The End of Life as We Know It: Ominous News From the Frontiers of Science by Michael Guillen

The End of Life as We Know It: Ominous News From the Frontiers of Science Reviews

• 
  Michael

  I admit, I found the book a bit disappointing. in part because little of what he talked about was new to me, but I am probably not the average “science news follower” out there, so this is less of a problem.
  
  My bigger concern with the book is that it is meant as a kind of warning / book of concern about the direction science is taking us and the potential downsides. Where the book fails for me though is in the way the argument is being presented. In large parts the book reminds me of “YouTube news videos”. You know, the one where someone holds their mug into the camera, reads an article and then nods or disagrees, often superficially, with what is written.
  
  It is not quite THAT way, but it seems to me that Michael Guillen mostly relies on others to make his arguments instead of constructing his own fully. This does not mean that I couldn’t get a sense of his objections, but it felt disjointed, as if he picked opinions he agreed with and strung them together to make the argument for him.
  
  It does distract a bit from the argument he is trying to me, to me at least.
  
  Having said this, I think some good debates can be had about the technologies he describes.
• 
  Ietrio

  There has to be an end. And a prophet telling the people what is going to happen. And it has to be NOW so people will buy the **** book.
• 
  Justin Ludwig

  In The End of Life as We Know It: Ominous News from the Frontiers of Science, Dr. Michael Guillen presents a well-organized summary of humanity's most significant technological achievements related to the fourth industrial revolution. It includes chapters dedicated to computer networking, robotics, genetic engineering, and surveillance. He explains the past, present, and potential future of these technologies for each topic. Furthermore, he discusses the benefits and hazards associated with these advancements.
  
  Dr. Guillen has a unique perspective as a life-long science lover, a physicist, and a Christian. He also has decades of experience as a journalist, specifically reporting on science and technology, enabling him to communicate these topics to the general population. As someone interested in the subject matter and has followed the developments of these fields for most of my life, I did not learn very much about our current capabilities and the direction in which we are headed. However, I found it refreshing to hear the perspective of an expert that is not a tech evangelist. The End of Life as We Know It is the first book I have read that thoroughly explores the science itself, the potential benefits, and the imminent dangers that these advances pose to life as we know it.
  
  My main critique of the book is that the last chapter is executed clumsily and may repel people who need to contemplate these ideas the most. I agree with the author's sentiments, but I found the last chapter off-putting. The final chapter, which I interpret as his primary motivation for the entire book, discusses the need for scientists and engineers in the relevant fields to carefully consider our innate blindspots and inability to fully understand the complexity of the systems we are now able to modify. We need humility. Again, I agree with Dr. Guillen entirely on this matter. Yet, the last chapter does not succeed in expressing this to the intended audience. The focus abruptly switches from talking about science throughout the entire book to talking about religion in the last chapter. It's jarring.
  
  Despite my critique, I think the book is worth reading and discussing. Just remember to brace yourself for the last chapter.
• 
  Scott Wozniak

  This is a rare mix of both the wonders and the dangers of our fast approaching future. It's got some of the most cutting edge insights on technology and science, but also sobering examples of how they've already gone wrong.
  
  Some folks see invention with no downside. This strikes me as naive. Some folks think we should then attempt to ban or strictly limit the invention. This strikes me as just as naive. This author is the first time I've read someone who sees a path forward with increasing innovation guided by deep wisdom--dealing with the dangers without giving up on the progress.
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  Tim Peterson

  This book does a great job of explaining what we can expect from the future, even though it was written almost 20 years ago. This book describes how AI and robots have the potential to take our jobs belt being better at analyzing data than humans are, and other tasks. The book also goes into the possibility of genetically modifying humans to create super humans which I find as an interesting moral dilemma because of the complications that come along with that. This book is an interesting read that I enjoyed.
• 
  Ray

  Amazing research.
  
  From a lifetime of study in the history of science Dr G has a perspective to see trends that I easily missed. Yet he doesn’t take an alarmist approach to declare all is lost. His recommendations are pragmatic and sensible for both Christians who see science as discovery of God’s amazing creation and those who just want to be responsible global citizens.
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  Barondestructo

  An interesting overview of how far we've come and where our technological progress is taking us (perhaps whether we like it or not), but it offers little in the way of fresh insights.
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  Jason

  Interesting book - feels unfocused, and the "ominous news" feels a little overblown in places. Good read.
• 
  Rasty

  One of the best i have read in past 2 years
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  Mihkel

  A list of world's tech advances with no discussion, analysis, or proposals. Also, a bit too advertisingly Republican for my taste.
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  Harsh Tibarewala

  Good book