To Algorithms I Would Like to See

Because soon, all experience will be translated into mathematics and because soon, all that math will be formulated into computer programs that will solve problems we didn’t know we had, we should consider which problems should be addressed first.

The Problem of Future-Predicting: The problem isn’t that we don’t or that we shouldn’t, but we are very bad at it, even when we call in science. We are not rational people, especially when we most need to be, when we will be making decisions. We need to be able to enter in the variables and simply know the likelihood of the possible outcomes. If I say this to my partner, will she get angry? Or will she see the love in it? Will she hate me or be grateful? Is this a 60/40 proposition or more like 90/10? We should not leave this to chance or our blind faith in each other.

The Problem of the Sleepy Dog or Baby Resting on Your Lap: We spend the morning trying to tire them out. We play, walk, feed them. They will not leave us in peace and their eyes follow us everywhere with the hope that maybe we will come be with them. “Let’s do something together!” But we have limits. Maybe there is work to do or maybe we just want a few minutes alone please. Either way, the baby or the dog should stop squirming. After several minutes of quiet time on the couch, they get it. Their eyes droop and they breath deeper. The problem is moving: how do I maximize the sleep time for this small creature, especially after I extract myself from the couch? There should be an app for that.

The Problem of Believing: We need to believe. Science and reason and careful analysis help, but first, we believe. We are curious and believe in asking the questions. We believe we can ask and then, foolish or not, we believe we can answer. We believe an answer is possible. How do I get out of this trouble I find myself in? Where do I find the next trouble? Can I find some new combination of these old things or do I have to invent something entirely fresh? Can I write you? Will you answer? How long can I wait? Believing keeps us moving. If nothing else, I believe in my morning coffee. But for every belief there is an equal and opposite belief--or beliefs--I am choosing not to chose. You have forgotten me. You worked hard on forgetting. When you see my name, nothing happens.