Where are the da Vincis, the Rembrandts, the Bach or Mozart, the Homer or Shakespeare of this age? Why has modern art degenerated into a test to see how random or tawdry art has become, and why does modern music sound like noise even to the teenagers? Why are modern novels either incomprehensible, why is modern philosophy incomprehensible, and why is modern poetry boring?
In the old days, the brightest minds of a generation became writers or philosophers. Today they are scientists.
In the old days, the poetic souls were drawn to art or poetry. Today they are
science-fiction writers.
In the old days, the mathematical minds wrote music. Today they
There are so many new professions which employ to the utmost human
intelligence, which are so much better paid, that the former occupations of
genius are dying; there are many competent artists, but the great geniuses of
generations have gone elsewhere, and far from science even competence becomes
rare. Compare science fiction and fiction. Compare the philosophy of AI with
philosophy. Compare "Gödel, Escher, Bach" with anything.
Except for schools dying out for lack of intelligent teachers,
When will the days of art's greatness return? Perhaps when
--
sentience@pobox.com Eliezer S. Yudkowsky
http://pobox.com/~sentience/AI_design.temp.html
http://pobox.com/~sentience/sing_analysis.html
Disclaimer: Unless otherwise specified, I'm not telling you
everything I think I know.