For several decades now, the world has been witnessing the decline of Western civilization in Europe. For decades, the world has been watching the decline of Western civilization in Europe Lessons from America's Most Successful Companies

Actually, it all comes down to a fairly simple question: what is so special about us, what is our last value? It is unlikely that these will be skills like arithmetic or typing, in which machines have already surpassed us. And it is unlikely to be rational, since machines are devoid of all these addictions, prejudices and emotions that we have.

Perhaps we should consider qualities at the other end of the spectrum: radical creativity, irrational originality, even a dose of plain illogical craziness rather than rigid logic. A little Kirk instead of Spock. Until now, it has been very difficult for machines to imitate these qualities: crazy leaps of faith, arbitrary enough to be predicted by a robot, let alone mere chance. Their problem is our opportunity.

I am not suggesting that we abandon reason, logic, and critical thinking. In fact, precisely because we value the values ​​we associate with rationality and sanity so much, we should also value the opposite a little.

And I'm not a Luddite, quite the contrary. You see, if we continue to improve information-processing machines and make them adapt and learn from every interaction with the world, from every bit of data that comes to them, we will soon have useful rational assistants. They will allow us to overcome some of our human limitations in translating information into rational decisions. And they will keep getting better and better.

Therefore, we must strive to ensure that the human contribution to this division of labor complements the rationality of machines, and does not compete with them. Because it will always distinguish us from them, and it is this difference that will create our value.


And if I'm right, we should encourage the development of creative thinking, irrational solutions, unusual ideas. Not because irrationality is bliss, but because a dose of illogical creativity will complement the rationality of the machine. It will save us a place on the shelf of evolution.

Unfortunately, our education system is built in a completely opposite way. Like peasants in a pre-industrial mindset, our schools and universities are being shaped to turn out obedient servants of rationality and develop obsolete skills to deal with obsolete machines.

If we take the problem that machines pose seriously, we're going to have to change that, and pretty soon. Of course, we will have to learn fact-based rationality and how better facts lead to better decisions. We need to help our children learn how to work with the smartest of machines to improve their decision making. But most of all, we should take into account the long-term perspective: even if computers surpass us, we will remain the most creative building in the city, unless we completely suppress this aspect of humanity in ourselves.

Perhaps this is our chance to stay on the narrow path of evolution.

1. How we built the future of Russia

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2. This author reads people of all ages and professions

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4. Alex Sidorkin "Tarasov A. Millionaire"

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Scientists at Altai State University announced that they have developed a drug that allows you to activate the body's own stem cell production processes, renew tissues and maintain them in a biologically young state. It took them about two years to do this. The substance that the researchers received will form the basis of the drug of youth in the future.

In general, it has always been common for mankind to dream of immortality. Since ancient times, people have tried in various ways to prolong their youth and life. So, the ancient Greeks took milk baths for rejuvenation, and the ancient Romans drank the blood of gladiators who fought in the arena. In the Middle Ages, thousands of alchemists, along with the philosopher's stone, were looking for the elixir of immortality, and Chinese adherents of Taoism tried to develop a similar elixir within themselves. The history of such searches is extensive, but, alas, completely inconclusive.

The first scientific researcher in this field is considered to be the Russian and French biologist, Nobel Prize winner in physiology and medicine (1908) Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov. It is he who is the founder of gerontology - a science that studies the biological, social and psychological aspects of human aging, its causes and methods of dealing with it. Mechnikov developed a whole theory of aging due to intoxication and recommendations for healing fermented milk drinks for rejuvenation.

In the Soviet years, scientists were also actively engaged in research on life extension. For example, at the Research Institute of Medical Primatology in Adler, the former Sukhumi nursery, unique results were obtained on primates. It turned out that the level of the hormone melatonin, especially at night, falls over the years. Based on these data, a group of Ukrainian chronobiologists learned to determine the biological age of people. Soon the understanding came that it was necessary to evaluate not age, but the rate of aging. The results of a modern unique study, in which several thousand truck drivers participated, led scientists to this idea. It turned out that this is the fastest growing profession.

Now the issue of aging is taken up on the basis of Moscow State University. A major project to combat aging at the cellular level is led by Academician Vladimir Skulachev, director of the Moscow State University Institute of Physical and Chemical Biology. And, it must be said that scientists have achieved phenomenal results. In addition, it is worth noting that life expectancy has already increased significantly in the last couple of centuries, thanks to scientific advances such as the discovery of antisepsis, asepsis, vaccination and antibiotics, which have dramatically changed the survival of people. Such inventions are deservedly considered revolutionary milestones in medicine. As a result, this gave an increase in average life expectancy from 35-40 to 75-80 years.

And here is the latest breakthrough of Russian scientists - a substance that slows down aging has been invented. It is known that the drug was created on the basis of stem cells. Scientists at Altai State University believe that aging is a disease that can be treated. According to them, the medicine causes the body to produce new cells. This function will allow the use of the drug not only as a "cure for old age", but also for the healing of wounds and ulcers. In the future, with the help of this invention, it will be possible to cure cirrhosis of the liver, stomach ulcers and restore the heart muscle after a heart attack.

“We are developing anti-aging drugs for bone marrow regeneration after chemotherapy in cancer patients, a hepatoprotector for maintaining the liver, and drugs for women's health. They are based on a substance that has hepatoprotective activity that slows down the aging process and prevents age-related diseases,” said Ivan Smirnov, director of the University’s Biomedical Research Institute. According to him, experts have already tested the drug on the liver of laboratory mice, which in terms of chemistry and biology is 100% human, and were satisfied with the result.

The scientist also noted that over the past few days, telephones have not stopped at ASU and in laboratories, people from all over Russia are trying to sign up to test the substance on themselves, but this is still prohibited.

“Now the substance looks like a powder. The future drug may have several forms of application, both orally in the form of tablets, and in the form of a cream or gel for the treatment of wounds and abrasions that heal instantly,” Ivan Smirnov said. According to him, before the release of the finished product, scientists have a lot of work to do. Whether the drug will be a drug or cosmetic will be decided in two years.

For several decades now, psychologists have been persistently interested in two modes of thought: the one that triggers the portrait of an angry woman, and the one that triggers the multiplication task. There are many names for these modes. I am using terms originally coined by psychologists Keith Stanovich and Richard West and will be talking about two systems of thought: System 1 and System 2.

System 1 works automatically and very quickly, with little or no effort and no sense of intentional control.
System 2 highlights the attention needed for conscious mental effort, including complex calculations. System 2 actions are often associated with a subjective sense of activity, choice, and concentration.

The concepts of System 1 and System 2 are widely used in psychology, but I go further in this book than others: it can be read as a psychological drama with two characters.
When we think of ourselves, we mean System 2 - the conscious, intelligent self that has beliefs, makes choices and decides what to think and do. Although System 2 considers itself to be the main actor, in reality the hero of this book is the automatically responding System 1. I believe that it effortlessly generates impressions and feelings, which are the main source of System 2 beliefs and conscious choices. The automatic actions of System 1 generate amazingly complex thought patterns, but only the slower System 2 can arrange them into an ordered sequence of steps. The following will describe the circumstances in which System 2 takes control, restricting the free impulses and associations of System 1. You are invited to consider the two systems as two entities, each with its own unique abilities, limitations, and functions.
Here is what System 1 can do (examples are ranked in ascending order of complexity):

Determine which of the two objects is closer.
Orient yourself towards the source of the harsh sound.
Finish the phrase "Bread with ...".
Draw a grimace of disgust at the sight of a vile picture.
Determine the hostility in the voice.
Solve example 2 + 2 =?
Read the words on the big billboards.
Drive a car on an empty road.
Make a strong chess move (if you are a grandmaster).
Understand a simple sentence.
Determine that the description "a quiet, neat person with a lot of attention to detail" is similar to a stereotype associated with a certain profession.

All of these actions are in the same category as the reaction to an angry woman: they occur automatically and require no (or almost no) effort. System 1 capabilities include our inner skills that we share with other animals. We are born ready to perceive the world around us, recognize objects, direct attention, avoid losses and be afraid of spiders. Other activities of the mind become quick and automatic after much practice. System 1 remembered the connection between ideas (the capital of France?) and learned to recognize and understand the subtleties of situations that arise in communication. Some skills, like the ability to find good moves in chess, are acquired only by expert experts. Other skills are given to many. To determine the similarity of a description of a person with a stereotype of a profession, broad linguistic and cultural knowledge is required, which many people have. Knowledge is stored in memory and we access it without conscious intention or effort.
Some of the actions on this list are completely involuntary. You can't stop yourself from understanding simple sentences in your native language or noticing a loud, unexpected sound; you can't stop yourself from knowing that 2 + 2 = 4, or remember Paris if someone mentions the capital of France. A number of activities, such as chewing, can be controlled, but they are usually performed on autopilot. Attention is controlled by both systems. Orientation to a loud sound usually happens involuntarily, using System 1, and then the attention of System 2 is immediately and purposefully mobilized. still pay attention to it, at least for a while. However, attention can be diverted from an unwanted object, and the best way is to focus on another goal.
The various functions of System 2 have one thing in common: they all require attention and are interrupted when attention is switched. For example, using System 2, you can do the following:

Prepare for the signal to start the race.
Watch the clowns at the circus.
Hear the voice of the right person in a crowded noisy room.
Note the gray-haired woman.
Identify the surprising sound by rummaging through memory.
Intentionally speed up the pace.
Monitor the appropriateness of behavior in a particular social situation.
Count the number of letters "a" in the text.
Dictate your phone number to the interlocutor.
Park where there is little space (unless you are a professional valet).
Compare two washing machines for price and features.
Fill out a tax return.
Check the consistency of complex logical arguments.

In all these situations, you need to be attentive, and if you are not ready or distracted, then you will cope worse or not cope at all. System 2 can change the operation of System 1 by reprogramming the normal automatic functions of attention and memory. For example, while waiting for a relative at a crowded train station, you can tune in to look for a gray-haired woman or a bearded man, and thus increase the chances of seeing her or him from a distance. You can stretch your memory to remember the names of the capitals that begin with the letter "H", or the novels of French existentialist writers. When you rent a car at London Heathrow Airport, you will probably be reminded that "we drive on the left side". In all these cases, you are being asked to do something out of the ordinary, and you will find that it takes constant effort to do so.
We often use the phrase "be careful" - and it is quite fair. We have a limited amount of attention that can be allocated to various activities, and if we go beyond the available, then nothing will work. The peculiarity of such activities is that they interfere with each other, and that is why it is difficult or even impossible to perform several at once. It is impossible to calculate the product of 17 24 when turning left in heavy traffic; not even worth trying. You can do several things at once, but only if they are easy and do not require too much attention. It's probably possible to talk to someone sitting next to you if you're driving down an empty highway, and many parents find—albeit with some embarrassment—that they can read a story to their child while thinking about something else.
Everyone is more or less aware of the limitations of attention, and our behavior in society takes into account these limitations. For example, if a car driver overtakes a truck on a narrow road, adult passengers quite reasonably keep silent. They know not to distract the driver; in addition, they suspect that he is temporarily "deaf" and will not hear their words.
Focusing on something, people, in fact, "go blind", not noticing what usually attracts attention. This was best illustrated by Christopher Chabry and Daniel Simons in The Invisible Gorilla. They made a short film about a basketball game where the teams play in white and black jerseys. Spectators are asked to count the number of passes that the players in white shirts will make, ignoring the players in black. This is a difficult task that requires full attention. About halfway through the video, a woman in a gorilla suit comes into the frame, crosses the set, thumps her chest, and walks away. She is in the frame for 9 seconds. The video was seen by thousands of people, but about half of them did not notice anything unusual. Blindness comes from the task of counting, especially from instructions to ignore one of the teams. Spectators who have not received this task will not miss the gorilla. Seeing and navigating are automatic functions of System 1, but they are performed only if some amount of attention is devoted to the corresponding external stimuli. According to the authors, the most remarkable thing about their study is that people are very surprised by its results. Spectators who have not noticed the gorilla are at first sure that it was not there - they are not able to imagine that they missed such an event. The gorilla experiment illustrates two important facts: we can be blind to the obvious and, moreover, we do not notice our own blindness.

Summary

The interaction of two systems is a cross-cutting theme of this book, so it is worth briefly describing its contents. So, while we are awake, both systems are working - System 1 and System 2. System 1 works automatically, and System 2 is in a comfortable mode of minimal effort, in other words, only a small part of its capabilities are involved. System 1 constantly generates suggestions for System 2: impressions, hunches, intentions, and feelings. If System 2 approves them, then impressions and premonitions turn into beliefs, and impulses into intentional actions. When everything goes smoothly—and it almost always does—System 2 accepts System 1's suggestions with little or no change. As a rule, you believe your impressions and act according to your desires, and this is usually quite acceptable.
When System 1 encounters difficulties, it turns to System 2 to solve the current problem with more detailed and focused processing. System 2 is mobilized when a question arises that System 1 does not have an answer to, as you probably did when you saw the 17 × 24 multiplication example. A conscious rush of attention is also felt when you are caught off guard. System 2 comes into play when an event is detected that disrupts the model of the environment in System 1's view. In its world, light bulbs don't bounce, cats don't bark, and gorillas don't walk on basketball courts. The gorilla experiment shows that attention is required to detect unexpected stimuli. Surprise or surprise engages and directs your attention: you peer intently and try to find an explanation for the amazing event in your memory. System 2 is responsible for constantly monitoring your behavior - it is thanks to it that you are able to remain polite in a rage and attentive when driving at night. System 2 mobilizes if it detects that you are about to make a mistake. Recall how you almost blurted out something offensive - and how difficult it was for you to control yourself. In general, most of what you (your System 2) think and do originates from System 1, but when things go wrong, System 2 takes over and usually has the final say.
The division of labor between System 1 and System 2 is very efficient: it gives the best performance with the least amount of effort. Most of the time, things work well because System 1 tends to do its job well: generating accurate situation models and short-term forecasts, and responding quickly and most often appropriately to emerging challenges. However, System 1 also has its distortions, the systematic errors that it tends to make under certain circumstances. As will be shown, at times she answers not the asked questions, but the easier ones, and is not well versed in logic and statistics. Another limitation of System 1 is that it cannot be disabled. When you see a word in a familiar language on the screen, you will read it - unless your attention is completely absorbed by something else.