Progress. It’s a word that we hear all the time. We all kind of accept it—that we are making progress, progressing through history, rising to a higher level. The word has many different shades of meaning. But what does it really mean? It’s easy enough to take a look at the world, and compare it to a few decades ago, and see that things are pretty clearly not better, not progressing. But still, the word progress is there, pulling us along with it. How can we make sense of it? The better way to think about it is that progress
Great text. So, what's information? In Information Theory, information is a measure of the uncertainty reduction in communication. It's a way to quantify how much information is conveyed in a message. Some information (e.g., how to treat cancer in a child) is amazing and, I think, good information. But a lot of "information" is pseudo-scientific BS (e.g., some open-ended behavioral economics narratives about efficiency not super applicable to anything, explaining little variance; journalistic mythologies about the American Dream.) That's low-quality information. But it's also the one that's most prominent out there.
And I agree, it's information that is turned into weapons, of extraction, of dehumanization, of destruction, of impoverishment, and yes in some good things too, but it never seems to matter that much; though neoliberalism has a hold on me, I admire the tech in modern hospitals, I value the little things. It’s hard not to. I just reread Animal Farm. Benjamin's funny but he's kind of right: life goes on, as it has always, — that is, badly.
I am reading Technopoly by Neil Postman at the moment - I am not gonna summarize the book, but there are related thoughts there. He talks there about different stages of technological cultures: tool-driven, technocracy and ultimately technopoly, once technology replaces/becomes culture.
Great text. So, what's information? In Information Theory, information is a measure of the uncertainty reduction in communication. It's a way to quantify how much information is conveyed in a message. Some information (e.g., how to treat cancer in a child) is amazing and, I think, good information. But a lot of "information" is pseudo-scientific BS (e.g., some open-ended behavioral economics narratives about efficiency not super applicable to anything, explaining little variance; journalistic mythologies about the American Dream.) That's low-quality information. But it's also the one that's most prominent out there.
And I agree, it's information that is turned into weapons, of extraction, of dehumanization, of destruction, of impoverishment, and yes in some good things too, but it never seems to matter that much; though neoliberalism has a hold on me, I admire the tech in modern hospitals, I value the little things. It’s hard not to. I just reread Animal Farm. Benjamin's funny but he's kind of right: life goes on, as it has always, — that is, badly.
Excellent points, thank you!
I am reading Technopoly by Neil Postman at the moment - I am not gonna summarize the book, but there are related thoughts there. He talks there about different stages of technological cultures: tool-driven, technocracy and ultimately technopoly, once technology replaces/becomes culture.