On the interrelation between technology and evolution

Rudolf Albrecht

pp. 221-227

in: Jean Schneider, Monique Léger-Orine (eds), Frontiers and space conquest / frontières et conquête spatiale, Berlin, Springer, 1988

Abstract

Assuming evolutionary principles as providing the motivation for human actions, we demonstrate that the development of technology in order to extend habitable space has had positive evolutionary value. Extrapolating the current growth of technology and associated knowledge, and judging from developments in information science, we conclude that technology and knowledge will exceed human capacity to handle them efficiently, and will at the same time become dis-associated from humans, rendering current evolutionary goals I obsolete. Possible long-term scenarios are examined.