[extropy-chat] Kurzweil Article Retread

[Olga Bourlin]

From: "Samantha Atkins" <sjatkins at mac.com>
To: "ExI chat list" <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 13, 2005 2:15 PM


> Either we will change/overcome human nature or else the species is quite 
> likely to die out entirely.   Staying as we are without species wide 
> calamity is not in the cards.  If we don't mind posts-apocalyptic hell at 
> best with billions dead and our technological base destroyed or the death 
> of the entire species then all we have to do is do nothing but what 
> chattering monkeys do best.
>
> Those who believe the status quo is fine where even the haves fall apart 
> and die after scant decades of existence while billions live in 
> unspeakable conditions will undoubtedly vote implicitly if not explicitly 
> to do nothing.  It is they who are the mad fools.

I don't know how many people on this list are signed up to get emails from 
the Quackwatch list, but it may interest some here to do so ... just to see 
what kind of discussions are inspired by subjects like life extension. So 
far, the dialogue about Kurzweil has been on the order of:

"Old age isn't necessarily something to be desired. Death comes as a 
merciful
 deliverer to many."

If you would be interested in joining (yeah, I know ...) one more discussion 
list, you may want to take a look at:

http://www.quackwatch.org/

Lots of intelligent people on that list, but they haven't been exposed to 
the likes of you ...!

Olga
Olga


>> http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=528&e=1&u=/ap/20050213/
>> ap_on_hi_te/one_man_s_immortality
>>
>> or
>>
>> http://tinyurl.com/5ja56
>>
>> Observe the last two paragraphs:
>>
>> "The instinct to preserve individuality, and to gain advantage for 
>> yourself and children, would survive any breakthrough into biological 
>> immortality - which Silver doesn't think is possible. The gap between the 
>> haves and have-nots would widen and Kurzweil's vision of a united 
>> humanity would become ever more elusive, he said.
>> 'I think it would require a change in human nature,' Silver said, 'and I 
>> don't think people want to do that.'"
>>
>> Olga
>>
>>
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