Humanity's Best Bits

We live in a world that, at times, can seem cruel and broken, especially with news services than naturally focuses on the negative. Yet, every day there are untold stories of heroism, selflessness and progress that few will ever hear of, and countless more hidden in the mists of time. Rising above all these are a group of major events that everyone knows of - humanity's greatest achievements. From the Moon Landings to the Human Genome Project, these are some things so important that their effects go far beyond the event itself. In no particular order, and likely with many that should justifiably be on this list, I'm going to look at what I believe are humanity's best bits (with an obvious science/technology slant).

Space Exploration

The clichéd ultimate achievement is the Moon landing; undoubtedly reflecting the pinnacle of perseverance and technical know-how, it is only one of many milestones on our species' journey beyond our home planet. The first man-made object to be put into Earth orbit, the first man in space, the first landing of probe on Mars, and very recently the crossing of Voyager 1 into interstellar space are all accomplishments comparable to the manned landing in 1969.

Space exploration is the highest expression of humanity's innate drive to explore. Arguably, our adaptability to new environments and desire to spread across the planet, is one of the key elements of our psyche that makes us so unique and successful. From the first exodus from Africa, to the colonisation of the Americas, human history is filled with expansionary tendencies. Having explored all but the deepest recesses of our planet's surface, the move to space seems like the natural next step.

Some say that space exploration is a waste of resources, but I disagree. Aside from the enormous benefits of satellites that measure our planet's climate, allow us to communicate near-instantaneously from opposite sides of the world, and to peer to the very edge of the universe, space technology has had many offshoots that are inextricably woven into the fabric of human life.

In time, we will be glad that we began the move into space when we did. Our planet is threatened by countless events, both internal and foreign. Should an asteroid on a collision course with Earth be discovered tomorrow, and forecast to hit within 10 years, we would be more than hard-pressed to put up any resistance at all had we not yet bothered to begin our journey into space. The coming of such an asteroid is only a matter of time, and when it comes we should be prepared thanks to the leaps we have already made. Similarly, should a different apocalyptic event arise sometime in the next century or so, it is highly likely that we will have established some sort of permanent settlement on other bodies in our solar system, and that should civilisation on Earth be destroyed, humanity will continue.

While space missions are usually done under the name of a particular country, they are usually supported by an enormous team of people from all over the world, making space exploration a profoundly international endeavour. Although nationalism was heavily intertwined with exploration during the 'space race', more recently it is often considered as more of a collaborative enterprise, epitomised by the most expensive man-made object ever to exist, the International Space Station. The view of our planet from space has ignited a new view of the world, with perspective shifting from a national to planetary level, as summarised by astronaut Donald Williams: "For those who have seen the Earth from space, and for the hundreds and perhaps thousands more who will, the experience most certainly changes your perspective. The things that we share in our world are far more valuable than those which divide us." This can only accelerate as journeying to space becomes more commonplace, and eventually available to not only astronauts the mega-rich.

Eradication of Smallpox

Over the 20th century, Smallpox killed between 300 and 500 million people - several times more than the total killed by both World Wars combined. Since the early 19th century, humanity has made efforts to wipe this scourge, which leaves many who survive it disfigured, from existence. Only in 1959, following a recommendation from the USSR's deputy health of health, was a concerted effort made to complete the job, eradicating what remained of it mostly in developing countries. In 1977 the last person was naturally infected, and two years later Smallpox was declared extinct, apart from a few strains remaining in storage possessed by the USA and USSR.

The eradication of Smallpox gave new hope to the similar extermination of diseases, including Polio and Malaria. For once we managed to wipe out a species that we actually wanted rid of (as opposed to the many hundreds, and possibly thousands that have become extinct due to our destruction of the natural environment) and saved many millions of lives as a result. Interestingly, the eradication Smallpox passed with little celebration - surprising for an event of such importance.

The Internet

The internet has come to dominate all spheres of civilization, from education and business, to social networking and journalism. The culmination of developments in communicative technology over the past century, it provided a place at which most human knowledge can be stored and accessed, and a hub for all types of media and art. It's true potential is only just being realised, and is likely to continue to increase in its effect on society and use in all walks of life.

The rise of the internet has lead to the creation of new dynamics, including instant messaging, social networking, memes (the funny pictures, and not the unit of cultural evolution), blogging (as you can see!) and so on. Arguably, our lives have been enriched more by the internet than by any other technological development, with the obvious exception of medical advancements. The achievement that is the internet is clearly not its creation alone, but also its populating with billion upon billion of web pages by many millions of people from every country in the world.

The Large Hadron Collider (and other awesome machines)

I'm lumping in machines like the first nuclear reactor (despite it's use in the first nuclear weapons), International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), National Ignition Facility (NIF) and various other particle smashers. The benefits of nuclear reactors are clear, providing clean (or at least somewhat cleaner than fossil fuels) energy with very little material, and the potential benefits of fusion reactors are even greater.

Many people object to the pure research that machines such as the LHC are involved in, on the grounds that it is costs an enormous amount ($4 billion) for no tangible benefit. This isn't necessarily true, as the construction of operating of the LHC has created and maintained jobs, and may have unexpected implications in the future. Without pure research there would be no applied research, and therefore no technology, so it is unreasonable to object to pure research. It is also difficult to establish whether a particular pure research project could produce anything directly beneficial in time, so the best course seems to me continuing pure research, if not only to satisfy human curiosity.

Note also that the cost of the LHC is less than what the world spends on it's militaries PER DAY - if there's a drain of resources that people should be complaining about, that is it!

These great machines are important not only for their use, but also for what they represent: the pinnacle of engineering and technical knowledge. Each is comprised of many millions of parts, precision engineered and fitted together to produce something that carries out something incredible, be it splitting atoms or smashing them together. They truly are testaments to our ingenuity and curiosity.

Artificial Intelligence

Obviously (at the time of writing) this isn't something that has been created yet, and is not likely to very many years. This would  be, in my opinion, the single greatest development that humanity could make, both past and future. The creation of a true AI would be revolutionary directly in neurology, and indirectly in everything from philosophy to gaming. As I've suggested earlier, AI could spark an unprecedented shift in technology, and society as a whole.

Interestingly, now that I've got to the end of the list (remember that this is not exhaustive) I noticed they tie in chronologically:

Space exploration: 1957 (Sputnik) onwards

Smallpox eradication: 1979

The internet: 1982

LHC: 2008

Arificial intelligence: 20?? (being a techno-optimist)

What does it mean?

You may have noticed a theme running through this article - that all of these achievements were international in scope. The point I would like to make is that far greater progress can be made through co-operation than competition, and that to tackle the great problems of our time necessitates greater collaboration and unity. Be proud of what our species has accomplished, and look forward to what it will achieve in the future!