From: Eliezer S. Yudkowsky (sentience@pobox.com)
Date: Sun Mar 25 2001 - 23:27:01 MST
Spudboy100@aol.com wrote:
>
> In a message dated 3/25/2001 2:47:01 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> bradbury@aeiveos.com writes:
>
> << I'm not sure I understand the question. Physics gives you atomic
> bombs and rockets, molecular biology will give you self-replicating
> systems and substantially increased longevity. Math gets used
> with both to hold things together and provide abstractions.
>
> Robert >>
>
> My question was which is the most potent technology, not whether each
> discipline is not immensely valuable.
Cognitive science. Physicists can build nuclear weapons but they can't
build better physicists.
(Skeptics are cordially reminded that I once thought I'd grow up to be a
physicist; I moved away as it became clear that cognitive science was more
powerful. I am not puffing up a field I happened to land in; I decided in
advance which field was most important and went there.)
-- -- -- -- --
Eliezer S. Yudkowsky http://singinst.org/
Research Fellow, Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence
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