[extropy-chat] Lifeboat Foundation awared to Freitas, Joy

[Hal Finney]

Via slashdot I found this article about an award to Robert Freitas and
Bill Joy:

http://lifeboat.com/news.cgi?40

I've never heard of this Lifeboat Foundation but they have a lot of big
names on their advisory board, maybe some readers here.  I'm sorry,
I know I'm probably going to offend people by what I'm about to say,
but I couldn't believe this introductory statement from the page above:

"The Lifeboat Foundation Guardian Award is annually bestowed upon revered
scientists or public figures who have heralded the coming of a future
fraught with danger and encouraged provision against its perils."

For some reason I find this hilarious!  The pomposity of the "revered
scientists" is juxtaposed with the image of someone cowering beneath
his bed sheets at fear of a future "fraught with danger".  It just seems
like such a negative view of the future, that all our focus should be on
"provision against its perils".  At least we have our new Guardians here
to protect us.

Anyway, I guess congratulations are due Freitas and Joy for their
accomplishments in helping reassure these fretful futurists.  I just
hope this will help the poor Lifeboaters to sleep at night, faced with
a future... fraught with danger.

Hal