Published: six/three/2023 7:01:11 AM

Back in the 70s a sociology instructor at Fordham University gave us a lecture that he labeled “The Acceleration Curve.” It focused on a horizontal timeline that ran from the year zero to the mystical 2000. The vertical axis began at zero and went up in the millions represented Earth’s human population and “technology” measured by the influence of human inventions. As he demonstrated the two curves indicating human population and technologies began a gradual rise along the timeline from the year zero by way of about 1700. It was a gradual curve which means that humans had time to assimilate and adapt to the technologies of their occasions.

Then came the industrial revolution and the curve began a considerable upward trend, so considerably so that as projection of the curve neared 2000 and beyond, it approached the vertical. This would imply that the human population could barely maintain up with the accelerated price of technological advances. Our instructor speculated on what that would imply to persons, say living in the years following 2000. He smiled and stated, “Guess we’ll have to wait and see how this race involving humans and technologies will turn out.” Effectively, now we have an concept, and it turns out our “prof” was a “prophet.” I initially believed that the social influence of the iphone and their speedy evolution was going to be that story, but now I see that was premature. Oh, yes, now feel “AI,” artificial intelligence, Chat-bots and Chat GPT. For me, I’m lost, technologies has left me in the dust. For the human race, nicely, 1 has to wonder. Some thing tells me that we’d greatest get our act collectively.

Charlie Stepanek

Concord