Ask A Genius 1232: Trends and Their Interactions
Author(s): Rick Rosner and Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): Ask A Genius
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2024/12/30
Rick Rosner: All right, so some trends—most competing with each other to change the world, improve the world, or potentially harm the world—are fairly obvious to the point where people almost distrust them because they’ve been discussed so extensively. One is AI combined with quantum computing and the disruptions they bring, including AI-driven disinformation, cyber warfare, and other associated challenges.
Then there’s climate change, a heavily politicized and debated issue that elicits concern and skepticism. Another factor is declining fertility rates, potentially increasing lifespans, and growing wealth inequality. All these trends are interconnected—sometimes reinforcing and sometimes working against each other.
In 2024, national elections have been held in 33 nations. In 27 of those elections, the incumbents lost, indicating a shift in political leanings, largely toward the right. There is noticeable political anger, growing intolerance, and increasing selfishness, much of which is fueled by social media, which is influenced by AI-driven algorithms.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What can we conclude about these trends and how they interact or conflict? Human behaviour is increasingly shaped and manipulated by algorithms.
Rosner: Yes, all right, I can agree with that.
Jacobsen: : Ironically, even homesteaders who may try to remain off-grid still face indirect influences from modern systems. In certain ways, it’s inescapable.
Rosner: Okay, so we’re at the point where humans may no longer be the smartest beings on Earth. Much of what is happening results from human technological dominance, but this has been true for over a century. However, the forms and issues arising from it are rapidly evolving.
I don’t know—are there any other significant trends we’ve missed?
Jacobsen: When it comes to human augmentation, we’ll likely see more advanced attempts at augmenting animals or non-human species. This will raise profound ethical and practical questions.
Rosner: Implanting chips in animals to enhance their abilities is a major focus of my book. For example, people often compare the mental age of dogs to that of a two-year-old human child. These comparisons are always oversimplified because dogs are fundamentally different from toddlers.
However, if you could implant chips in animals to provide them with information feeds that make reality easier to comprehend or enable them to understand humans better, you could fundamentally alter their understanding of the world. You could give them a more human-like perspective—one less rooted in direct experience. Humans, for example, have a global perspective on events and their causes. In contrast, animals have a pragmatic understanding of their immediate surroundings and how events may affect them. They lack a unified perspective on why things happen.
Animals do not address the “who, what, when, where, why, and how” questions like humans do. Their perspective is more fragmented. You’d need to connect them to the analytical modules they lack to address this.
For example, a verbal processor could help. Animals develop some understanding of words, but their understanding is largely external. A chip could link their understanding to their consciousness. Over time, after prolonged exposure to the chip, animals might develop neural networks and structures that enable a more internal language comprehension.
Still, the primary processing would remain external, handled by the chip’s data processor. It would continue to perform the majority of the cognitive work.
And how do you link that effectively? Animals would need some external processing device, like a small box strapped to them, or could it be done via Bluetooth? I don’t know.
I need to think about this if I write about it. But yes, you’re right—we might see more enlightened animals in the future, for better or worse.
Also, I feel like lunatics will misuse tools like CRISPR. Using CRISPR to engineer viruses to alter people for good or harm is not hard.
For example, if there were genetic modifications to improve people in some way or if someone wanted to harm others, it’s conceivable. RFK Jr. came out with the ridiculous and offensive conspiracy theory that COVID-19 was engineered to kill Chinese people and spare Jews, which is some of the most absurd and creepy nonsense in the world.
However, someone could use CRISPR to create viruses with sinister or idealistic goals in the future. For instance, imagine if someone figured out how to make people smarter and released a virus. Who knows what unintended consequences it could have? That same virus could get into animals and make them smarter.
Is any of that plausible? I don’t know. But you could write about it and make it sound plausible in the framework of a novel.
Quite a few science fiction stories and novels have explored ideas like this—not tons, but enough. Some focus on people becoming smarter, others on people becoming less intelligent.
Somebody wrote a novel about 40 years ago called IQ 83, which states that a virus makes everyone stupid. It explored how humanity might survive when even the world’s greatest geniuses have their IQs cut in half.
I believe there was also, I believe, a Clifford D. Simak novel—maybe from 60 years ago—called Brainwave, or it could have been by Poul Anderson. The premise was that everyone’s IQ, including that of animals, was multiplied by five. The story explored what would happen to the world under those circumstances.
So, people have been writing about these ideas for a long time.
Last updated May 3, 2025. These terms govern all In Sight Publishing content—past, present, and future—and supersede any prior notices. In Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is licensed under a Creative Commons BY‑NC‑ND 4.0; © In Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen 2012–Present. All trademarks, performances, databases & branding are owned by their rights holders; no use without permission. Unauthorized copying, modification, framing or public communication is prohibited. External links are not endorsed. Cookies & tracking require consent, and data processing complies with PIPEDA & GDPR; no data from children < 13 (COPPA). Content meets WCAG 2.1 AA under the Accessible Canada Act & is preserved in open archival formats with backups. Excerpts & links require full credit & hyperlink; limited quoting under fair-dealing & fair-use. All content is informational; no liability for errors or omissions: Feedback welcome, and verified errors corrected promptly. For permissions or DMCA notices, email: scott.jacobsen2025@gmail.com. Site use is governed by BC laws; content is “as‑is,” liability limited, users indemnify us; moral, performers’ & database sui generis rights reserved.
In-Sight Publishing 