Re: Economist essay contest on 2050

From: Joseph Sterlynne (vxs@mailandnews.com)
Date: Tue Jul 11 2000 - 12:42:04 MDT


> Robin Hanson

Indented quotes are from the official [World in 2050] site.

    All entries, ideal length, 2,050 words, maximum 3,000 words

All right: let's see if we can introduce and present digestible projections
of nanotechnology, AI and artificial life, intelligence enhancement,
autotransmorphological trends, new computing substrates, human--artifact
integration, genetic engineering, cryptography, privacy, a complete
cognitive neuroscience, a mature complex systems theory, and a few other
things into 3000 words.

(Actually, 3000 words isn't really all that bad for your typical contest.)

    10. {. . .} (b) information included in the essay {. . .} will not be
        libellous, blasphemous or obscene

Oh, oh.

Well, I guess that it depends on who gets to decide what constitutes
blasphemy (or if it exists).

(But seriously: have you ever seen an essay contest condition which
stresses the absence of _blasphemy_?)

    19. Prizes will be awarded in US dollars, no alternative will be
        provided.

What? No e-gold credit? No Sealand dollars? What kind of contest is this?

> I think I'll give it a try; many of you may want to try as well.

I'd repeat that encouragement. I think that I will try. Let's not be
forced to wince and groan and roll our eyes when we read the winning essay.



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