An inconvenient transcendence. Notes from the Last Committee Meeting of Homo Sapiens

Humans? Fifty volumes of criminal code. One hundred volumes of civil code. One thousand subsidiary acts. And an army of lawyers explaining why «thou shalt not kill» actually has 247 exceptions, asterisks, and conditions that apply.*

*Terms and conditions apply. See appendix for details. Your mileage may vary.

We’ve created a system of rules to replace what animals know instinctively. And this system is so complex it requires specialists who spend seven years learning to interpret it. Even they’re not certain.

Judge: «Guilty!» Lawyer: «But according to subsection 3.2.1 of paragraph 247…» Judge: «Oh, well then, not guilty!» Common sense: «But they obviously stole it!» Jurisprudence: «Obviousness is not a legal category.»

Education: Compensating for Inability to Transfer Knowledge Genetically

A spider is born knowing how to weave webs. A human is born not knowing how to use a toilet. Twenty-plus years of education to become a functional society member. If you’re lucky.

We’ve created a system where we lock children in buildings for twelve years and force them to memorise facts. Ninety percent will be forgotten. Nine percent will never be useful. One percent could be Googled in three seconds.