This is a prelude to two significant papers by three authors who probably do not know of one anothers opinions. You the reader, however, will have the opportunity to read these two very distinct points of view on the possible future of the evolution of our technological information driven society.
One author, Van der Leun, is from South Park, San Francisco, headquarters for internet and multi-media ideas, and the others, Heylighen and Bollen, are from Belgium. The authors are extremely adept at expressing themselves, and also have an excellent command of the english language. It is the english language which I too have to use to introduce these authors.
The issue with which these two papers, in my mind, addresses is a critical look at the global social condition. Technoblatherism indicates that we as a techno-culture go around in circles achieving nothing, and the superbrain leads us to live in a world where our self-created techno-sphere (Earth) tells us how to run our lives.
The two papers have a great deal to offer for their critical study on our present state of human evolution as we approach the next millennium and beyond. Technoblatherism leads us to believe that our modern technological culture has re-worked our minds so we no longer have any original thinking, and the SuperBRAIN leads us to believe that we will evolve into a global interconnected culture for the betterment of humanity.
Any comments for discussion on these two papers can be sent to willard@earthportals.com. The question arises is can we as a race of humnan beings really address our future, or do we aimlessly do our creative willfulness at the expense of how we can all live a sustainable existence well into the future? Will we create Heaven or Hell on Earth?
Willard Van De Bogart - July 1998
The two papers are: