From: Robin Hanson (hanson@econ.berkeley.edu)
Date: Mon Oct 19 1998 - 13:41:41 MDT
Hal Finney writes:
>> where are the people who believe that big technology-induced
>> change is coming, and think that is a terrible thing?
>
>There are a lot of people who believe this, but the change they foresee
>is different from what we anticipate. They expect ecological disaster,
>overpopulation, melting of the ice caps, famine, etc. Everyone would
>agree that if these things happen, it would be terrible.
My proposed definition:
Transhumanism is the idea that new technologies are likely
to change the world so much in the next century or two that
our descendants will in many ways no longer be "human."
looks not at all big technolgy induced change, but at change that would
make our descedants no longer human. The changes you cite do not threaten
folks "humanity." It doesn't sound like you disapprove of my definition.
Robin Hanson
hanson@econ.berkeley.edu http://hanson.berkeley.edu/
RWJF Health Policy Scholar, Sch. of Public Health 510-643-1884
140 Warren Hall, UC Berkeley, CA 94720-7360 FAX: 510-643-8614
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