Book Review: DUST NET, The Future of Surveillance, Privacy, and Communication

DUST NET, The Future of Surveillance, Privacy, and Communication

by

David Dvorkin

The book is a short discussion about a scary future, as far as surveillance go. It begins with a review of the state of the art, where, governments and corporations had the advantage regarding both control of electronic channels of communication and surveillance of individuals. That’s about to change, the book says. The growing availability of cheap, tiny surveillance devices will usher in a revolution. Already we see it in the use of drones.

Moreover, The United States Air Force is developing drones that will mimic the appearance and behavior of insects, which would have microchips that could eventually make it possible for smart phones to take pictures through walls. Technology is in the making, where equipment can detect such changes, people can cause to wifi. Further, making an image of the body that caused the change is not a big deal. The book goes into further possibilities, like citizens using drones to catch politicians betraying public trust, and governments using the same to spy on each other.

As the book puts in the end, this is not an exciting world. It is, however, the world that is coming. We’d best prepare ourselves for it. We need to think of the ways we can benefit from free, worldwide communication in its future incarnation of the dust net world.

A well written book, and it made me think a lot.

Cryolifestyle?

Our lifestyle has resulted in a violent society. Or, human life is one of violence, except where we succeed in administering peace. Why? What needs to be done?

Randomness – The Essence of Stability

If all the oxygen molecules in a room happen to have their velocity directed to one corner, all those occupying other places in the room are likely to die of hypoxemia. But, it does not happen, thanks to the random nature of molecular movements.

Similarly, everything in this world is progressing like a clock work mechanism because of the random nature of whatever is the entity of relevance. But, all that we humans have been doing since time immemorial, effectively, is destroying randomness.

This perhaps is okay, as far as material things go, if we look from the human angle. Here, it results in the classification and control of various elements of matter and force, which exactly is what is behind the progress, human race is constantly making. And, as long as we are able to deal appropriately with all the undesirables, like waste and emissions, things can go on.

But, will this be okay, if we look other angles? Surely, when we are dealing with living things, the same practice leads to many questions. The undesirables, in this case, are part of the very same life, which may even be something essential. Moreover, a living being can have many facets, both desirable and undesirable to an onlooker, and which may appear at random. In which case, it shall be inappropriate or untimely to accord a label.

Additionally, overlooking this, we are going ahead with the practice of encouraging all to strive for the extremes, and strengthen it further by instituting awards and honors at every possible juncture.

A perpetually unstable or violent society is the result.

I therefore think, we need to make a fundamental change to our priorities. From putting greater emphasis on excellence in whatever may be the chosen entity, importance can be accorded to the presence of a wide variety of attributes, including the one that is currently of interest.

Here, this lifestyle is a good fit. 

What is the Future of Our Life

Are we very clear as to what we term as life? I think, to begin with, we need to answer unequivocally, what is life?

What is it, but a process that consist of a set of procedures? Like a clockwork, each of these keep taking place, till it comes to a halt. That may happen due to internal forces or external ones, both caused by internal or external reasons.

Also, what is it, but a set of reactions? Where, we term some reactions, actions, when either those are far removed from the usual, or we are not able to link it instantly to something known.

At any time, we will be appreciating our life, or that of somebody else, as one of the two. Our convenience, or some other parameter of interest, being the prime determinant.

There is one more variable. Each one of us is living, at least two lives. One, the one like every other form of life. And two, the one like no other form of life.

In fact, things like the biological element of life, social living, or other transactions of the intellectual sphere that goes along with it, constitute the life that we share with all forms of life. All of which can boast of all the wherewithal necessary for the successful conduct of its life. Also, whatever takes place with all those forms can be linked to some element of life. And, all fashion its living style to be in agreement with whatever is its broad pattern that gets instituted in the current circumstances. Where, as far as humans go, this will be a modulated one that gels with the prevailing theory and practice in this regard.

In addition, we humans follow quite a few theories and practices that generally deal with topics that are beyond the essential aspects of life. However, these tend to become, rather indispensable features that override everything else. Further, these give rise to festivities, disagreements, and other matters that deviate from the normal, and constitute a distinct element of the human. (Pointing to these elements only, we rate ourselves superior to other forms of life. Isn’t it obvious that we incorporated all these in our lives, exactly for that purpose? Perhaps, spurred by an inferiority complex?)

How do we look at our life? See, appreciation of one’s life always takes a contextual path. When we take life as a process, or a set of reactions, and, when it is about the elements that are shared with all forms of life, or something exclusively human, we reach different spots. To compound this, all the forces that can act on any of the determinants of interest are subject to modulation, at any time and to whatever degree, based on the personal priorities of each. As it is with all that we do, our first act is make an account of all that we experience or infer. Naturally, at any instant, we will be having a rich collection of widely varying definitions or treatises about life.

The most significant effect of the above path is that we happen to be flooded with theories about life, each espousing one or a few of the facets. Whatever be one’s leaning, disposition, or other personal preferences in this regard, no one will feel at a loss. Each of those theories will be dealing with one or a few of the many and varied images, any moving observer shall encounter. We now see our life as in the proverbial instance of a few blind men assessing an elephant.

Now it is clear. As far as life go, we are missing both the forest and the trees. What we see, at best is some part of some trees. And, many definitions and ideas about life shall be floating around, each focusing on a few ‘trees’. Consequentially, the future of life is largely unpredictable, since, each definition of life can point to a different path, and a new end. At any time, predictions for the definition that is in vogue shall rule over all others.

I think, as mentioned earlier, many of the distinct features of our life originated out of an inferiority complex. At present, there is hardly any need for those, human race occupying an incomparable position, one beyond any form of threat. Since we are yet to realize this, we keep celebrating the unfathomable human, for no rhyme or reason. But, situation will change, and we will reach a better idea about life, when we start looking at our life from a different perspective.

If that so, life also may behave like entities that can be represented by, say, a mathematical equation. Where, we have a unique relationship between the LHS and the RHS, and we manipulate only one of it at a time. And, it will suffice, since, our needs, desires, or other feature of interest shall be reflected by the equation.

Can We Blame Copernicus?

Humans, unlike other forms of life, spend a lion’s share of their time, energy, and resources, mainly for housekeeping activities, leaving nothing much for things like futuristic needs. This ‘excess’ housekeeping leads to a violent society. This can’t be a design flaw, and further search points to the huge upheaval that could have been caused by the fall of the geocentric theory. 

How to Make a Better Society

Yes, ours is a violent society. If we fail to find the root cause and act, the culprit may reappear sometime, even if we are taking measures to contain violence, as it is now. We need to attack the root cause.

Humans and Values - My View

Humans and Values - My View

I know, we humans revel in according values at the drop of a hat and celebrating those, to whatever merits our attention. At all circumstances, one’s action, whether of doing, appreciating, or opposing, things or events, is more or less decided by the value that gets attached to it. Value can push one forward, and also pull one back. There are far too many variables, both real and abstract, that can alter a value. Also, there are far too many constants and variables of our life that a value can alter.

Moreover, once we accord a value, sooner than later, it shall be becoming a part of the event or object in reference. It would go on to become an intrinsic property, even overshadowing its natural attributes. Once that happens, not only that the said entity becomes something worth dying for, but also it acquires everlasting life. For example, for me, an old pen may not be a thing of value, but one, say, gifted by my late grandfather, acquires a status of the most precious.

And, one can safely say, effectively, this is what separates us from the rest of life.

What is this value? Well, it is nothing but an excuse to do something that would not have been acceptable, desirable, or rewarding, if there wasn't a particular adjective, mostly referred as value, attached to it. In fact, as long as what we do is in sync with the values that are there in perception, neither will things call for an external push, nor will we face a need to explain our actions. Otherwise, objections or queries shall come, effectively putting a brake to it. So, value has become something all pervasive.

Think of the days when humans were yet to sense or perceive value in things or events. Occasions would have arose that demanded some sort of prioritizing, and they would have been at a loss. A system would have come into existence to supplement the naturally occurring attributes, or to provide anew, where such endearments were non-existent, as far as things or events of interest, go. And accord values, well beyond the attributes that shall be accompanying the event or thing in the natural course itself. This metamorphosed into the value system, and became the one that gave a push. Perhaps, in those times, for all activities other than the biological necessities, and in some cases, even for those needs, push, was a must. (Now, with a well informed populace, is there a need to continue with it? I think, this is a point to ponder)

As we can gather from the above, from the earliest generations of humans, all would have been benefiting greatly from this. The more so, in the early days, since, they would have been still learning to derive pleasure from the many attributes and worth of all that is found in nature.

A significant property of values that are accorded is that these mostly act in opposition to the naturally occurring equivalents. Of course, initially, this fact would have escaped our notice, since we were yet to derive ways of sensing, identifying, and measuring, an intrinsic value. Hence, all the accorded values assumed a permanent spot in our social edifice, and continued to remain there. Now, we have become talented and more capable of deriving pleasure from all the things and events that occur naturally. There is hardly any need to augment those, leave alone instituting fresh, abstract values. Unlike the early days, these abstract values now collide with those occur in the natural sphere.

Now, stage is set for a clash. We know it, and will try corrections everywhere other than our value system, which, even though is not serving an essential need. Now, those corrections result in making our life more and more comfortable, while the clash continue to trouble us, off and on. After a while, we reach an ‘intelligent’ conclusion, clash is a perennial part of human race.

All this points to the dire need for an overhaul, as I proposed.

Let us say, during overhaul, we will be finding the answer to all the questions that arise.

Violent Society?

It is well acknowledged. Ours is a violent society. Taking this into account, we are constantly taking corrective and preventive steps, mostly in the form of rules and regulations intended to curb violence. Sometimes, such rules may become a yoke, which we overlook, that too, even when our freedom is infringed. Society, however remains as violent as before.

 

Why? What Can be Done? 

The Moral Libertarian Perspective

'The Moral Libertarian Perspective' By TaraElla opened up a few fresh thoughts in me.
I agree, back in eighteenth or nineteenth centuries when libertarians became a force to be reckoned with, these was no 'big busuness'. The tyrannies they felt were always coming from governments of the times. And countering it, they could manage with a few ideas here and there, including a few related to restructuring the goverments. But now, in this era, we are using the same ideas against the tyrannies of today, most of which originate out of conglomerates. Not only that those ideas fail to stop it, but also affect the productivity of business, something of concern to all.
Presently, no state is able to address moral issues in an appropriate way, since they all resort to a collective response. Naturally, this leads to unsavoury results. Morality, being an individual attribute, needs treatment also of such a genre. For this, we need to come up with appropriate designs, both for the structure of the state and its government.

Book Review: I Think, therefore I Am a Machine

I Think, therefore I Am a Machine, by Yoram Har-Lev

The book began with an apt thought, "..failures are, more due to the inability to presuppose the others' reactions". It then went on to discuss the human mechanisms behind thinking and forming opinions. Next chapter analyzed the community's role in all this, with religions taking the prime spot. How it introduces a non-linearity in our affairs, and colors our reaction. We think freely, but end up providing a response that is always a modulated one, religion being the most significant and expansive regulator. I agree, this is quite in line with the working of a machine.

I liked the thesis of this book: humans are just sophisticated machines with an organic computer called brain. Naturally, there is no room for other incomprehensible entities like soul, whose actions cannot be anticipated. Therefore we can estimate the thoughts, feelings, and reactions, if we can collect sufficient data. Machines are not mysterious beings. It is easy to understand those, only need is a try.

But, we are not able to do it, since we are not able to recognize those machines. We close our eyes to it, when we are living in a group. Since, here, many a time we need to suppress inconvenient facets and invent convenient ones, altering the original composition and characteristics of whatever we are busy with. Consequently, we see the real physical world through filters that effectively hide the machines in us.