[extropy-chat] Extropian Principles 3.0, Russian translation

[Robert J. Bradbury]

On Fri, 28 May 2004, Gennady Ra wrote in some highly educational comments
on the various versions of the Extropian principles wrote:

> A remarkable detail: I had to use seven Russian words to translate a single
> English word "intelligence". We do not have a one-word equivalent for this
> notion.

I was unaware of this problem.  It must make the translation of the
concept of IQ tests into Russian very difficult.

(Not to claim that the concept of IQ is valid but just to observe
that the cross cultural translations do have problems...)

On a note related to the interpretation of the principles.  Max
has obviously spent a great deal of time refining what he feels
is the most appropriate definition.  [It is hard when one one
is defining a philosophy/culture.]

However, I have a very simple perspective.  Extropy is the opposite
of entropy.  Another way of viewing it is that Extropy is the process
of complexification.  The universe is trying to beat one down (i.e.
entropy is trying to exert its will) all of the time.  Extropy is
the process of promoting the fact that entropy will not always win.
It may also be the hope that as we understand what the risks,
struggles, etc. (against entropy are) we may develop better methods
for dealing with them.

So for me an extropian philosophy is about understanding that
much of the environment is stacked against you and the game
is about how we can be clever enough to defeat that.
It is the game of "ultimate chess".

Robert