Addendum 2

What is next for humanity?  We can only guess.  First we must look at the possibilities.

The main path will be to look at what trends have been useful for humanity throughout its history, and see if they will continue to be useful.  Those traits necessary and helpful will in the end be the dominant ones. 

Intelligence and Strength:

The longest lasting important trend seems to be intelligence.  Over hundreds of thousands of years, brain size in relation to body size consistently increased.  Other important factors are that the bodies of people in the developed world has grown in height overall, due to nutrition.  The long-term trend though, is towards a weakening overall of humanities physical capacity.  The fact that people who would not have been able to survive as well as others are now have the same ability as those born without disability is a testament to that.  However, in short term areas, strength is still important.  Humans still live in an unbalanced society, and forever will.  So to survive in dangerous areas, no matter what ones intelligence, it is helpful to have strength.  The fact that strength is an aid to healthy living and longer live shows that it will continue to be in mankind’s genes, but probably no longer the guiding factor.  As for social structures.  Things change, but mankind’s necessity for community doesn’t.  Communication is faster and easier, but the primary groups will continue to be those in which one has continual daily contact with, despite email, faxes, etc. 

 Collectivization:

I do have an interesting idea about one possibility.  It starts with the idea that humans might eventually reach a limit for their intelligence.  (Now remember that this is just an idea.  I still think that at this moment we still have a long way we can go.)  Then we have another trend of evolution.  That of collectivization.  It started when the individual cells combined to make more complicated creatures.  At that point, those cells lost their individuality and became part of new larger being.  This change to multicellular organisms took billions of years.  Now think of what has happened since then.  These multicellular organisms, especially the animals, in many cases combine and stay together forming groups.  

Sometimes these communities have very complicated sets of behavior, regulated in various ways.  In mammals this regulation takes place through their limbic system.  This method can use subtle forms unconscious forms of communication to make these separate bodies act the same and communicate.  And of course in humans we have speech, art, and other forms of cerebral based communication.  So look at the complicated forms of organizations that have sprung up in society.  Multi layered social formations of family, economy, friends, politics, etc.  Combine this with the advancements in computer technology, faster communication technology, and these early developments in biotechnology. 

            So now what will you have.  I think humanity developing itself towards linking itself together eventually.  Either through electronics or some other method.  It would be a way of sharing mental strength.  What would this mean later on.  Humans might give up their own individuality to become part of some higher being.  A being on a higher level that we cannot yet understand.  Who knows.  

Better Control of our Physical Selves:

There are two things that we must focus on in the far future.

One interesting idea is that fact that as children, we must learn to use some of our abilities.  Starting with using our appendages, getting our eyes to focus, etc.  Most people stop there, but the existence of yogi’s who can fully control their heartrates, breathing, and other “involuntary” actions.  There is the possibility that most of the body’s reactions may be controlled by the mind, but that it is not taught.  Possibly because few know how to teach, and not everyone has the capabilities to learn such control.  The question might be, how much can we control in the future.  Is there a limit to what are naked minds can do in the physical world?  Maybe we will be able to find tune our limbic systems to better read others reactions.  Many of these skills are dependent on evolution of different societal forms, and taught social behavior. 

Telekinesis and Telepathy: 

            Wow, now wouldn’t these things be cool if we could have these abilities?  Why don’t we have them?  Well look at the next heading.  There is a possibility that humanity might have these abilities (or whatever is next in humanity).  My guess is that it will work like this.  If these abilities are actually possible, they must function in an area of physics and science that we don’t understand as of yet.  An area we cannot measure or observe yet.  The best candidate for that is the area of Superstring Theory.  The theory has 10 dimensions of spacetime.  Because it proposes the fact that there are 6 other dimensions, wrapped up in a small areas existing with our observable 4, it allows for the idea of instantaneous action from one object on another object.  (this is in contrast with relativity which states that the speed of light is the fastest way an object can affect another)  This idea would fit perfectly with these two forms of “mysticism”. 

 The Problem with Biological Evolution:

There is the obvious problem that unless there is selective pressure from the environment to develop certain abilities, then they won’t develop.  They will be enveloped by the general gene pool. 

            One could try to use eugenics to get around this.  But as yet we still don’t know what would be the best set of genetic matching.  Education is probably still more useful at this point in time, since we know how to use it. 

            There is also the evolutionary problem of balance.  How much time do you spend on saving other members of your species that are “weaker” (in your eyes)?  Won’t that stop the evolution of your species?  But then, if you do not help the other members of your species you run the risk of losing the genetic diversity of such a large population.  This is a large general question.  The answer is probably to aim the largest sustainable population as possible.  (This would look at all the effects of a large population.  Effects on the environment, the human system, blah blah blah).

 Bionics:

Another is the ability to use different technologies to augment ourselves, artificial limbs, memory aids, etc.  I have no doubt that people will use this.  The temptation to have artificial enhancements is too high.  It may possibly be a fad at first to have augmentation for strength, intelligence, or fighting.  As times goes on though, it will become preferable to have some enhancements for the purpose of certain careers.  As it becomes more common, it will be a necessity to get augmentation in order to compete and survive in society.  This will only come about if such augmentation becomes cheap enough for everyone to use. 

 Breaking Free of Biology:

What’s interesting is that humans are still very much animals.  Just one look at basic behavior will show that.  Even after we are trained in a society, you can see that much of what drives us are the same things that drive a fly or a cat.  The biological drives, such as hunger, pain, reproduction, etc.  Have you ever noticed how important one of these drives becomes once it is activated?  It is remarkably strong, bending all opposing behavior to its own designs.  It doesn’t matter if you’re a reasonable person if you haven’t eaten in 10 days.  At that state, you are an animal again.  We should not be shamed or avoid this fact.  That would be the same as denying our humanity.  We were programmed to be like this, and at present, nothing short of a DNA switch can change that.  It is just that the increased brainpower results in a number of combinations and permutations.  What we see as culture.  So when thinking of evolution, we still see that we have very much more to go. 

            A neat idea would be to break free of biology. To achieve a state like the Star Child in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001, that of a complete energy being.  But hey, even if this state is possible in the future.  We still have a long, long way to go. 

 Genetic Engineering:

            Short section.  But it pertains to the subject just above.  What if we reach a point we genetic engineering becomes very easy.  And people go to the clinic to change their genes as easily as they go their for shots today.  A kind of super cosmetic surgery.  Would this change what we are, and additionally, will Nexus theory still be relevant at that point?

            Yes and yes.  We will be different in that social structures will obtain a larger importance than before. This is because then one’s genes will be easy to change according to ones thoughts.  And most peoples’ thoughts are purely derived from what their society tells them.  Despite the greater control by society, the trends of evolution will continue. It will still be those who keep a good control on their beliefs and genetics that will survive.

Will Nexus theory still be relevant?  I hope so.  Well, it will be in the way that it describes the process of how humanity works.  You will be able to look at it and know why a person is deciding to change their genetic makeup, because you will know that even though the society is more important, you know that it originally evolved from biological bases.  But the basic meaning of life will change.  People will have to listen to their genetics first, and then use reason more heavily to decide what they want to do with it.  People will still be a slave to their genes (whatever they are), because what gives human pleasure are still pretty solid ideals.  Many people won’t give up these pleasures.  New pleasures could be developed maybe, example, I don’t know, those based on masochism, or exposure to light, or whatever.  Of course anyone of these changes that cannot continue through standard reproduction might not exist as a permanent change but merely be a cosmetic change.  Much like the body piercing and tattoos are right now.  A temporary product of the society of the times that will become more accepted and mainstreamed as society moves on. 

But in any case, I would suggest that someone take up the torch at this time and hammer out Nexus theory to fit into these times when they arrive.  Because what I am writing here might not fit into the future world anyway. 

-the genius core.