[ExI] An overdue introduction

[hkhenson]

At 01:51 PM 8/13/2008, Jonathan wrote:

>Somewhere in this maelstrom of lions eating zebras and rounding up 
>zealots for the rapture, an introduction was missed out. I am sure I 
>have met a number of you at last year's singularity summit, which I 
>assisted with, or will meet you at this year's, where I will be 
>assisting again.
>
>I am in my second year of a masters in research psychology at San 
>Francisco state. My (current) thesis involves the psychological 
>constructs of the mind in regards to online entities: how we 
>conceive and relate to synthetic groups, such as this email list, or 
>your friends on facebook, and also complex non-human systems, as 
>they become more nuanced and intelligent.

Interesting.  The psychological foundations of why humans form groups 
(or have religions, or become addicted, or . . . .) is biological and 
shaped by evolution. http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/research/cep/primer.html

>I am also working towards PMP Project and Program Management 
>Certifications (despite a decade of 'real world' work, one is still 
>required to take an undergraduate class to qualify for the 
>examination :/), with an eye towards a career bridging the worlds of 
>research and engineering on graduation with some writing on the side.

We should talk off list about an extremely large engineering project.

snip

>In addition to working on my thesis project, I am currently 
>reviewing the developmental psychology texts of my undergraduate 
>days, in order to refresh myself, and with the additional intention 
>of writing a review of the literature suitable for the 
>non-developmental, non-psychologist working in AGI (and as a 
>springboard towards further research of this type). If anyone can 
>point me in the direction of similar work of this fashion, it would 
>be appreciated - so far, the topic does not seem well covered, which 
>is good news for me, after a fashion.

Minsky's _Emotion Machine_ of course.  And William Calvin's work, 
particularly _The Cerebral Code: Thinking a Thought in the Mosaics of 
the Mind_.

>In any case, I am enjoying the chatter here, and will probably be 
>lurking around here for quite a while, depending on the anticipated 
>advances in extropian and life extension technologies of course :>

You should consider buying enough low cost but permanent life 
insurance to cover cryonics.  If you are reasonably young, you stand 
a good chance of just living into the singularity.  But there is 
always a chance you will get hit by a truck.  Google "wet work" "Keith Henson"

Keith