[extropy-chat] Kevin Warwick’s talk in Second Life

[Giu1i0 Pri5c0]

Prof. Kevin Warwick <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Warwick>, Professor
of Cybernetics at the University of Reading, England, gave a presentation in
Second Life on Monday, April 23, 2007. The event was organized by the Second
Life Chapter of the World Transhumanist
Association<http://transhumanism.com/secondlife/>.
When we look towards the capabilities of intelligent machines (AI) we can
see that these hold some distinct advantages over human intelligence.
Mathematical speed, memory, sensing range, multi-dimensional operation and
respectable communication being examples. It seems sensible therefore for
humans, if they wish, to benefit by directly linking their brain with that
of an intelligent machine network. In this presentation Kevin looked at the
possibilities, considered some of the experimental work presently going on
around the world and described the practical experimentation he has already
carried out.

Please see this page <http://uvvy.com/index.php/Kevin_Warwick_in_SL> for
pictures and technical details. The page will be updated with pointers to
the press and media coverage, transcripts, audio track and videoclips in a
few days. I gave a short introduction saying "we talk the talk, but Kevin
walks the walk". Of all the the transhumanist events we organized in Second
Life so far, this was by far the most popular: the available space filled
very soon and I was getting IM messages like "I cannot come because uvvy
island is full, please do something". So I had to raise the occupancy limit
of the sim risking a crash (that did not happen). 70 persons in total
attended the talk. The success of the event is certainly due to the fact
that Kevin Warwick is a well known expert in a hot field, but also to the
very professional preparation work done by Prof. Warwick's staff and the
Second Life Chapter of the World Transhumanist Association, in particular VR
Manoj.

Prof. Warwick gave a very good talk on current technology and its likely
evolution. He stayed mostly on the practical side, but I am sure most people
in the audience got the radical, transhumanist implications of Kevin's
cutting edge research in interface technologies.

The next event organized by the Second Life Chapter of the World
Transhumanist Association will be the Seminar on Transhumanism and
Religion<http://transumanar.com/index.php/site/seminar_on_transhumanism_and_religion_in_second_life/>on
April 29.
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