[ExI] We need fresh ideas!

[Mike Dougherty]

On Wed, Aug 8, 2012 at 6:39 AM, BillK <pharos at gmail.com> wrote:
> Perhaps research into human suspended animation or hibernation might
> be more useful. Some work has already been done and it could be useful
> for long space journeys or for medical reasons.
> I can see that being more acceptable to the general public than
> 'reviving the dead'. initially it might only be for shorter periods,
> maybe up to a year, for safety reasons. And you would probably want to
> wake up regularly, to check that the bankers hadn't stolen your
> finances while you were asleep.
>
> That would be an acceptable method of time-travel for many people.

If storage was cheap enough that it could be paid for from the
interest off a savings account you might be able to "invest" in that
time-travel for the sake of building enough bank account to actually
live while you're awake.  As it is now there are a lot of us
wage-slaves who barely make enough above maintenance expenses to feel
like there is reason to keep up with the circus.

I wonder though if the average person has the mental/emotional
fortitude to leave their tribe/pack to take that one-way trip?  Maybe
a year isn't so bad... plenty of people fall out of touch for a year.
When they get back together, however, there's a year of experience to
'catch up' over.  In the case where I've literally done nothing while
you've aged another year I have nothing to share.  Every year closer
to the magical singularity makes taking a whole year off seem more
expensive than the last.  Maybe there will be slow-clubs for the
recently-awakened unenhanced or for those in the future to have the
experience of "going back in time"  (much like watching 80's TV shows
is now)

"May you live in interesting times" indeed.