From: Billy Brown (bbrown@transcient.com)
Date: Tue Oct 26 1999 - 12:16:25 MDT
Aaron Davidson wrote:
> Will we really have time to enjoy life in the future? Or will we be
> constantly struggling in an intense battle to keep up with the trajectory
> of future change.
The latter certainly seems more likely. The very best minds in society
probably won't have this problem, but everyone else may.
> The fact of the matter is that if some people want to spend a little time
> relaxing and enjoying their new freedom, others will be out getting a head
> start dismantling the matter in the solar system to build j-brains. When
it
> comes time for those that weren't in such a hurry, we'll need to leave the
> solar system, and be years behind the advancements made by those in a
> hurry. From a survival standpoint, it would be foolish not to try and keep
> up.
True enough. If group A upgrades itself half as fast as group B, it won't
be long before group B has the power to eradicate group A on a whim.
Depending on what the ultimate limits of technology turn out to be the gap
might also become permanent at some point. All in all, not a good situation
for group A.
> Does anyone have a plan to both surf the wave of
advancement/self-improvement
> and still *enjoy* some of the other things life has to offer?
Since you probably want a few hundred years of moderately enhanced
existence, I don't think there is any realistic chance of pulling this off
at an individual level. I suppose that after you become an SI you could
always spawn off a few thousand instances of human-level consciousness to
enjoy life in various VR paradises - though the exercise would probably seem
pretty pointless by then.
The best option I can see is social specialization. Find someone who is
intent on riding the wave as fast as possible, and who you feel you can
trust to look out for you while you vacation. They keep the posthumans from
disassembling you by accident for a few hundred years, then they help you
get back on the upgrade path. Of course, this still involves some serious
trust issues and a great deal of uncertainty.
Billy Brown, MCSE+I
bbrown@transcient.com
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