iGURU!’s – Weekly Review – 3rd November 2019 “A species which does not know it's environment will eventually become extinct” – Science Of The Immortals Information is all around us. We live in a sea of information. A few clicks on the internet – will give you information about anything you desire. Today, we have access to massive, some would even say ‘oppressive,’ amounts of information, via the internet 24 hours a day – 24/7 global news coverage – there is also the advent of sophisticated technology, such as AI & Robotics, powerful Computers and even Quantum Computing (to read more click here.) All this mass of information, is both constantly and easily available through the ubiquitous everyday technology of smartphones, tablets, laptops etc…. and other gadgets. In accessing information today, it seems that we are spoilt for choice. INFORMATION ‘WAVES’ & ‘FLOODS’ Waves of information are constantly crashing in from all directions and we are constantly being bombarded with information as various entities fight for our precious attention – whether it be to sell us products – or influence us socially and politically through its dissemination. Currently, it seems, there exists an apparent paradox. Information, whilst generally accepted as being valuable and useful, is also abundant, there is no shortage of information – we actually are flooded with the stuff. Yes – all this we have access to and the impact of these developments on all the various facets of our environment - our societies, lifestyles and culture, both individually and collectively, has been dramatic. ‘TECHNOLOGICAL FIX’ As with all technology, ‘Information Technology’ (which is information organised electronically via a technological device i.e. a computer) is of itself, neutral – it is the ‘intent,’ of the user, which will ultimately determine its worth and usefulness – its value. In this sea of information are we sinking or swimming? - and if we are swimming – where are we swimming to? - Through all this ‘information excess/overload’ - what ‘meaningful knowledge’ are we able to extract from it? - And how are we are as ‘biological,’ ‘organic’ – ‘entities’/systems - Human Beings – able to do this and hopefully in the future, continue doing this? These technological advancements in the field of information over the past 3 decades – has meant that our relationship and interaction with information has changed significantly – this is because the environment through which we acquire knowledge and information has changed. Prior to these technological developments – the way in which we acquired information was confined to what we could find in our physical environment (i.e. what we were taught from our parents, teachers at school, libraries, books, etc…) Now – the terrain is predominantly in cyberspace – a non-physical realm containing an near infinite repository of information – accessed via various interfaces (computers, phones, tablets, etc…) – all from the comfort of our homes, or anywhere else we may be. This has meant that ‘new skills’ have had to be learnt, if you want to benefit from what life has to offer. Many have had to get with the program quick i.e. learn how to get around this fast-paced – and quickly developing technological world. I remember meeting a woman who told me she was a fully qualified nurse – but had been only able to get temporary agency work because the application for a permanent job had to be completed online via the internet - and she hadn't a clue how and where to start. All this information at our fingertips – yet, what does it mean to be intelligent at this moment in time? In an attempt to answer that question – one will have to consider – how is intelligence defined in modern society? - what does it mean to be intelligent now? ANCIENT ‘CYBERNETIC’ SOLUTIONS TO MODERN PROBLEMS ‘Cybernetics,’ can be defined as the scientific study of complex regulatory systems, these ‘regulatory systems’ include ‘cognitive systems’ and would therefore incorporate ‘systems of learning’ and ‘Learning systems’ are amongst other things, concerned with the processing and communication of information. So important is this process - that one could define the whole ‘corpus’ of human knowledge & intellectual achievement, in terms of being the search for a ‘universal dream,’ - namely the ‘Ultimate' or 'Universal Learning System’ (ULS.) Thus both ‘Religion’ and ‘Science’ are in pursuit of that quest - ULS. The former, Religion, pursues this through the ‘ascension’ into the ‘Realm of Spirit’ – through consideration of the careful and ‘Divinely revealed,’ cosmic ‘hierarchical structure’ – leading to God. The latter, Science, as it is expressed in Western culture, which currently dominates the scientific paradigm, seeks to achieve this (ULS) through a ‘descent’ into the ‘Depths of Matter’ – seeking the ultimate – ‘Particle’ or ‘Substance.’ (For iGURU!'s - About CERN Index - click here.) In both cases the ‘Ultimate/Universal Learning System’ (ULS), can be determined, by building upon either ‘God’ (Religion) or ultimate ‘Substance’ (Science) as the basis for all ‘Knowledge,’ (i.e. useable/useful facts/information). Not unrelated, are areas of modern enquiry and research, into ‘A Theory Of Everything,’ ‘Singularity,’ and a ‘practical’ and ‘technological’ expression of this ‘universal dream’- is ‘The Internet Of Things.’ Whilst in Eastern cultures, which were transcendental in nature, this ‘ultimate quest’ was in some traditions regarded as ‘unknowable’ – Daoism. In the West as a consequence of the ‘revealed,’ nature of ‘Monotheistic Deity’ - namely Christianity, it was deemed 'knowable' through the mediation of a ‘proclaimed, true and Universal Church’ – and therefore all ‘information,’ was therefore interpreted through this ‘proclaimed, true and Universal Church’ – The Roman Catholic Church. Indeed the birth of the modern Western scientific tradition and method can be seen as a struggle against this domination – the often cited of the persecution of Galileo comes to mind (to read more - click here.) These issues are not merely academic, since the fundamental issues raised by them – namely the search for ULS, has not gone away. Esoteric Societies both ‘secret’ and ‘open,’ continue to battle in this quest. – Globally, politicians, whether knowingly or not, are ‘players’ or ‘pawns’ in this game and ‘Scientists’ are the new ‘High Priests.’ ….And the ‘game’ continues. Is this good or is it bad? – is not a relevant question. Does it continue? Yes – since as long as we as Humans have to ‘give meaning’ to ‘Existence’ (all that exists), then the ‘Holy Grail’ of a ULS, will be pursued. What of Artificial Intelligence (AI) some will say, surely a powerful system can be created, which will ‘encompass’ such a ULS and therefore not require us (as humans) to do anything, since it will be able to ‘calculate’ the ‘perfect solution’ to everything. This is not so, since however much they may appear to be similar – the ‘organic’ (Human) and ‘synthetic’ (AI) are ultimately ‘distinct’ and ‘separate’ intelligences. They can be ‘fused,’ such as the Trans Human movement seeks to do, but they are two separate ‘systems’ – separate strands of DNA if you like - to produce a new and uncertain (that which is not known) - ‘hybrid entity.’ Those experiments aside, the pursuit of a ULS inevitably continues and are simply part of a long and historic, cultural pursuit and tradition. THE TRIVIUM & QUADRIVIUM METHOD I came across an interesting video called 'The Trivium Method - Gene Odening (entire) - what you should have been taught in school but weren't' - by Gene Odening. In this video he explains and extols the virtue of the ancient ‘Trivium’ method, for the processing of any information. It is an ancient and timeless method, which found an expression in the relatively modern concept of the ‘7 Liberal Arts.’ Gene Odening - bemoans its loss, since he views this method as being so fundamental, that its system could be regarded as an analogue of the human mind itself - its workings and processes. At the heart of the ‘Trivium’ method are the disciplines of ‘Grammar,’ ‘Logic’ and ‘Rhetoric.’ Through ‘Grammar’/Language - we are able to define – ‘separate out’ - any object for study and the rules Grammar ensure clarity – thus creating a definable ‘Subject.’ Through ‘Logic,’ we are able to reach an ‘understanding’ of the ‘subject,’ through the proper exclusion of all that is not of that subject or otherwise necessary – through the use of exposing ‘logical contradictions.’ Through the use of ‘Rhetoric,’ we are now able to ‘explain’ and even ‘convince’ others of the value/worth of what we have encountered/discovered of the subject. This is the ‘Beauty’ of the subject - it's ‘Wisdom.’ It is a very powerful mechanism for practical use in the human reasoning process and the ‘Trivium Method, clearly represented an ancient ULS. In fact so powerful is it as a method that some have regarded the ‘Trivum Method,’ as a tool used by ruling elites, for the careful 'stratification,' ‘calibration’ and thus ‘manipulation’/control of human societies – for example see Video – 'History... Interview: The Trivium Method vs. The Classical Trivium: A Briefing by Kevin Cole.' THE NATURE OF INTELLIGENCE & THE CHALLENGE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE There are many definitions of intelligence – Collins Dictionary says, “Intelligence is the ability to think, reason, and understand instead of doing things automatically or by instinct.” Britannica Encyclopedia defines ‘Human Intelligence’ as a - "mental quality that consists of the abilities to learn from experience, adapt to new situations, understand and handle abstract concepts, and use knowledge to manipulate one’s environment.” We now have Artificial Intelligence (AI) – which is an imitation of Human Intelligence – reenacted via machines (computers etc) – however unlike humans – AI can both store and access an infinite amount of information within its system – and apply it to a situation within seconds. There is an ongoing debate that AI will become far ‘smarter’ than humans – and will thus enslave us. That particular subject requires separate consideration and so I do not consider it here. For purposes of this review, I believe it is important to know first, what it means to be 'smart' – what it really means to be intelligent. Evidence of Intelligence comes in many forms – the capacity to memorise and recall data, has traditionally been regarded as such evidence, hence most educational systems, still place an emphasis on rote learning and the recalling of facts. This ability is then tested by ‘examination.’ Individuals are often regarded as ‘clever’ based upon their ability to remember information – dates, times – specific details of historic events – but for a long time now, AI robots and other technological devices can perform that function much better than any human can. As the performance of that particular skill necessarily diminishes in importance, our view of intelligence is inevitably changing. With the surge of mass information and ‘Big Data’ - increasingly the ability to ‘extract’ relevant information ‘meaningfully,’ is becoming the test of intelligence. For us as humans, it means the way information is ‘extracted,’ ‘used’ and ‘applied’ within our environment. Intelligence is not ‘static’ – it is ‘dynamic’ – it is a ‘skill’ – which can be applied to any environment or circumstance, which an individual finds him or herself in – in order to derive benefit. For example – an intelligent caveman or woman in the stone age would not be regarded as intelligent in say the 21st Century, on the streets of New York – s/he would be out of place in that environment – and vice versa. Ultimately, one can say that it boils down to survival, at least initially at any rate – did that person have the knowledge necessary to survive in their environment? – did that person have the skills required to apply what s/he knows, in order to extract what is necessary, at any given moment in time, from their environment? Hence the concept of intelligence can be regarded as relative depending on the environment, circumstance, culture, technology etc. In the article – 'Western Insanity and 5G Electromagnetic Radiation' the writer distinguishes between Western and Eastern ideas concerning the way each group sees the world. One distinction it makes is that “Westerners tend to focus on discrete objects (a left-brain emphasis) and Easterners tend to focus on relationships (a right-brain emphasis).” A further distinction, was made between traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine – the former adopts a holistic approach – considering all aspects that contribute to the individual’s health – the latter focuses on individual aspects of the body – and thus treats illness in parts, according to the problems/ symptoms. The article continues in this way, making comparisons about these two very different traditions. This is an example, of how systems of knowledge and information – can vary depending on the culture or environment. During the last week or so, I have also come across a few videos discussing the concept of ‘emotional intelligence’ – which is basically the ability to develop an awareness about one's emotions – to essentially ‘master your emotions’ – rather than being subject to them. In Eastern Philosophical or Western Scientific/Psychological terms this would be termed as ‘Self Awareness.’ Thus we can see that this idea of ‘Self Mastery’ – is a relevant consideration when defining the concept of intelligence. But what is the essence of intelligence? THE COSMOS – ‘BEAUTIFUL ORDER’ If we accept that everything started from a ‘primordial chaos’ – an 'undifferentiated' source – then the ‘Constant of Creation,’ is the ‘ordering of things’ – thus the ‘ordering of things’ is the essence of intelligence. So - we can now define intelligence as having 2 aspects - an ‘objective aspect’ and a ‘subjective aspect.’ The ‘objective aspect’ is the ‘ordering principle’ – which is the way information is ‘ordered’ and ‘structured’ - this aspect remains unchanged throughout all eternity – it is a necessity in any society – information becomes useful - when it is ordered. Secondly, the ‘subjective aspect’ is the ‘variable’ – dependent upon the environment – i.e. the social environment – culture – technology and individual perception. POTENTIALITY, CREATIVITY & GENIUS Many bright minds in our history have graced the earth with their ideas, philosophies and inventions – which have formed the basis of human civilisation. These are packaged, structured and ordered bits of information, which have ultimately been extracted from the ‘realm of ideas and inspiration’ – an undifferentiated realm – some call this infinite intelligent source - the Cosmos. Albert Einstein said – “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.” From this quote it seems that another facet of acquiring knowledge/information is the ability to tap into ‘abstract realms’ of Consciousness – therefore, ‘imagination’ can thus be seen to represent a key into these realms. The relevance, assembling and ultimately, meaning of information depends on the needs of the time. Many ‘great thinkers’ and/or ‘geniuses’ – have made significant contributions, as a result of being able to organise information into something useful and comprehensive - whether it be a concept, a philosophy to live by or an invention. I watched an interesting video titled - 'Can Everyone Become Talented? - Story of the Polgar Sisters (animated)' – the video describes the story / experiment of Laszlo Polgar – who believed that dedicated practice in any chosen field, could transform any healthy child into a genius. Having conducted these experiments, he found this to be the case. This leads us to consider the concept of ‘potentiality.’ Through the study of ‘Epigenetics’ we now know that genes are not fixed – and they do not determine who you will be or what you can become. Therefore, there is 'potentiality' in all of us to be ‘geniuses’ – a large proportion of it, admittedly untapped – but none the less it is there. Intelligence, is not fixed – it is dynamic and fluid – as we have seen through various examples throughout this article - it requires ‘nurturing’ – inputting of ‘relevant information’ – thus, enabling an individual to sucessfully ‘navigate’ through life. CONCLUSION - WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE INTELLIGENT NOW? Given the pace of the modern world - technological – quickly and constantly changing - it is essential that one be able to successfully ‘navigate’ through the ‘sea of information,’ which surrounds us. “Your ‘ability’ to ‘find,’ ’structure’ and ‘order’ information is the ‘New Intelligence’ – from this ability you can guide and predict Existence!” - Science Of The Immortals (SOTI) REFERENCES TO ARTICLES, VIDEOS ETC To view the contents of this index – click on the subject of interest below. ALPHABETICAL ORDER
A A Theory OF Everything - About 'A Theory Of Everything' C CERN - About CERN (The Indexed Net) Contact iGURU! - To get in touch with iGURU! - Send us a message E Emotional Intelligence - Emotions are Contagious: Spreading Emotional Intelligence | Joelle Hadley | TEDxArrowheadRanch (on Youtube 2-Jun2016) Epigenetics - Epigenetics G Galileo & The Vatican - Vatican admits Galileo was right (7-Sep1992) I iGURU!'s - Weekly Review Index Suggestions - Make a suggestion to / or for an iGURU! index 'Internet Of Things' - What is the Internet of Things? WIRED explains (16-Feb2018) Q Quantum Computing - Google claims its quantum computer can do the impossible in 200 seconds (23-Oct2019) S Singularity - About - 'The Singularity' T Talent - Can Everyone Become Talented? - Story of the Polgar Sisters (animated) Taoism - Taoism aka Daoism Trivium Method - 'History... Interview: The Trivium Method vs. The Classical Trivium: A Briefing by Kevin Cole.' - 'The Trivium Method - Gene Odening (entire) - what you should have been taught in school but weren't.' W 'Western Insanity' - Western Insanity and 5G Electromagnetic Radiation
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