[ExI] mysterious observations infer exotic new physics

[Jeff Davis]

I've noticed that with age I've become a bit of a fuddy duddy.  I love
technological change: there is no too much or too fast.  At the same
time I don't like it when the old solid verities start to liquiify
beneath my source of self-assurance, ie my belief system.  The sun,
nine planets, and some asteroids becomes all dusty and littered with
Oort clound and Kuiper belt messiness and new planets that aren't
"real" planets and former planets whose certification is in question.
The cosmos with all its -- previously 100% -- known stuff becomes ~5%
known and 95% "What the heck is it??!!".  Hey! I could deal with 75%
known and 25% "What is it?", but, "Reality is 95% over your head,
ignorant monkey boy!"  is a crushing setback for an aspiring
transhuman.  I find myself shuffling about, all doldrums, muttering
derisively, "Aspiring transhuman?, riiiiight.  How about, delusional
monkey boy?"  Then of course, whereas all that "out there" stuff is,
well, you know, kind of abstract, way out there, not really personally
relevant, there's this quantum thing, which impends, up close and
personal, to become for biology what the "dark" unknown has become for
cosmology.  How long before we find out that the biology which spawns
consciousness is 99% unknown -- and maybe -- "Oh, the horror, the
horror!" -- UNKNOWABLE reality -- and only 1% solid, knowable,
stone-age, classical, deterministic (and all but irrelevant)
Newtonianism?

Progress redefined as "One step forward, ninety-nine steps backwards"
is a very nasty revision of "Truth" for someone of my advanced years.
Ah, well.  Sometimes you get the bear, and sometimes the bear gets
you.  Life means dealing with the reality you have rather than the
reality you wish you had.   Grrrrrrrrrr.  I'm so angry I could eat the
bear, and you know what?, I've always wanted a bear skin coat.  So
take that, reality!

Anyway, here it is, fascinating and annoying at the same time.

http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/23865/?nlid=2215

Best, Jeff Davis

 Aspiring Transhuman / Delusional Ape
     (Take your pick)
           Nicq MacDonald