From: J. R. Molloy (jr@shasta.com)
Date: Wed Nov 14 2001 - 19:20:49 MST
From: "Brian D Williams" <talon57@well.com>
> The great thing about pessimism is that there is always
> tomorrow....
"An optimist is someone who thinks the future is uncertain."
--Alligator Grundy
> The fact is that things are better, much much better today, and
> with a little hard work can be even better tomorrow.
"All parents are environmentalists -- until the birth of their second child."
--Chrom Blackstone
> Those who said it would be years, if ever, for these gains to be
> accomplished were WRONG.
Then again, we're closer to the possibility of a global holocaust then we've
ever been before.
> The trick to defusing the fundamentalists is to make future plans
> and scenarios all inclusive. Those who want to take part can and
> those who don't want to can stay home and sulk.
That would mean the price of admission to take part would have to be zero.
Difficult to believe that.
> The battle is clearly on the side of advanced technology, bringing
> along advanced ethics is also a good idea.
The more we bring ethics into it, the more resistence to advanced technology.
> >The best we may be able to hope for is minimal casualties
> >on both sides. In that respect the news of the last couple
> >of days has been heartening since we can get on with the
> >business of feeding people rather than bombing or shooting
> >them.
Yes, that is hopeful indeed. Feed the people hope. You're a nice person,
Brian.
"You'll learn to like robots.
They'll be nicer than human beings."
--Hans Moravec
--- --- --- --- ---
Useless hypotheses, etc.:
consciousness, phlogiston, philosophy, vitalism, mind, free will, qualia,
analog computing, cultural relativism, GAC, Cyc, Eliza, cryonics, individual
uniqueness, ego, human values, scientific relinquishment, malevolent AI,
non-sensory experience
We move into a better future in proportion as science displaces superstition.
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