[extropy-chat] Aubrey de Grey on Technology Review

[Giu1i0 Pri5c0]

KurzweilAI: The article [referring to the Technology Review articles
and editorial against AdG] has created quite a buzz, particularly in
the Technology Review forums, and Aubrey de Grey's letter in response
to the article is available on the website.
www.kurzweilai.net/news/frame.html?main=/news/news_single.html?id%3D4167
Technology Review: Aubrey de Grey begins " Jason Pontin, Technology
Review's Editor-in-Chief, and Brad King, Technology Review's Web
editor, have invited me to respond to the trio of articles about me
and my work that appear in the February 2005 issue of Technology
Review with this online-only piece, in addition to a short "letter to
the editor" from me that will appear in the print edition", and
concludes
"Comment on February's editorial is superfluous. Pontin is as
desperate as Nuland and the Technology Review staff are to put the
real issues out of his mind, but unlike them he does not take the
trouble to cloak this in careful words; the editorial speaks for
itself all too well.
What can we conclude, observing three such egregious departures from
normal logical standards by educated adults?
I can identify only one explanation: most of society is in a pro-aging
trance. This is no surprise: after all, aging is extremely horrible
and until a few years ago could indeed be regarded as probably
immutable for a very long time indeed. Hence, a reasonable tactic was
to put its horror out of one's mind, however absurd the logical
contortions required.
Just as stage hypnotists' subjects provide sincere and lucid
justifications for any false statement that they have been instructed
is true, so most of us (not having dared to consider in detail whether
aging might recently have come within our technological range)
energetically defend the indefinite perpetuation of what it is in fact
humanity's primary duty to eliminate as soon as possible.
Some people find stage hypnotists highly entertaining. I don't -- not
any more, at least."
http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/05/01/wo/wo_degrey0101805.asp?p=1