Exponentially Abstract Existence
Have you ever thought about how few people really understand or have the capability to do the things that have become so important to keeping us alive and continuing our culture? We use things everyday that we not only did not make, but that we could not make, if the one who made them were to turn up missing. (Say that three times fast!)
And let us not forget one of the most exponential abstractions around–the Internet. (I’m not complaining, I love the information out there, and the expression–my blog, case in point.) But take a look at the levels of abstraction with me. Let’s get the physical stuff out of the way, since it isn’t really abstract. Metal, in one form or another, conducts electricity and creates magnetism (yes, I am oversimplifying.) Welcome to abstraction level 1. Once the magnetism is there, we can start getting the “on” and “off” patterns (1’s and 0’s) that make up the first level of binary code. Next, binary itself, is an abstraction–turning 1’s and 0’s into actual numbers. Then, these “actual” numbers are translated into ASCII and other forms of code to make letters. That’s 4 levels of abstraction, and we’re still only able to do word processing.
Next we take these characters and assign them different meanings than they normally have, to create web code. We then load them into a computer (with all of the same abstractions that we have already discussed) that is designed to be a server (computers have servants, now–Asimov wasn’t totally off, then, eh?) and then we have protocols and other code to interconnect them. I don’t know enough about the second level to tell you more than 3 levels, but I doubt it is that simple. So, for you to read my posts about making concrete, physical objects out of “junk,” you have to go through at least 7 levels of abstraction.
And, say, some diabolical maniac destroyed our power plants and our oil refineries…who would be able to survive? The staggering answer is that far fewer of us would survive than would have just 150 or even 100 years ago. This is because everyone has been abstracted right out of understanding the basics of growing food, hunting animals, tanning leather for clothes and making paper to communicate and keep records. (Okay, so perhaps making paper is not a life-saving invention, but it is a culture-saving invention.)
I hope someone out there knows how to make toilets, because I think I’ll be moving in next door–there are some technological advances that really shouldn’t go away if that maniac I was talking about really exists.
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