If I was home and not in the middle of the end of semester work, I would put a lot more effort into this. I am not sure I will have time to enter this one. Unfortunately. Mainly because it looks fun. Lol.
Cyborgs. The only way humans will be able to survive at all, is by enclosing themselves in metallic protective shells and morphing into a new hybrid lifeform. Kinda like giant cockroaches, actually.
Cyborgs. The only way humans will be able to survive at all, is by enclosing themselves in metallic protective shells and morphing into a new hybrid lifeform. Kinda like giant cockroaches, actually.
Cyborgs. The only way humans will be able to survive at all, is by enclosing themselves in metallic protective shells and morphing into a new hybrid lifeform. Kinda like giant cockroaches, actually.
I'll go the Cyborg hypothesis one further. It could be the machines. Shades of The matrix.
Actually, the two above ideas are, IMO, less likely than an even stranger future. We are poised to become the one organism that will truly disconnect itself from evolution and adapt through conscious decision-making. We will change our own genome to suit our desires. It's already begun.
Now, that said, the break with evolution is even deeper than it seems. For eons, we have simply been vehicles for propagation of our genes. Taking control of our genomes turns this on its head. No longer will we be at the mercy of our genes. If a gene displeases us, we will simply delete it.
To me, the prospect of our having the ability to re-engineer ourselves is both incredible and incredibly frightening.
It's weird that everyone's going all anthropomorphic on this one, and some people are even positing what mankind might evolve INTO. I read the challenge as "what will take over when there are no more men?" And I immediately think "Insects!", I think giant hive-creature-type organisms, I think mutant cockroaches. I think "Global warming! Sea levels eliminate land! Waterworld!" and THAT makes me think "Sharks! Intelligent sharks! Dolphin philosophers! Whale Buddhas!"
But of course, the way our rules work I can't DO any of that waterworld stuff 'cuz I have no way to shoot original sharks and dolphins and whales, bummer.
I do like the idea of machine intelligence taking over, but I don't actually think it will happen, for all that I love SF forever and ever. I think nature will triumph in the end.
But of course, the way our rules work I can't DO any of that waterworld stuff 'cuz I have no way to shoot original sharks and dolphins and whales, bummer.
It's an expert editing challenge. You could photograph them at an aquarium and PP them together with whatever else.
I do like the idea of machine intelligence taking over, but I don't actually think it will happen, for all that I love SF forever and ever. I think nature will triumph in the end.
R.
Ah, but that the line between "organic creature" and "machine" is a widely blurred one. I'm not talking about cyborgs, mind you, but about the fact that machines can be built from organic materials, to self-assemble according to a code... well, you get the picture. Conversely, at a microscopic level *we* are highly complex machines, or rather, colonies of symbiotic and/or competitive machine-entities.
Although it seems far-fetched, and we will not likely see it in our lifetime, we will gain the ability to design micro-meter-size self-replicating devices (would these be machines or living entities, and would they evolve?) from the ground up.
He provides diagrams, dna etc. etc. of what possible routes species could go and provides pictures....the creepest that gave me the creeps when I first read it many years ago : The Nightstalker
But of course, the way our rules work I can't DO any of that waterworld stuff 'cuz I have no way to shoot original sharks and dolphins and whales, bummer.
It's an expert editing challenge. You could photograph them at an aquarium and PP them together with whatever else.
Yeah, except we don't HAVE that here, I'd have to go up to Boston for a decent aquarium and that ain't gonna happen...
I think this one will bring out all of the creative heavyweights of DPC, for which I am beyond excited! This one definitely got my mind churning, but if I don't have time to shoot for it, I'll be just as delighted to vote on the incredible entries this is sure to spawn.
