We are all Gods now.

[delta]

(<i>I posted this in another forum and got quite a varied response. Thought i'd see what people here think of it.</i>)

Has anyone else ever considered this? Every one of us now has the capacity and means to learn and know almost everything there is to know.

Using my mouse and keyboard, i can find out information on any subject within moments of wanting to know. i can learn languages to comunicate, i can find out what is happening in far off lands, i can discover the best things about our species, and through reading about history and past mistakes, i can gain wisdom and insights into the worst aspects of humanity, giving me better judgement, knowledge, and the capacity to deal with events better.

I can research any topic i wish, and learn the background and detail of major breakthroughs in science, turning points in history, and learn what made famous people behave as they did. I can discover how to build things, create things and destroy them again.

Every one of us now has the means to be better educated and make more of our lives than almost anyone else in the 20th Century.

To para-phrase John Lennon, We are more knowledgable than God.

Some would say we are more powerful too.

We as a species have the power, know-how, and tools to sculpt our landscape to suit our needs. Barely a single part of our planet remains untouched or unaltered by humankind. When we drive into the country and look past the fencing, we see nature. But we see nature as mankind sculpted it, with fields and hedgerows, ditches and walls.

We dig materials out of the ground, refine them and use them to build ever-stronger structures, with many times the strength of naturally occuring materials. Our quest to push the limits sees us pushing the laws of physics and defying the laws of gravity by building ever taller buildings, and ones that will withstand any forces that nature can throw at them.

We have trained other species to obey us and treat us as their masters. Not just Dogs and Cats, but also the likes of Dolphins at wildlife parks, performing for our amusement. We have the power to wipe out species, and by selective breeding, we have the power to breed animals and grow plants to suit our own purposes, whether for Dog shows or for a new colour of plant.

We can alter specific genes in organisms to ensure that wheat harvests provide a greater yield, or create ever more complex medicines to battle ever more complex diseases. We can grow human ears on mice, bring fertility to the infertile, and create exact copies of living creatures.

We sculpt and alter our world and the species on it, and have the capacity to change almost everything about it, whether intentionally or otherwise.

That we have become so powerful as to be able to influence almost everything on our world, and so knowledgable that almost anyone has the information needed to be able to do so, surely shows that we have now moved beyond simply living alongside other species. We have the power to determine their survival or otherwise, and the knowledge to ensure any one of us can do just that.

Truly now, we have become Gods.

[Meph]

i've been a god for years... blah.

[delta]

bah. i had thought i may get a more intelligent response here than the other forum.

they too just took the 'god' bits and said 'yeah, tell me something i don't know', or denied we are etc, without actually discussing the main body of the comment.

pah.

[quiggie]

well i think [some] human minds know no bounds but for the majority it is the capacity to retain - and re-use - what you have learnt!!!
and meph we all pray to different gods as dave allan used to say "goodnight, god bless and may YOUR god go with u!!!

[delta]

well i think [some] human minds know no bounds but for the majority it is the capacity to retain - and re-use - what you have learnt!!!

hmmm yes that's a good point. we can all learn to be specialists in particular fields, or a 'jack-of-all-trades', but it is rare for individuals to come along that know more than a little about everything.

however the Human Brain is a very complex organ, and can learn and remember a lot of things. It may forget things that it hasn't needed for a while, but if you suddenly decided tonight that you were going to learn all about a subject, i've no doubt that you could become an expert in that field.

My point is that uniquely in the history of humanity, almost every one of us has all the information they would ever need readily available should they wish to learn about a subject. Therefore we can become whatever we want, and do whatever we want to do, as we have all the info needed. all we have to do is work hard and want it enough.

one other thing about your point that it is hard to retain information. It is very handy indeed that internet browsers have bookmarks.

[quiggie]

yes jamie but u very rarely have an internet browser with u when ur at the pub quiz do u? and don't forget some people do try, try and try but fail, fail and fail

[delta]

yes jamie but u very rarely have an internet browser with u when ur at the pub quiz do u? and don't forget some people do try, try and try but fail, fail and fail

you have a good point, maybe it would be fairer to say that as a species we can know everything. 'The whole being greater than the sum of its parts' kind of thing.

but don't forget also that a lot of phones now come with internet browsing capability.

[quiggie]

mr douglas u should be watching braveheart not philosiphising on an egg forum - braveheart teaches us a wee bit about history another thing of learning!

[delta]

Mrs Quigg i prefer to get my history from works of reference, rather than hollywood films that stretch the truth to breaking point then go 'aww what the hell, no one will notice' and break it anyway

[quiggie]

as a scot i ken this is one holywood film that didn't stretch the truth [cough cough] as its the only battle i know we won [learnt that and retained it and have regurgitated it many times] - with god on our side of course