I am going to take a shot at starting a discussion of issues relevant to
immediate choices. In particular, the "What needs doing" message that
will follow. If people follow up with ideological disputes, the message
will not yield results.
Initial subject line:
Replies along the lines of "I don't think you should do that for
<ultimate goals reason>", or anything else concerning the futuristic
scenario, should change to ">H: *I* think nanotech is wonderful!"
Replies with your own set of projects should change to "NOW: What needs
If each and every project is not something that you could start doing
NOW, legally, with modern technology, please change the subject line to
"NOW: What needs doing [Yudkowsky]"
"LATER: What needs doing [MyName]". For example, "Let's genetically
engineer mosquitoes to carry an antiagathic" is LATER. "Let's
investigate the possibility of using mosquitoes as cheap measles
vaccinations" would be NOW. Items that need a billion dollars in
funding are okay; but, insofar as I don't think anyone
--
Please, please, PLEASE follow these rules. If you don't, you are
sabotaging one of the last efforts to create a practical discussion
here. You are sabotaging a discussion that has been widely
demanded and
which many people have expressed interest in. You are sabotaging the
effort to create a subject line that people with important resources can
read. You are sabotaging the list. You are sabotaging the projects.
You are sabotaging the Singularity. Unless one of the list owners tells
me it's impolite, I will follow up each and every offending message with
a corrected subject line and the phrase "CHANGE THE SUBJECT LINE,
PLEASE." Again: Please, please, PLEASE obey topic discipline.
--
sentience@pobox.com Eliezer S. Yudkowsky
http://pobox.com/~sentience/AI_design.temp.html
http://pobox.com/~sentience/singul_arity.html
Disclaimer: Unless otherwise specified, I'm not telling you
everything I think I know.