[extropy-chat] book review: Radical Evolution

[Dirk Bruere]

Damien Broderick wrote:

> At 10:12 AM 6/12/2005 -0400, Dan wrote:
>
>> Also from the review it sounds to me like The book would have been
>> insightful and provocative if published in (say) 1997.
>
>
> As another one was, with rather similar contents. :)
>
>> Clearly, he simply doesn't get it.
>
>
> Regard the knee-jerk dreariness of this confused message :
>
> <According to Vernor Vinge, one of several eccentric scientists whom 
> Garreau interviews, The Curve will continue to get steeper and steeper 
> until it eventually goes completely vertical in a rapturous moment he 
> has dubbed "The Singularity." At some point this century, but probably 
> no later than 2030, Vinge believes that humans will build the last 
> machine we'll ever need -- a device so intelligent it will be able to 
> reproduce rapidly and create new machines far smarter than humans 
> could ever imagine. Practically overnight, our social order will 
> rupture, and our world will be transformed. There's no guarantee that 
> will be particularly pleasant. >
>
> Now this might be the reviewer's fault, but observe the logic, which 
> can't distinguish between the gratuitous and non-Vingean "rapture", 
> and "rupture". The singularity is "a rapturous moment" that might not 
> be "particularly pleasant". Oh.
>
> Still, I suppose it's encouraging that non->Hs are at least starting 
> to discuss this concept.
>
Not really.
The non discussion of it plus business as usual might suit us better.

-- 
Dirk

The Consensus:-
The political party for the new millenium
http://www.theconsensus.org



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