On April 30, 2001 Samantha Atkins wrote:
>Actually, many here consider it a fantasy to assume that normal
>evolution will continue after we achieve NT, AI and/or a good
>understanding of genetics. Once those things occur there are much
>faster and more radical agents of change in the environment than
>provided by evolution and those agents are intelligent. This is a very
>dramatic shift in the status quo.
>We will edit and transform our own genetics for a short time. A very
>short time later we will likely transform the type of
>creatures/sentients
>we are rather drastically. The capability is forthcoming. The wisdom
>to
>do it well make take longer. Once it is in place traditional genetics
>and
>natural evolution is no more for ourselves and the other sentients that
>we
>will become or create.
>
>If you fully believe in the potential or rather, if you fully understand
>the potential, then you know that what I wrote above is NOT fantasy.
Attempts to predict the future of technology are usually only successful on a
short term basis. AI, uploading, ubiquitous nanotech, etc. are so far in the
future that no one can accurately predict what will be feasible and what will
not. We know there will be nanotech, but what will it's limitations be?
There WILL be some. Nanotech is not magic. And AI.......well that could be
a century away or more and even then who knows? Genetics is tried and proven
and a path that any tranhumanist currently alive will have to take. No one
has ever come close to anything like an AI or uploading. The number of
pitfalls are horrendous. I am not saying that eventually these will not come
about but I feel that for myself, and anyone remotely my age, that their
best bet for a continued existence is through genetics. I won't even get
into the sociology of people turning themselves into robots. I myself like
being human. What would you be without your humanity? Something more?
Maybe, but then again maybe you'll end up a lonely lost set of data in a
make believe world that some AI programmed. What is the point in that?
J. Mathieu
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Mon May 28 2001 - 10:00:01 MDT