[extropy-chat] Aubrey de Grey on Technology Review

Samantha Atkins sjatkins at mac.com
Wed Jan 19 21:25:30 UTC 2005


I have a suspicion that something else is at work.  The possibility of  
defeating aging is over a limit I suspect most people have as to how  
much change and how radical change they are comfortable with  
considering.   It may not be  the specific technology or possibility  
that throws them into reaction mode but whether it crosses this comfort  
line.  That which they cannot see how to deal with or even imagine well  
is automatically opposed.   Their Shock Level tolerance is set too low.

- s

On Jan 19, 2005, at 6:26 AM, Giu1i0 Pri5c0 wrote:

> 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
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