page 2 2014 TECHNOLOGY TODAY LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com September 30, 2014
The current species of human beings were
dubbed Homo sapiens, translated
intelligent
humans
. Their intelligence was measurable and
different from previous generations of human
beings. Linnaeus made the observation that this
new species was measurably more intelligent
and so he called them
Homo sapiens sapiens
, or
very smart humans
.
Whether he had indeed discovered a new spe-
cies of people or not, it was evident that mankind
was adapting to their environment and learning
and figuring things out.
The significant feature of human beings over the
rest of the animal world is that we are consid-
ered “tool makers.” Some animals are tool us-
ers, like baboons who will take a stick, lick it, and
then put the sticky wetted stick down an anthill to
bring out a tasty bunch of ants stuck to the stick
as a snack.
Humans go further and actually shape various
different tools for different tasks, and it is this
inventive creativity that has allowed us to pros-
per as a species. And this toolmaking ability has
developed over the millennia into what we now
call TECHNOLOGY.
We seem to be programmed to be attracted to
technology. I am sure that the poor guy who
first discovered fire had people following him
everywhere trying to get their hands on his new
technology, and everybody wanted to know
when he was going to come out with fire 2.0.
In the Bible, God Himself gave the whole planet
over to humans and told them to have domin-
ion over it. That dominion has for the most part
translated itself into technology.
There is a great clamoring among people for the
newest technologies. When the newest com-
puter operating system comes out, people adopt
it immediately. When the newest smartphone or
game console come out, people feverishly stand
in line to be among the first to get their hands on
it and experience it. People want new technolo-
gies because they believe that new technologies
will make their lives better.
Most current technology has become very
advanced, and many technologies have
computers at their core. The five articles in
this technology magazine all have computers
involved: Weather technology, smartphones,
entertainment and game consoles, the internet
and of course, computers.
The computer reflects and mimics our intel-
ligence back to us and has become the perfect
companion. Many have said that because of the
presence of so much information available today
because of technology, that we have evolved
again, but not for the better. We may no longer
be Homo sapien or Homo sapien sapien be-
cause we have come to rely on the ability and
intelligence of technology so much that we no
longer use our own minds.
Perhaps this new generation, going where no
man has gone before, should be called Homo
technologicus, people who seek technology.
Where will it lead us?
Carolus Linnaeus
I
n 1758, scientist Carolus Linnaeus
claimed that he had discovered a new
subspecies of evolved human beings.
Their evolutionary trait was that they
had become much more intelligent and
adaptable than their predecessors, and
seemed to learn at a ferocious pace.
Jim Youngquist with special acknowledgment to Dr. James Strauss
