14. The Past is always Present in the Future.

We have been wandering around 'learning' and 'thinking'. We have been looking from many viewpoints (positions) because someone says "Where you stand determines what you see". Now we are at the Time. Wouldn't it be good to see things inside the Time dimension? So, before we join up, organize and cooperate. Let us play with a Time machine ;-)

Knowledge is 'data' or very much 'record of learning in the Past'. In a way, knowledge is 'memory'. We use 'past' knowledge in our 'Present' daily life to predict or build our 'Future'. (The memory of) Knowledge will be there in the future -- in knowledge society -- as cultures, as traditions, as local wisdoms, as folklores, as DNA,...

Not all knowledge would be there in the future. Any knowledge that no one uses would go into oblivion (and disappear from results of search engines). Though, most new knowledge is a graft built (ต่อยอด) on some older knowledge and some cannot stand without its captive foundation, some old root knowledge can be forgotten or tacitly assumed and transcended into legends as the chain of grafting grows longer.

But, knowledge can be lost due to deterioration of the recording media. Our memory can fade. Paper, CD-ROM, Flash, ... have limited life. Some stone record is over 6,000 years old, but stones too are disintegrating. Fossils have lasted many millions of years, but very few are carrying 'complete' original record. The past knowledge may be reconstructed but it is very difficult to repeat the learning. The re-discovery may be from different paths or media -- different thinking, learning and 'senses'.

Here, we may have glimpses of a life of knowledge through civilizations. We have heard of stories of the many Buddhas awaking and discovering a (universal truth and) knowledge. We may come to conclude that "this knowledge exists forever". This knowledge awaits discovery through rises and falls of civilizations, eon after eon. This is a trinity of Past, Present and Future -- eternal knowledge for All Time.

It follows that this knowledge would exist on after humanity perishes. Who would then re-discover this knowledge? Any learning and thinking life-form, anywhere, anytime?

Anyone care to link record of knowledge to Genes or DNA?

<NB> We have been 'discovering' knowledge (or learning) for some millions years now. We have been using our learned knowledge in farming, hunting and building -- in everyday living. In the last few decades, we have been using our learned knowledge in 'creating' (new materials, new chemicals, and new organisms). We are now investing big in our children's new knowledge. We are hoping that they will learn and gain advantages over their peers (our selfish genes rule here). We are also changing from learners to 'masters' of knowledge.

Let us see if we can use our knowledge for our future. For example, let us think about a branch of medicine that focuses on keeping us in health (not just 'for now' as in the current medicine, but,) for some 20-30 years in the future. This ('futures medicine') may require knowledge of family trees (past genetic/DNA combinations), current environmental exposure (e.g. living in/near polluting industrial areas; possible intakes of food, water, air, chemical, and electromagnetic radiation;...), cultural exposure (e.g. kissing a snake; drinking holy water; drugs and alcohols),...  Our futures doctors may consider a wide range of possible factors and prescribe a course of (medicinal) treatments for us to be healthy (and wealthy) in the future.

In the reverse direction, we have in the last 50 years so many 'archaeological finds' that light up our dark medieval ages and our 'lost civilizations'. Our 'forensic specialists' can reconstruct our most likely 'past' and allow us to relearn and re-use past knowledge.

<NB> Consider advances in genes (and DNA) technologies, we are able to isolate genes from one cell and insert genes into another cell. (We can extrapolate from cells to living entities -- like corns, soy beans, rats, sheep, and cows. We may at any time now have 'designer babies'.) We may potentially have another 'prohibited substance' to join our list of illegal trades (e.g. heroine, marijuana and histamine). The 'genes' trade may allow parents to enhance their babies in some ways. It is a simple matter to have 'blond hair' or 'blue eyes' babies. It is very likely that we can improve brain/memory functions in babies. What would parents pay for their baby design? We could guess from amounts they now invest in their children's education. What would happen to society -- with classes of 'design' members and the rest or 'the have and the have not'? (We could see examples from history of France and Russia.) How do we stop genes trades? (We do not have real success in controlling 'illegal drug trades' now. We can hardly have genetically enhanced babies raised in jails, because their parents are caught using genes illegally.)

The use of our knowledge can lead to another path of evolution - no longer relying on (random or unbiased) 'natural selection' but 'as-we-see-fit'. To which end is this new path of evolution? Who knows? Our knowledge discovered so far is ... (we can fill in the gap as we see fit ;-) .

A challenge for tomorrows may be a set of globally-upheld 'rights' dealing with ownership of our bodies (tacitly our special-and-hard-to-find 'genes'). Our genes (and specific immunity coders) can survive and be useful for a long time after we are dead. It would be a waste to cremate or bury our bodies. But it could be very expensive to store (freeze) our bodies (say at a South Poles Repository) for later use in centuries to come. [Don't laugh! There are service providers for storing bodies in cryonic storage waiting for cure of serious diseases and resurrection (to life).] Can we imagine 'genes mixing' control (match-makers) law? Can we enforce genetic pollution (cross-classing) control? Gene technologies can put the future of humanity in our hands!