Is a post-verbal high technology civilization possible, where most people don’t use language, and it’s a specialized skill like neurosurgery?
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I say no. Language is the medium that enabled the sudden emergence of human ultra sociality.
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How narrowly are we defining language here?
General Case - I gather language is very important
Add in artificial telepathy and things get ya know.. weird
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Watching my son navigate interfaces like YouTube and Minecraft definitely opened my eyes to that. But I think you discount the power of sound/symbol correspondence. We might get more hieroglyphic (😘 𓀑 <3) but not illiterate.
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Only if google's gets their act together using project Soli to recognize customizable hand gesture languages.
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Neal Stephenson's essay "In the beginning... was the command line" points in this direction, using the CLI -> GUI computing transition as an example of a word-based culture moving towards one that gives 'the gist' while hiding complexity
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Assuming language is defined a set of common interpretations, no.
If defined as a visual/auditory set of common interpretations, yes verbal can give way to transmitted data.
What percentage of your communication is now silent and digital?
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If language goes out the window, so too does thought (Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis). Language will stratify in years to come, but not to the degree in your question (more like rich powerful vs subjugated voracious consumers).









