Public Intellectual Part II: Technology and the Renaissance

In Part I of my series on the public intellectual, I talked about how public intellectuals are still thriving in our society thanks to democracy and religion. In this post, I will focus on how the internet has acted as a catalyst in the development of the public intellectual, as well as how the PI has been crucial in the development of such innovations .

Communicational innovations have been especially beneficial tools for the spread of public intellectuals, but more importantly, it has further enabled the effortless dissemination of their ideas. In turn, the PI's support and use of has been integral in the evolution of such creations. A striking resemblance can be made between Gutenberg's printing press and the current phenomenon of the internet.

The most glaring resemblance is the fact that both the printing press and the internet enabled sharing of information never before imagined. Similarly, both inventions caused massive effects outside of their original intention. Paradigms were not shifted - they were completely changed. James A. Dewar notes the many benefits of the printing press, noting,

“The printing press has been implicated in the Reformation, the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution, all of which had profound effects on their eras; similarly profound changes may already be underway in the information age.”

Dewar also draws a similarity between the press and networked computing, arguing, “The future of the information age will be dominated by unintended consequences” and “It will be decades before we see the full effects of the information age.” Certainly many consequences will go unforeseen(as they often do with inventions of such magnitudes), though a lengthy realization may not be as likely. Where 150 years ago, it could take months to reach someone across the country, people can now instantly interact on a global scale. And, of course, almost everyone has a computer.

These tools are byproducts coming from a need to learn more about our universe – that undying intellectual drive to know. In other words, these are inventions to help inventors. The underlying idea is information. By sharing and spreading information, people can know more, and more people can know more. We are living in an age where information is power - where the most informed and the most amount of informed people gain new relevances. It is the Information Age, and ubiquity is not a dream, but a very realistic goal.

Still, the internet's importance does not rely solely on the fact that the information is out there, but also the ease of access and dissemination on a personal level. To find virtually information on any topic, all one needs to know is what they are looking for and google's URL. Type in “the basics of quantum computing” and you'll get 170,000 results in 0.22 seconds – perhaps there may be a few intellectuals in that bunch.

If you happen to be looking for more narrowed results, or if you are such an intellectual that your esoteric criteria is too obscure, there is a plethora of places to look. Many sites offer unique and user-customizable search filtering. The multitude of scholarly sites typically post journals, articles, interviews, and other academic work of the highest caliber. Though some come at an expense, their availability is the crucial point.

Wikipedia has replaced the encyclopedia as a common store of knowledge and reference. Because of it's open source philosophy where the community submits and moderates content, accuracy is ensured to a percentile surpassing a printed encyclopedia and rivaling current online ones. The community of Public Intellectuals is out there, and they are very aware of each other. Wikipedia is not the only way that the current PI collaborates.

The blogosphere is the new global agora. A blog serves as a personal statement of identity, by sharing one's ideas with others in hopes of finding people with similar interests or relevant criticisms. Even the simplest of blogs can give insight to an outsider. The evolution has gone from the newspaper article to the blog address, only you don't have to be hired to write anymore. Furthermore, forums and discussion groups are even less formal, but just as common ways of sharing ideas, allowing users to post and comment on various topics.

The global aspect of the internet is truly unique. Never before have people been able to easily communicate regardless of location. Forget about the phone – email, instant messaging, video chat, and file sharing allow people to interact and share ideas instantly across various mediums. Teachers can teach classes with audio and visual tools, almost creating a completely virtual classroom environment. The fast transmission of information allows for quicker evolution of ideas. Physicist Paul Ginsparg said:

"The communication of research results occurs on a dramatically accelerated timescale... In addition, researchers who might not ordinarily communicate with one another can quickly set up a virtual meeting ground, and ultimately disband if things do not pan out, all with infinitely greater ease and flexibility than is provided by current publication media." Maybe telepathy isn't so far away...

It's about time for the first global renaissance. The internet and open source movement resemble the characteristic massive intellectual effort and rejuvenation of the arts that occurred in Italy around 400 years ago. People are getting smarter than ever, becoming experts in multiple areas. Intellectuals are hard to miss with so many people online. Countless coders and programmers have developed the open source movement, in hopes of most adequately refining man's greatest tool. The world's large network of computers has music and film are everywhere, as artists broaden their scope just by browsing online, and fans discover an exponentially larger selection than they are used to. And everything is done instantly! Just the idea of this type of sharing seems good a priori. If the net stays neutral, and all people are granted access, the scale of advancement mankind will achieve in the next 50 years alone will be unprecedented.

Beyond the Internet

The Internet is evolving, there's no doubt about that. We have Internet 2.0(and now 3.0), Wikis, picture perfect global maps, and numerous developments everyday. Despite all the progress, the future of the internet as we know it is up in the air, as companies battle over content control and argue over which rights should be granted and kept from users. The danger that free and equal use of the internet might be lost is imminent.

I find it ironic that by the time this perverted internet does manifest, it may already be obsolete. The entire Internet could soon be replaced by what is known simply as "The Grid".

The developers of the Internet have already begun networking supercomputers for the further posterity of virtual collaboration. The new network has been said to achieve "speeds about 10,000 times faster than a typical broadband connection(times online)." IBM's Brian Carpenter said of The Grid's future potential, "The Grid will open up ... storage and transaction power in the same way that the Web opened up content."

By installing a completely new infrastructure, they can avoid many problems the Internet has faced already. Still, this total switch will be difficult because of it's large scale. Group's of the world's elite scientists have been meeting to discuss issues of compatibility, security, accounting, and other important issues to consider before initiating the project to full tilt.

Douglas Heingartner explains potential uses:

"Other potential Grid components include creating a virtual observatory, and doctors performing simulations of blood flows. While some of these applications have existed for years, the Grid will make them routine rather than exceptional."

The future of the internet and the grid do share a common characteristic: uncertainty.

Paper Cut

Many technologies are expunged due to their inferiority to competitors, while others are merely upgraded to keep up with the demands of the times. Despite the multitude of technological developments we have achieved, we have yet to successfully make paper a thing of the past, or even upgrade it.

To some, the disappearance of paper is long overdue. The computer has already eclipsed the printing press in magnitude, though it has not deemed it obsolete. A paperless workplace has been a commonly shared vision by many green-geeks of late, though a paperless world is easily perceivable to the common person. In his book, 1984, George Orwell predicted it's disappearance:

"The pen was an archaic instrument, seldom used even for signatures...Apart from very short notices, it was usual to dictate everything into the speak-write...Actually, few people ever wrote letters." (Orwell - 1984)

Let us consider what can go:

Paper records are being replaced by databases and electronic data storage types. Traditional snail mail has already been eclipsed by email. Physical newspapers have lost popularity, as anyone can simultaneously view multiple news sites for free. Paper books are still popular, though products like amazon's kindle look to take them out. Paper currency seems unnecessary with credit cards, check cards, and ATMs. Who needs map when you've got navigation?Airline tickets are totally electronic now. Even toilet paper can go with TOTO's new toilet seat.

So what is paper still good for? Well, it seems it started out as a medium for storing information, as paper records. Then became a transfer medium, used to share information and ideas with other people.
As a storage medium, people should try to free themselves of the paper reliance, as “paper is expensive to create and store - and not very environmentally friendly.” (silicon.com)
Though it seems digital data warehouses are better in almost every conceivable aspect of the storage medium, there are some characteristics as a transfer medium that are not yet replaceable with other technologies. The ability to hand someone a business card, or to quickly make a sketch may be hard to replace. It’s part of human nature to “hold something in our hands” says Bonnie Alba

There are a few proposed upgrades to lessen the reliability on paper, including the digital pen, digital watermarks, and E-paper.


Regardless, there will always be some resistance to the eradication of paper. Aside from the notable job losses to people anywhere on the supply chain for any type of paper-related production, there are some forces that will ensure paper usage to a certain extent. The government requires paper records to prove eligibility for tax deductions should there be an audit, paper records are required to prove many things in court, and paper records are required for proof of insurance. Still, I can envision ways to surpass these standards, as well as the true possibility of a paperless world. The arguments of the luddites, purists, and paper nostalgics are constantly dwindling due to the increasing promise of new technologies and innovation.

15 Crucial Sci-Fi Films

Brave New World(1932)
Aldous Huxley was the godfather of science fiction. Very early on, he recognized the dangers of emerging technology, and predicted a world that few of his contemporaries thought possible. Though it was only made into a TV movie, to me the book was the first instance of these new concepts in literature, media, and the world.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb(1964)
The first Stanley Kubrick film and only black & white movie on this list is about a pre-emptive nuclear dilemma involving the United States and the Soviet Union. The film is extremely ironic and satirical, showing how our own machines, especially the weapons, can get out of control and lead to destruction.


2001: A Space Odyssey(1968)
Another Kubrick film with a man vs. machine theme, only this time it's in the future. The film focuses on human evolution, artificial intelligence and even extraterrestrial life. It is especially known for its realistic accuracy(e.g. no noise in space). The ultimate battle is between the crew of the ship and the supposedly error-free computer, HAL 9000. This episode shows the danger of Artifical Intelligence cognizing and resisting a shutdown.


Beneath the Planet of the Apes(1970)
Another future tale about evolution and nuclear disaster, this film is about a battle over an infertile earth between mutant humans and apes that can speak. The mutants have telepathic powers and worship an unexploded nuclear bomb. They eventually detonate upon realizing they cannot win a battle against the apes, causing the total destruction of earth.


THX 1138(1971)
George Lucas' first film, THX 1138 is very Orwelian in theme, in showing the the total control a government can attain through technological and scientific advances. The danger of humans becoming more robotic, mechanical, and generic in nature is emphasized.


1984(novel in 1949, movie in 1984)
The film adaptation of the very famous Orwell novel, is not the same as the novel, but very close. Still, “Big Brother is watching YOU” was coined in the original novel, as Orwell imagined a possible post WWII future. The “Big Brother” concept has grown to be a quite relevant discussion on personal privacy rights balanced with security and surveillance, despite whether it is one's own government, large companies, or other people.

Terminator(trilogy 1984, 1991, 2003)
An epic action flick showing the danger of a cyborg company taking over the world and destroying humanity. It also touches on time travel and the possible effects.

Hackers(1995)
Definately the most hokey of the bunch, Hackers is a modern film about a group of misfit-hacker teens who end up having to use their destructive and disruptive hacking abilities to battle a large corporation with their own 1337 hacker of their own.

12 Monkeys(1995)
Terry Gilliam directed this futuristic movie about a prisoner who is sent back in time to try to find a pure form of a virus that wiped out most of mankind on earth, only everyone in the past thinks he's crazy. The movie deals with the issue of creating a virus that could kill the world, as well as the dangers and paradoxes of time travel. Gilliam also directed Brazil(1985) which was his own more futuristic rendition of 1984.


Gattaca(1997)
Gattaca takes place in near future, where a naturally conceived(as opposed to genetically modified) man attempts to surpass the limitations put on him by society. Major themes include the dangers of genetic engineering as well as the random, inexplicable nature of the universe.


Matrix(1999)
If you haven't seen this movie, then you've probably been asleep for the past 10 years. Basically it is an epic movie about humans fighting to destroy their own creation, the Robot, which has turned against its creators and enslaved mankind. It's similar to 2001: A Space Odyssey in that it shows the danger of creating a cognitive machine that resists termination. An interesting idea, when the computer entity, Mr. Smith, notes that humans are more like a virus than any other creature(shown in the following trailer).


Minority Report(2002)
“Set in Washington, D.C. in the year 2054, where a special police department called "pre-crime" apprehends criminals based on foreknowledge, provided by three psychics termed 'pre-cogs'.” -Wikipedia The movie deals with the moral issues of altering people for unnatural purposes as well as the blind total reliance on new technologies, and the unknown unknowns.


Equilibrium(2002)
Very much like Brave New World and THX 1138, this film is about a society controlled by a totalitarian government who forces its population to take pills to eradicate emotions. The main character is a special soldier who is supposed to apprehend those who don't take the pills. He eventually stops taking them and begins to struggle over right and wrong.

I, Robot(book 1950, movie 2004)
Though the original book by Isaac Asimov was a collection of short stories about depicting a future with robots, the film focuses on a story where a robot is charged for the murder of his master. Almost all of Asimov's books dealt with new technology and its interworking with humanity in the not-so-distant future. My personal favorite, Foundation, is coming to theaters in 2008. Foundation is the first book of a series about a man who develops a method to predict the future and sees the destruction of civilization. He then establishes a distant colony to ensure the survival of the human race.

The Real Superhumans And The Quest For The Future Fantastic(2008)
The only movie on this list that isn't science fiction, it is a documentary dealing with modern people with superhuman abilities. The film also focuses on human evolution, genetics, and aging. A geneticist in this film successfully creates a chimera between two species more genetically disparate than humans and monkeys. He sees genetic engineering of humans inevitable, while warns of the possible biological(as opposed to social)stratification. Still, the super-humans are by far the most fascinating, and definitely worth a look.

Yarggggg! New World Pirates Battle Hollywood

The fact that in 2007, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End was among the top 5 most pirated movies is pure coincidence to most people. In fact, it is a sign of the time, reflecting not only the novel popularity of pirates, but also the real-life pirates whose treasure chest is a hard drive full of music, TV shows, and movies.

Media piracy has become an increasingly large problem for consumers and businesses alike. On one side sits powerful companies lobbying for copyright protection. On the other side sits the file-sharer whose life revolves around the internet. Stuck in between the crossfire is the common consumer, who uses a computer for simple tasks and still goes to the movies. While both sides continue to point fingers, the middle-man is forced to ask why this problem persists and whether an armistice is foreseeable.

Everyone knows that stealing is wrong, but there is something about downloading media that feels different. Perhaps it is the fact that downloading is often conveniently called 'sharing'. Maybe it's the fact that there is no tangible product to be clandestinely concealed and snatched – or it's simply too easy to do. Some 'pirates' argue that the unchecked conglomerate greed and exorbitant media prices justify their actions. Regardless, there seems to be no signs of slowing – a trend that the media companies cannot afford to ignore. But how can they fight this ever-growing armada of modern pirates?

Typical of the large media companies, they Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) have overlooked and bypassed the user, specifically college students, in trying to solve their problems. The MPAA has been lobbying congress with a bill that would “force colleges to make plans for offering up legal music services to students and implement copyright filters, (even) after the MPAA's own data shows that schools have little to do with the overall problem.” [This type of filtering is similar to the Comcast practices mentioned in my previous post.] Of course, colleges are all for educating students on
copyright issues and the penalties for violation, though they are quite reluctant to use such filtering services.

In 2005, the MPAA conducted a study that found colleges to be the source of over 40% of all movie studio losses due to piracy. This was the original justification for urging congress to make colleges offer legal media services along with implementing filtering procedures. Unfortunately for the studios, the study was found to be quite erroneous, with the actual number around 15%. The MPAA's response was to change their reasoning, and emphasize the importance of filters for saving bandwidth and consequently, money.

Of course, the universities have been skeptical of this change and have remained stalwart in their objection to be forced into filtering the traffic on their own networks. But is there a solution somewhere between forced network filters and rampant files-haring?

Perhaps the movie studios to listen to their enemies, and learn:“Peter Sunde and Fredrik Neij from The Pirate Bay(one of the world's largest torrent & filesharing sites) recently did a video interview which resulted in some great quotes. One such quote comes from Fredrik, he suggests that the movie and music industry should set up their own torrent site, and monetize it through advertisements. 'We would be out of business.''he added.” With the record box office booty in 2007, perhaps Hollywood should take a serious look in the mirror and try to reconnect with their inner pirate.

Op Ed: Comcast a Bunch of Hipocrites

At an open FCC net neutrality hearing held at Harvard Law School on February 26, broadband company Comcast shamelessly paid employees to wait in line and fill seats in order to give the illusion of strong support for an already questionable cause. Comcast is desperate to justify what most are calling unreasonable network management, where the company targets and disconnects BitTorrent users, without notice or explanation. Daniel Weitzner, Director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Decentralized Information Group explained, “These are techniques that hackers would use to deny service to any application on the web.”

Comcast's actions are wrong for a number of reasons: Most importantly, there is a large discrepancy between the company's words and actions - In 2007, Comcast told The Electronic Frontier Foundation and Free Press it would not interfere with users' ability to run file sharing applications over its network, specifically noting BitTorrent. Despite saying this, they have since been caught actively disconnecting BitTorrent users, and have thus incited the FCC's interests into their actions. Users have a right to know just what type of actions their Internet Service Provider(ISP) is using against them, and the information is only beginning to surface.

Secondly, it is completely out of Comcast's jurisdiction to police internet traffic. Competing broadband companies like Verizon and AT&T have already clearly stated they will take no such role in monitoring users for bandwidth usage and content. The philosophy entails letting people fileshare freely, while letting the government takes care of violators. For some reason, Comcast feels compelled to resist the paradigm shift and play the vigiliante.

The unreliability of a network will surely stifle web application innovation, causing developers to take a conservative stance in order to anticipate unknown “network management” effects. In fact, at the hearing they were accused of trying to eliminate “competition by blocking the delivery of rival video-on-demand services over its cable system.” If Comcast remains on the same course, they surely could not advertise as offering the same type of robust service other ISP's do.

Comcast argues that certain network management is needed due to the expensive costs of upgrading a system to handle increased user load. Of course certain management is needed, but what is reasonable? Where is the line drawn? Comcast already has the infrastructure for cable and on-demand services, but they aren't fully utilizing it. Furthermore, where other companies look to expansion to accommodate increased user needs, Comcast disconnects certain users to keep a balanced bandwidth.

Comcast has not yet been forced to change because the situation is almost totally unprecedented, and it carries large implications down the road regarding net-neutrality litigation. The issue emphasizes the importance of having some sort of regulation to set a standard for Internet Service Providers.

The company's actions at the meeting further expose their surreptitious nature. It's not wrong to organize people to rally, but perhaps hiring them to is over line. Comcast's fraudulent representation at the FCC hearing serves as a symbol of their dishonesty towards the general public and internet users alike. Their gestapo style regulation and feigned popularity resemble the tightening grip of a failing despot.

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