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Nick Patricia, at Mon Dec 13, 09:50:00 PM 2010
I agree that although machines won't take over the world they will be something that humans depend on to do more complicated thinking, but I don't think this is a good thing. Machine takeover certainly won't happen for a few generations but if we allow computers to think for us, then we aren't really using our minds and thinking outside of the box. We created machines and if we stop thinking and let the machines do most of our thinking for us, then at some point technology could stop evolving or slow down dramatically.
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Amy.Davies, at Tue Dec 14, 05:35:00 AM 2010
I cannot say robots will never run the world, but that certainly is not happening any time soon. Even though science keeps progressing technology further and further, robots do not have empathy or emotions to make many decisions that humans make. Also-just pull the plug on a computer and it no longer runs... robots cannot take over the world if they have no energy, and a human master could easily deprive them of that.
By
michael~jayne, at Tue Dec 14, 12:06:00 PM 2010
Mark Attilio also brought up a great point about economics and how science is limited by it. No way would this ever happen. People would simply not be in support of such a thing!
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michael~jayne, at Tue Dec 14, 12:07:00 PM 2010
I don't think that we will ever be at a point in life where we depend on machines this much. Technology is a very prevalent part of our lives today but I don't believe that we will ever let something like this occur.
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KristenCraven, at Tue Dec 14, 12:37:00 PM 2010
I would have to disagree with Sammys statement that our generation is able to live without technology. OUr parents generation, yes they are able to. But not us. Many people our age rely on GPS's and the internet and computers to do many things for them. We need to realize that we are not able to live without technology and start instilling characteristics in future generations now that will help them havve the capability to be less dependant.
By
Emily Christian, at Tue Dec 14, 01:25:00 PM 2010
In my opinion, the way that technology keeps improving each year will someday lead machines to do everything for us. Machines already are a great source for completing assignments. With the way technology keeps improving, I think sooner or later machines will be able to complete anything we need. Technology is at a constant rise, and will improve each year.
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Mike Turner, at Tue Dec 14, 07:15:00 PM 2010
If Machines were able to benefit us in the future I think it would be great. I think with having machines do work for us, we'll be able to accomplish many more tasks in life.
By
Mike Turner, at Tue Dec 14, 08:11:00 PM 2010
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