[ExI] The Life Cycle of Software Objects - Ted Chiang's book review by IO9

Damien Broderick thespike at satx.rr.com
Wed Jul 28 17:38:27 UTC 2010


On 7/27/2010 3:58 PM, max at maxmore.com wrote:

> Chiang's story "Understand" was one of the very best stories I've read
> in a long time. It's essential reading for anyone interested in
> intellectual augmentation to more than human levels.

I liked it a lot, but curiously enough Eliezer Yudkowsky was scornfully 
dismissive. Not only did he see the whole plot trajectory in advance (he 
claimed) but it was based on a coarse misunderstanding of genius and 
superintelligence (something he knew from the inside, one understood). I 
paraphrase. Perhaps he was right, but I don't recall any explication of 
this dazzling implied critique. I hate it when that happens.

Damien Broderick



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