From: Robert J. Bradbury (bradbury@aeiveos.com)
Date: Wed May 22 2002 - 00:26:07 MDT
On Tue, 21 May 2002, John Grigg wrote:
> Art emphasized that this was a person who was uniquely qualified to
> speak on the subject of cloning and biotech.
Cough.
> Stock said the overall underlying mechanisms of aging are not really
> understood yet. And that it may be quite awhile until the aging process
> in humans can really be reversed.
Cough, cough.
> Art brought up the popular notion that the wealthy will use genetic
> engineering to create an even greater gulf between rich and poor.
> Stock disagreed with this and felt the rich were actually allowing
> themselves to be made into guinea pigs for the benefit of science! He
> also briefly touched on how it would be more a "generational thing" then
> a "rich vrs. poor" thing. I could imagine the wealthy feeling very
> estranged with their transhuman children!
This is a red herring. There is *no* reason that genetic
therapies have to be expensive if they are used enough to
develop the infrastructure to apply them on a regular basis.
> Even GE crops were discussed. This important subject was glossed over,
> but Stock did say China has greatly increased their yields by using this
> technology. And since they are barrelling ahead in this area, we had
> better learn more.
Precisely as I have said on several occasions. China and India have
people to feed. They are going to worry a lot less about whether
they are "playing god" than people in the West will.
> Of matters relating to the singularity, Dr. Stock said the evolution
> and transformation of humanity is happening at astounding speed. And
> within 5-10 generations we will be very changed. He does see things
> taking more time to take off then many on the extro list.
Slips and falls. The rate of change will be determined by the degree
of backlash against the technologies. The technologies themselves
will move much faster than Greg thinks.
> Ray Kurzweil was even mentioned! lol Dr. Stock said in almost a derisive
> tone that he could not imagine Kurzweil's claim from a discussion coming
> true that within the next twenty years we will see surgical implants to
> enhance the capabilities of the human brain. Stock believes we will get
> the impressive enhancements we need/want from noninvasive technologies.
Whether it is invasive with hard nanotech or invasive with wet nanotech
it will still be invasive and it will still be nanotech.
Robert
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