ASpidle@aol.com writes:
> How about the following scenario:
>
> At some point in the future much of the human race will have their brains
> cybernetically augmented and networked to each other and the internet through
> a sort of wireless ethernet (complete with firewalls -- I hope).
>
> As this community of advanced intelligences expands and grows (like the Borg
> with firewalls), perhaps including beings from other planets, they/it will
> eventually understand and control Biology, Space-Time and Energy-Matter. Is
> this not, then, God? If it is, wouldn't there then be evidence of his/their
> nature in the universe we are now investigating? (since they control space-
> time)
This is quite close to Teilhard de Chardin's original idea of the Omega Point (even if he died long before the Net was anything more than sf). The physical manifestation of God in the universe, a borg-Christ. No wonder the Catholic Church wasn't amused.
Tipler wanted to get transcendence with the deal, so he had to postulate infinite computing resources and knowledge for this to work, which only can (?) occur during a Big Crunch (hold your fingers crossed :-).
I think the problem is talking about God with big 'G'. Why not gods with lower case 'g'? Maybe we're too monotheistic on this list. Personally I feel more pagan, and want to see mankind turn into a whole pantheon. A pantheon of gods with humor.
-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Anders Sandberg Towards Ascension! asa@nada.kth.se http://www.nada.kth.se/~asa/ GCS/M/S/O d++ -p+ c++++ !l u+ e++ m++ s+/+ n--- h+/* f+ g+ w++ t+ r+ !y