From: E. Shaun Russell (e_shaun@uniserve.com)
Date: Mon Dec 02 1996 - 11:20:22 MST
On 02/12/96, Anders wrote:
>I'm sorry for this somewhat heated response, but I feel we have to tend
>our memetic garden so that it will not become a tangle of weeds. The
>singularity is an interesting concept, but it is not a fact and not a
>central tenet of extropianism.
Indeed. It is the first time that I have ever felt anger toward the
tendency of certain threads on this list. Right now, certain list members
seem to be running around like headless chickens trying to 'convert' all who
aren't extropian. If 'the singularity' requires fanaticism, then count me
out. Don't get me wrong...I do want progress...
but I want to see it effectively conveyed instead of force-fed to the
unknowing\unwilling individual.
Back to the suspended animation ideas. I wouldn't count on 'the
singularity' or 'the spike' to save us from the current necessity of life
and death. I can't stop thinking that it seems like a principle such as the
doomsayers use. "The _________ is near!" You can enter the words 'end' or
'singularity' into that blank, but regardless, it is merely a hypothesis
with nothing to ensure its happening. Personally, I think suspended
animation is a great idea. At least it is doing *something* to at least
*try* to preserve life. I'm hoping --and I'll do everything I can to ensure
it-- that there will be massive technological advancements in life-extension
before I 'die', but if that doesn't pan out, I'd rather have the potential
to live again than feed beetles and worms.
Ingredi Externus!
-E. Shaun Russell
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~~~:~~~> E. ternity E. Shaun Russell
:~~> E. xpansion e_shaun@uniserve.com
:~~~> E. xtropy Extropian poet\musician
-Cautiously realistic, yet dynamically optimistic-
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