Andrea Ward - Radical Evolution and Future Shock in the Paleocybernetic Age

Andrea Ward

1/28/14

PART ONE: THE AUDIENCE AND THE MYTH OF ENTERTAINMENT

Radical Evolution and Future Shock in the Paleocybernetic Age

One can define the term, ‘paleocybernetic’ by dividing the term into two parts; paleo and cybernetic. The word, ‘paleo’ means old or ancient. Cybernetics describes the transdisciplinary (the crossing of disciplinary boundaries in order to develop one holistic approach) exploration of systems along with their limitations and potentials. Thus, the Paleocybernetic age would denote an age in which systems and structures that act as platforms upon which societies can function, are undergoing rapid change, or, evolution. Change has become such a consistency within society that society depends on change itself for progress. This applies to all aspects of society, including the physical and metaphysical, and as a result, the decreasing gap between man’s definitions of physical and metaphysical. As evolution becomes more radical, we begin to fill empty spaces of knowledge, and in turn, create more empty spaces of knowledge elsewhere. As man’s knowledge is expanded, his understanding of the universe and his place in it seems smaller.

This concept relates to cinema in that cinema has illusioned man by projecting an image of reality to man that does not actually exist. This phenomenon of illusion prevents man from understanding the radical evolution that is currently defining his world for him. Radical evolution is happening at a pace at which man cannot comprehend. Thus, man continues to live based on outdated values without knowing it. Values become outdated simply because of change. One discovery leads to the next, and to the next, until eventually man’s basic core values, including morality, are replaced. This is why it is called radical evolution rather than revolution. Revolution implies a change that man is deciding to make on his own terms. This is an evolution because man does not quite have the option to remain the same. Change is a necessity inherent to today’s terms.

Just as change has become a constant, future shock has become a constant. People from everywhere are experiencing future shock in one way or another. Regardless of the way that they are experiencing it, the human race as a whole seems to be becoming comfortable in this constant feeling of change. This initiates the pattern of polarization between people who sustain their ‘old-fashioned’ ways and people who learn to quickly adapt. As new generations are born, these generations are more adept to adaptation. The youth and its following generations have become accustomed to change accompanied by ephemerality, ranging from the small scale to the large scale. One the small scale, products will live shorter lives. On the large scale, services and careers will live shorter lives. In order to illustrate this phenomenon, Gene Youngblood draws upon an observation made by Sociologist Alvin Toffler; that when parents plan for their sons to become lawyers, they are deceiving them, "Because we have no conception of what being a lawyer will mean twenty years hence. Most probably, lawyers will be computers." He explains that we can't even promise that certain occupations will exist when the youth join the work force. A computer programmer could be considered unneeded ten years from now, as computers will be responsible for reprogramming and regenerating themselves. He mentions that IBM has even introduced a computer that reprograms itself.    

As computers reprogram themselves, humans are forced to redefine their view of the world- politically, economically, ecologically, socially, and spiritually. With this idea, Youngblood incorporates a series of examples that demonstrate the way in which radical evolution forces the human race to grasp a new perspective of their environment. For instance, how is our definition of ‘intelligence’ altered by the growth of artificial intelligent systems? How is morality threatened by sciences and technologies that open up immoral possibilities? What does it mean to be human when the human life can be sustained utilizing inorganic resources? What is nature when humans don’t need it as much as they used to? What is creativity in a world of globalized art?

I suppose that we are just an audience entertained by myth. To put it all together, if radical evolution is causing the audience to experience future shock, and cinema provides us the proper illusion, then it’s no question that the solidity of what’s considered to be truth and what’s considered to be mythical is questionable. Also note the fact that research has been done to prove that there is more to the eye than what the brain receives. With that, there is more to reality than what we have projected, thus giving us more imagery to project upon the screens, and thus bringing our view of reality to an unrealistic level, or should I say more realistic? One can use the example of art. One art is utilized as a platform for another and so on. The art of photography provokes the art of film. The art of music provokes the art of dance. The art of cinema provokes the art of digital projections. As the world updates itself, and the screen upon which it is shown becomes more detailed, then the lenses through which the audiences view the screen become old and need to be replaced. The paleocybernetic age will never be one of the past, but one that is always reassigned to the present.

Definition of a term I did not know before:
Metaphysics: A branch of philosophy that deals with the fundamental nature of existence, aiming to explain what is ultimately existent and how we go about describing it. This branch discusses the theories of knowledge, identity, time, and space.