The Turning Point?!
The most important century in human history?
Some might argue that it was a time of extensive military campaigns that reshaped political and cultural boundaries, much like Alexander the Great's campaign in the 300s BCE. Others might point to the 7th-century rise of Islam, a major religion that codified and spread values across such borders. Or, perhaps it was the Industrial Revolution of the 1700s, which reshaped human relationships with labor and reshaped global commerce. Regardless of the response, it appears that any century competing for that top spot occurred during a time of great change, when our ancestors' actions changed the course of human history for centuries to come. If this is our metric, then is it possible that this century, right now, is the most significant yet? Already, the 21st century has been marked by rapid technological development. Telephones and PCs have sped up the speed of life. Additionally, we are likely on the verge of developing revolutionary new technologies like advanced artificial intelligence that have the potential to completely alter human life. In the meantime, many of the technologies that we already have contribute to the unprecedented levels of existential risk that humanity faces. This risk refers to the possibility that our species will go extinct or that some kind of disaster will occur that will permanently limit humanity's capacity to develop and prosper. The development of the atomic bomb marked a significant increase in existential risk, and since then, our odds have only gotten worse. Estimating the likelihood of an existential collapse occurring in this century is extremely challenging. The odds of nuclear winter and climate change causing an existential catastrophe of around 1%, and the odds of a pandemic causing the same kind of collapse of frightening 3%, are very rough estimates. These are not insignificant numbers considering that any of these catastrophes could result in the end of life as we know it. Additionally, it is possible that new technologies will emerge during this century, introducing additional existential threats. Computer based intelligence specialists have a large number of evaluations with respect to when counterfeit general knowledge will arise, however as indicated by some studies, many accept it could happen hundred years. At the moment, there are only a few specific kinds of artificial intelligence that are made to do specific things like play chess or recognize faces. Even narrow AIs that perform creative work are restricted to a single area of expertise. However, fake general insights, or AGIs, would have the option to adjust to and play out quite a few undertakings, rapidly dominating their human partners. There are a lot of different theories about what AGI might look like and what it would be like for humans to live on the same planet as another sentient being. AGIs may assist us in achieving our objectives, they may view us as insignificant, or they may view us as a challenge that must be swiftly removed. Therefore, it is essential that the values of this new technology align with our own in terms of existential risk. This is a very difficult engineering and philosophical problem that will require a lot of careful, thoughtful work. However, even if we are successful, AGI may still result in an additional complicated outcome. Let's say an AGI emerges with a sincere reverence for human life and a desire to alleviate all human suffering. In any case, to try not to become skewed, it's been created to be extraordinarily unbending about its convictions. Humanity might be enslaved to a single ideology that would be extremely difficult to alter if these machines came to dominate the planet. History has shown that, regardless of how well-intentioned a civilization may appear to be, they rarely live up to the moral standards set by subsequent generations. Furthermore, this sort of significant worth lock in could for all time mutilate or oblige mankind's ethical development. It is extremely difficult to predict how any existential risks will play out over the next century because of the enormous amount of uncertainty surrounding AGI. Additionally, it's possible that these risks will no longer be relevant due to new, pressing concerns. However, it still appears that the choices we make may have a significant impact on humanity's future, despite the fact that we are unable to declare this century to be the most significant. Therefore, perhaps we ought to all live as though the future is in our hands— for, in actuality, it just might.
Click Here to learn how the great Lakota empire rose and fell.
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History Of The Lakota Empire
In North America, a powerful empire was established in 1776. The Black Hills, the most sacred and coveted buffalo hunting grounds in the western plains, had been reached by the Lakotas. The Lakotas established themselves as the dominant force in the American West when they gained control of the Black Hills, or Paha Sapa, in what is now South Dakota. In the eastern woodlands, just a few decades earlier, they were competing for power and losing. The Lakotas were one of seven nations or council fires that made up the Sioux Alliance. For centuries, they lived in the forests and wetlands between the Missouri Valley and the Great Lakes. During the 1600s, European colonizers undermined this locale. The Lakotas lived just out of reach of the best trade opportunities, whereas other tribes made money by trading furs with the new France. They therefore focused on the west at the beginning of the 1700s. The Lakotas' ancestral homelands were significantly more fertile and abundant than the western plains. The only easy way to get food and water was right next to the rivers, which were on land that Arikaras had already claimed. The Lakotas became skilled horseback warriors and buffalo hunters in order to compete. They vanquished the cultivating Arikaras, compelling them to pay recognitions of maize and squash. Instead of paying the Lakotas tolls, the Spanish arrived expecting to find lucrative trading grounds. The Missouri River witnessed a brand-new spectacle in 1804, which included: Lewis Merriwether and Clark William Black Buffalo, the chief of the Lakota, wouldn't let them pass until they paid a hefty tribute. Despite this rough beginning, the undertaking denoted the start of a nearby exchange collusion between the Lakotas and the US. While women processed the hides into robes for trade, Lakota men hunted buffalo. In addition to providing Lakotas with smallpox vaccines that protected them from the deadly epidemics that ravaged other Native American nations, the US government also provided guns, ammunition, and other goods. The Louisiana Purchase represented, on paper, the United States' acquisition of the Lakota lands from France. In any case, the Lakotas wouldn't surrender their territories in view of an arrangement between two unfamiliar powers. Even though there were 15,000 Lakota people and 23 million Americans, the east coast of the United States had the most people and military power. It would cost a lot just to get an army into Lakota territory, and once there, they would have to contend with formidable warriors who had extensive local knowledge and alliances. The US government made an effort to appease the Lakotas by paying hefty tributes for ammunition and rations that the Lakota leaders demanded in order to avoid a war that it couldn't afford and wouldn't win. Thus, the Lakota Empire continued to grow even as nearly all Native Americans in North America were driven off their lands and relocated to reservations. They controlled approximately 500,000 square kilometers by 1850. They were dispersed throughout this vast region and moved their villages in search of Buffalo. The heads of bands, or oyates, gathered at annual Sun Dances to plan and coordinate intricate diplomatic operations despite the absence of a central authority. Sun Dances were spiritual rites that took place during the summer and lasted for a few weeks. They were meant to strengthen community ties, please Wakan Tanka, the Great Spirit, and keep the world in balance. The California gold rush, which began in 1849, brought a flood of white settlers west, invading Lakota territory and disrupting the buffalo herds. This migration was correctly interpreted by Lakota leaders as a sign that the United States no longer intended to honor their land claim. They attacked government buildings and wagon trains in retaliation. Chief Red Cloud negotiated in Washington, DC, as the conflict grew. Chiefs Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and others got ready for battle back in Lakota territory. They prepared their Cheyenne and Arapaho partners and practically the wide range of various Sioux countries against the US. The sacred Black Hills were taken over by gold prospectors in 1876, exactly one hundred years after the Lakotas arrived. This was the last straw for many Lakotas. Crazy Horse led Lakota forces to a decisive victory over the Americans in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, following a vision from Sitting Bull. The Lakotas faced an even greater threat following this victory: Buffaloes were in danger of starvation after their populations were decimated by railroad construction and wagon travel. They moved to reservations, where the authorities attempted to dismantle their culture by banning the Sun Dance on reservations and murdering Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. The Lakotas began a dissent development called the Phantom Dance. The United States Army massacred hundreds of Lakotas, many of whom were women and children, at Wounded Knee Creek in 1890, alarmed by this resistance. Lakotas continue to fight for their land and culture today. In 2016, they continued their long tradition of resistance to a government known for breaking its promises by attracting supporters from all over the world to a protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline's construction through their reservation.
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