[ExI] how would Transhumanists cope, if the Singularity did nothappen in their lifetime?

[Jef Allbright]

On 5/22/07, Stathis Papaioannou <stathisp at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> On 23/05/07, John K Clark <jonkc at att.net> wrote:
>
> > > The singularity prediction is a fallacy, based upon static projection,
> > > essentially the same mistake Thomas Maltus made when claiming Great
> > > Britain would collapse under a massive population explosion by 1850.
> >
> > The same mistake?! Malthus assumed that the rate of food production (and
> > that is dependent on technological progress) would only increase in a
> > arithmetic manner when it actually turned out to be increased in a
> geometric
> > manner. Singularity enthusiasts assume the exact opposite of what Malthus
> > did.
> >
> > And Malthus did not even mention another technological invention much less
> > its improvements, birth control.
> >
>
> He couldn't predict stuff that hadn't happened yet. That's the problem with
> prediction.
>

I predict that John K Clark will suggest in his characteristically
polite and sensitive way that you would do well to either qualify or
expand on that claim.

- Jef