| Our thumbs, ..., our intellect, and especially language, gave us an ecological/economic niche. We became a technological species. We observed, standardized and mechanized our environments to work for us. That is our niche. But then things snowballed in the last couple of centuries. A threshold was crossed. Our technology became our environment, and we began adapting the environment for our technologies direct benefit, for own indirect benefit. Simple roads for us at first, then paved for mechanized contraptions. Wires for talking at first, then optimized for computers. We are now almost completely building out a technological world for the convenience and efficiency of the technology. And once our technology frees us from dependence on others, a second threshold will be crossed. Then neither others or the technology, will need us. I don't see a species of devolving humans, no longer needed by their creations, in a world now convenient for those creations, finding a happy niche. If there is a happy landing, it will need to take a different route than that. |