Edit: let me just add that I'm extremely positive about the future, it's just that there are certain challenges that we as a society must deal with.
The ability for one man or a small group of men to more or less wipe out the human race will be in our reach within perhaps just a few years.
We can deal with this by different control mechanisms in our society. I'm a firm believer in the transparent society but the way things are going right now we seem to be moving towards a government controlled big brother society.
Is that the way we want it? Now is the time to discuss these issues if we want to change route.
Isn't this the same problem as nuclear knowledge regulation though? We definitely need some controls here, but the government doesn't need to control everything big brother style. Just a few specific items within a few domains of knowledge.
I'm not a big fan of government secrecy either but if the choice is between that and self-extinction, well...! Our Stone Age circumstances have left us with some pretty predatorial instincts and drives. It makes sense to put in safeguards to protect us from our own giant technological reach. It gives us time to let our social/cultural immune systems catch up.
And these probably don't have to be permanent - I'm not sure, but it does feel like we're moving towards greater freedom over time. Look at the chemicals you can buy in any hardware store or pharmacy today, and the instruction guides freely available on the internet. Individuals can already cause asymmetrically large harm but generally don't, because we're already fairly self-domesticated.
20th century: mankind can destroy mankind.
21st century: man can destroy mankind.
Edit: let me just add that I'm extremely positive about the future, it's just that there are certain challenges that we as a society must deal with.
The ability for one man or a small group of men to more or less wipe out the human race will be in our reach within perhaps just a few years.
We can deal with this by different control mechanisms in our society. I'm a firm believer in the transparent society but the way things are going right now we seem to be moving towards a government controlled big brother society.
Is that the way we want it? Now is the time to discuss these issues if we want to change route.