"The Doomsday Machine" - Fact or Fiction "The Doomsday Machine" by John Markoff is an intriguing vision of how our technology could improve exponentially in the future, but the essay fails to support the thesis that our technology will eventually destroy the human race. His dire predictions for our future are based on theories as well as conclusions that are themselves based on theories. These predictions do not take into account how other simultaneous technological advances and the desire for profit will affect our world. It ignores the power of man's imagination, ingenuity, feelings and personal motivation. There is also a complete disregard for God's plan. Most of Markoff's essay is used to help us imagine the new technology that might be at our fingertips, but it is written as if a single technology is being developed in a vacuum, where its emergence will radically change our world. This is not how the technology market works. Technology markets act in a way that is virtually indistinguishable from all other market segments, in that their goal is not to make the things we need per se, but rather to make a profit. Profit motivates the free market; and in the technology market, new products have a very short life cycle. The investors' need to make a profit will require that the new technology be brought to market as soon as there is perceived consumer demand. This tactic will increase sales and avoid initial competition. So, competitors might try to exploit their profits by using this new technology in a negative way, but there are also big profits to be made in threat-fighting technology. People like Markoff spend time thinking about how new technologies can be used for "Evil"....... middle of paper ...... the victor over all, shall be victorious is predicted in what the Angel showed John. It will be a battle between Heaven and Hell, not between machine and man. The world is full of dire predictions about the end of humanity that have never come to pass, but the predictions continue to be told and people continue to believe them. One prediction that should be taken out of the realm of possibility is that computers or robots will somehow play a significant role in the destruction of our world. The Bible records that Jesus in the book of Matthew comments on the date of the end times saying, “No one knows, not even the angels of heaven, not even the Son. Only the Father knows. » That being said, if people keep guessing, the law of probability states that someone will get it right eventually. Unfortunately, no one will be present to congratulate the winner.