[ExI] Obama keen on brain mapping

[Eugen Leitl]

On Fri, Apr 05, 2013 at 01:21:58AM -0400, Alan Grimes wrote:

> What the heck is an upload transition? Google wasn't very helpful. Don't  
> you mean "My upload transition"? I mean, that would make sense, you  

No, because we're going to upload you. In your sleep. Without your
consent. Because, that's the way we like it. Uh huh. Uh huh.

> know, to talk about your own future transformations. But to talk in  
> terms of an infinitive/universal "upload transition" is simply wrong.

What's the purpose behind the Sixth Great Extinction? None.
It's a side effect of activities of a particular local
primate species. No ill intent whatsoever. The result is still
pretty impressive, and not in a good way.

> What rapid change? How would this "society" thing (whatever that is)  

Don't blink. 		Too late!

> feel obliged to "keep up with" it? Why not simply allow things to  

Because it beats going extinct. You can probably relate to that. 

> diffuse out into common usage the way any other meme would. Is there  

I have no idea what you're talking about.

> something I really need to know but haven't been told?

Yes Alan, you're on your habitual crusade. We get it.
Here's some news: nobody cares about you, or me, or this
little cybercorner. Collectively, we're stampeding in
a particular direction. Our collective trajectory is
effectively deterministic, even though individually
each animal has no particular interest in going over
the cliff. 

http://www.resilience.org/stories/2008-09-14/net-energy-cliff

>> The nicer scenarios get the neuroscience roughly right from the start,  
>> and then show increasingly large animal models - the trend is obvious,  
>> society has a chance to adapt, and the first uploads will not be  
>> strongly posthuman. 
>
> What is so special about this uploading thing that  society would have  
> to "adapt"?

Alan, you you like the solar constant? How would you like if wouldn't
be a constant? I understand most people have issues using a shovel to
get your daily air allowance.

> I think we need to have a Dialog about this, you know 2-way  
> communication, where we talk about how this will affect each of us, and  

Why did you omit this crucial step with all the extinct species in
the Anthropocene? Oh, because it was outside your control? Guess what:
it's outside of ours, too. So learn to stop worrying, and love the 
solid state.

> what actions might be necessary to preserve our rights and values. A 130  
> page treatise (which I read, cover to cover) that goes over exactly how  
> you plan to upload everyone including me and my cat does not count as a  
> dialog.

How do you feel about death? Has your mortality ever offered you a dialog,
and a compromise, perhaps?