Technology

“The notion that we are all self-aware software trapped inside computer-generated virtual reality first gained academic credibility in a 2003 paper published by Oxford philosopher and futurist Nick Bostrom… . One of the appeals of simulation theory, [Rothman] thinks, is that it ‘gives atheists a way to talk about spirituality,’ or something like it. It offers ‘a source of awe.’” - Breakpoint

“When platforms make their livings by harvesting and selling our attention, they achieve that by shoving unsolicited junk into our minds, while we obediently scroll down and down and down.” - Chris Best

“…like many other good things in life, social media can become distorted and twisted, which is one of Bursch’s points: ‘The social-media platforms we create are not just connecting us—they’re changing us. They’re changing how we view reality, understand relationships, process conflicts, and abide with each other’ ” - TGC

“A cohort of advocates under the banner of the Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood are urging Facebook to cancel its plans to launch a version of Instagram designed for pre-teens, highlighting the social ills and perils of overuse of digital technology.” - C.Post

“ ‘They showed you a simulation of some neural activity inside this. Suppose it looked different; how would you know that that was wrong or right?’ Sitting behind the camera, I replied, ‘Well, I wouldn’t know.’ Seung reiterated: ‘Right, how would anybody know what was a wrong activity pattern or right activity pattern?’” - Scientific American

“Each kit, worth $2,500, provides access to all the Bible translation software a language group needs, along with a built-in satellite internet connection.

“Transhumanism says that carbon as flesh is weak and carbon as mechanism is strong; at its most fundamentalist it preaches an eschaton of singularity, the upload of our minds—reduced or assumed to be ones and zeros—on immortal circuitries.” - TAC

“Most pastors have several moments each week when they shake their heads in sorrow at something they’ve seen a church member post on social media. The last year—in which churchgoers spent less time in face-to-face fellowship and more time than ever in ‘fellowship’ with the social media mob—has made the problem worse. What can church leaders do about this?” - 9 Marks

“we also need to remember that every headline is a sales pitch, crafted to grab our attention, accrue clicks, and make money. Media companies profit from our addiction to doomscrolling. They’re motivated to keep us doing it—drawing us constantly from one horrific headline to the next.” - TGC

“the problem of regulating speech when a service hosts hundreds of millions of users…. is a problem that is impossible to fix to anyone’s satisfaction. Moderate too many comments, and you will be accused of canceling’ one side or the other. Moderate too few comments, and congressmen and women end up cowering behind their desks as self-described shamans in Viking helmets storm the Capitol.” - The Dispatch