From: Chris Wolcomb (jini@hotbot.com)
Date: Sun Jan 17 1999 - 13:36:28 MST
Hal Said:
>Calls to "fight the future" have something of the same flavor. Are we
>so sure that our present minds have reached the peak of perfection that
>we should see any extensions to them as threats? What is the point of
>going forward if we have to keep our minds static?
Yes, Thats exactly it. *I* love to change my mind all the time. Continually seeing things from new and enhanced perspectives is the most rewarding thing one can do I think. In that vein, I fully welcome any and all enhancements and extensions that will assist me in that endeavor.
However, that is a far cry from the rhetoric on this list in regards to the Singularity as it is often proposed and proselytized. The more rabid Singulatarians seem to take pride in their Singularities delightful ability to render everything that we are irrelevant. Rather than the a future where we are enhanced into more comprehensive minds, using your reptillian/mammalian metaphor, we are just as likely to be fully *erased* or *deleted* in the Singularities path to greateness.
Which brings me to my final point. If the Singulatarians are right, that the Singularity could very easily wipe out any trace of you and I, then as extropians it is in our best interest to ensure such a future scenario does *not* take place. Extropianism is about extending ourselves into a future that is more expansive and enjoyable. This is in complete conflict with a Singularity that considers you a complete waste of CPU cycles.
---Chris
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