Since Battlestar Galactica has recently ended, and it was more or less the only sci-fi show on television with any integrity when it came to dealing with serious science fiction topic, I feel that it deserves a little bit of a review. Despite my irritation that it only ran four seasons and ER is finishing up its fifteenth, I feel that BSG had a pretty good run, and stands as one of the few triumphs of science fiction television. So here are some thoughts. (NOTE: Spoilers ahead)
Cylons
Important philosophical quandary, or just eye candy?
The new BSG took a step in an entirely new direction with the Cylons when the restarted the franchise, replacing the clunky plastic robots with sexy women possessing uncontrollable libidos. While I secretly suspect that all the foreshadowing, mysticism and God-talk was just an excuse for the directors to write an overwhelming number of scenes with Tricia Helfer whispering innuendos into Baltar’s ear, there are a number of things to be considered. First, there is the obvious Blade Runner question: what separates man from machine? If a perfect human replica was created, would we be able to tell the difference, and would it matter? (And of course, the most important question, could we have sex with it?)
BSG operates on the premise that there is not a whole lot of difference between the cylons and humans, and especially by the end of the series, they come to be accepted as equals, more or less. Actually, the writers kind of pass over this issue without dealing with it. The humans are vehemently opposed to the very existence of cylons, and then, without really dealing with the issue, they kind of just accept the presence of Athena and later the final five. No big deal. No one on the show really asks the important questions about the nature of human existence, and the differences (if there are any) between them and the cylons. They just kind of feel it out, acting largely emotionally, which is rather unsatisfying.
Still, I think that it’s an important question. As AI technology advances, this question is going to become more important and less theoretical. And maybe when our robot masters watch Battlestar Galactica and see our sexy representation of them, it will sate their burning desire to murder us and use our bodies for fuel.
Proto-Luddites
Advanced technology has brought us space flight, longer life spans and sexy robots. But clearly we should give it all up and live like monkeys.
When the colonial fleet finally reaches (new) Earth, they come to a decision. They will break the cycle of human builds robots, robots and humans kill each other, by flying their fleet into the sun, throwing their technology away and going to live among the prehistorical humans of this world. While the motivations behind this action are, at best, strange, and at worst, fucking stupid, it does raise a number of interesting questions. (I could talk to you about the interesting take on Neitzche’s idea of eternal return, but falling asleep at your keyboard makes all sorts of funny lines on your face, and I don’t want that)
Actually, it raises an interesting question. Scientists (and other, less intelligent people) have been asking if we are capable, morally, of dealing with the technology we have created. Einstein said, “It has become appalingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity” (As evidence of this I would like to point to the abundance of fart applications on the iPhone). While this may or may not be true, it is an interesting choice that the humans of the colonies make in the final of Battlestar Galactica. While it may seem strange that the writer of a science blog would respect this decision, it is a valid point they make. All too often we make technological advances because we can, without ever stopping to ask if we should (Figure out what movie I stole that from and earn a virtual cookie). While I don’t advocate a primitive technology purge or anything of the sort, I would strongly encourage humanity as a whole to think a little harder about the ramifications of what it is they are doing when they advance their science.
Though I will say, that despite all that, the weird robot montage at the end of Battlestar Galactica was pretty stupid. Is that the note you want to end on? Fear the robots?
