Monday 25 August 2014

Effects Of The Intelligence Revolution III

Poul Anderson, Brain Wave (London, 1977).

Animals learn to keep pushing fences.
A former moron is left in charge of a farm because its owner goes to Washington to address national problems while other workers leave to pursue personal agendas or to escape rebellious animals. 
Many factory workers suddenly see the inadequacy of their lives, the triviality of their work and the limits of their beliefs and resign, enough of them to disrupt technological civilization.
Many realize that the laws are arbitrary and break the ones that they do not like.
Language becomes telegrammic as comprehension increases.
But psychology changes so that people no longer understand each other.
Large scale government becomes temporarily impossible.
Some capable business and union leaders begin to work for the survival of society rather than for sectional interests.
A witch doctor theorizes that "'...magic obeys the rule of universal causality.'" (p. 67)
Cunning elephants raid farms.
An African leader uses his new intelligence not only to unite the tribes but also to converse with and arm the apes - the brothers of the forest seek common cause with the brothers of the field.
The Third Ba'al is orgiastic and anti-scientific, telling people that it is alright to throw off their new burden of thought.
Many use their new intelligence to rationalize their existing prejudices.
Volunteers run power stations and electricity is rationed.
A scientist uses newly invented but more efficient symbols.
It may be possible to generate atomic energy from any material.

The world is turned upside down.

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