Technology and Human Evolution: An Introduction to my Blog

I've decided to blog about Technology and Human Evolution.

I've long believed that humanity is evolving in a positive direction, and that technology will help us along, creating more value for everyone, and also more global connection and understanding. And yes, I do pay attention to current events, but I think the long-term trend is still positive.

If you're alive today, you have a better chance of a living a long life while suffering less at the hands of other humans, than ever before in history.

Steven Pinker makes this argument in "The Better Angels of Our Nature," which Bill Gates recently mentioned in a tweet, calling it the "most inspiring" book he's ever read. If you need convincing, please check out Pinker's book.

I've also believed for many years that technology will inevitably speed up the rate at which we evolve along this path. However, I came across a challenging idea when I read "Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus," by Douglas Rushkoff, where the author points out that many of today's large, "disruptive" companies do create lots of new wealth, but they aggregate that wealth for themselves, so that society as a whole doesn't benefit.

It's been a little while since I've read Rushkoff's book, but I believe he does offer some arguments for better policies, and some signs of hope that the situation could change to benefit humanity as a whole.

To me, this question is one of the most interesting of our time: how can we use technology to evolve, as individuals and as a global society, to create value for everyone?

Some topics of interest to me are: open source software, the blockchain (obviously--I am on Steemit, after all), quantum computing, machine learning (or "deep learning") and biotechnology. I think these trends and technologies have especially incredible potential, but the questions are, how will they be used, who will use them, and how quickly will they be developed?

And finally, one last note about my perspective. For a long time, while I taught myself web development and programming, I asked myself, what next, big thing can I build? Meanwhile I kept an Evernote notebook titled "Web ideas," which currently has 117 notes about apps or platforms or sites that I think should exist. And I've noticed something. If I wait, I start to see people building these things, people who usually have more resources than I do, and an experienced team. So instead of thinking about how I can build something unique and useful by myself, I've started to think in terms of, what is already happening, and how can I be a part of it?

So I think that will be the main theme of my future posts: what is happening, and how can I, or you, or any and all of us, be a part of it?