From: Spudboy100@aol.com
Date: Mon Jan 07 2002 - 23:02:46 MST
It seems that most people on this list believe that Singulartity will arrive
in time to save them. That medical advances will assuredlly keep them in fine
fettle, so that when the technology is there, they will merely upload, ala
Permutation City & Diaspora.
What if this doesn't occur in time? What if both the hardware and the
software to accomplish this sea-change in life on old planet earth, doth take
its own sweet time?
Will most of the Extropians hedge their bets and have themselves Alcor-ed?
Like a moron crying in the wilderness, er-r, make that voice crying in the
wilderness, I have urged Extropians to plan some rational contingencies. One
rational contigency is that Singularity tech might take excruitiatingly,
long, to achieve, and medical progress is too damn slow. My area of interests
sre primarily physics and cosmology, as well as computationalism as possible
solutions to be conducted by the uber minds of the distant future.
I am deliberately projectiing my own feelings and world-view on this, but I
maintain, that this area needs to be studied, if for no other reason then to
maintain hope. Most people may not need this, or receive comfort and joy from
attending 'revival meetings' and being 'slain in the spirit, groov'in on
what's on ESPN, and the like. That is not me, anyway.
Perhaps what I ask is too demanding, perhaps my focus is unappealiing
compared to the 'bright futures just around the corner?' Or as the saying
goes, "ya can't dance at two weddings!" But I have lived a fair amount of
time, and have realized that so many golden futures and achievements that
have been predicted, have wound up in the outhouse of history.
I still believe that great things will be pursued and gained, but I see how
darn long it all takes-electronics being the exception to the rule. But we do
need to have hope (I believe) even for 'those asleep in the dust.'
<<Does anyone on the list have enough physics knowledge to comment
on *why* we need "axions" in the standard models? (Other than as
explanations for cold dark matter -- which *we* know could be
JBrains and MBrains in traveling in "silent running" mode :-) )
Robert>>
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