Comments on: the singularity, now with even more utopia http://worldofweirdthings.com/2009/11/09/the-singularity-now-with-even-more-utopia/ exploring science, the strange and the unknown Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:32:40 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: gfish http://worldofweirdthings.com/2009/11/09/the-singularity-now-with-even-more-utopia/#comment-7773 gfish Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:25:52 +0000 http://worldofweirdthings.com/?p=8533#comment-7773 <i>"You’d make no friend out of Michael Anissimov then."</i> Believe me, I've made very few friends at the Singularity Institute. Although I have to point out that Michael Vassar has been generally quite pleasant in our conversations. Again, the difference between me and the SI is that I'm very much on the practical, roll-up-your-sleeves side of things and they're on the purely theoretical, drifting-in-the-clouds side of high tech. It's like the divide between the troops on the ground and the theoreticians in think tanks. “You’d make no friend out of Michael Anissimov then.”

Believe me, I’ve made very few friends at the Singularity Institute. Although I have to point out that Michael Vassar has been generally quite pleasant in our conversations.

Again, the difference between me and the SI is that I’m very much on the practical, roll-up-your-sleeves side of things and they’re on the purely theoretical, drifting-in-the-clouds side of high tech. It’s like the divide between the troops on the ground and the theoreticians in think tanks.

]]> By: dad2059 http://worldofweirdthings.com/2009/11/09/the-singularity-now-with-even-more-utopia/#comment-7772 dad2059 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:44:54 +0000 http://worldofweirdthings.com/?p=8533#comment-7772 <i>we have to do a lot more than talk about it and stare at computers with dreamy eyes, hoping that one day soon they’ll make all the bad people go away after giving the Grim Reaper a swift kick in the rear. </i> You'd make no friend out of Michael Anissimov then; http://www.acceleratingfuture.com/michael/ I used to believe in the Singularity Edit and I would probably consider myself more of a Transhumanist than most people because of advanced cardiac surgery, but for the same reasons you list Greg, I grew disillusioned with the demi-religious fervor and dogma that came along with it. we have to do a lot more than talk about it and stare at computers with dreamy eyes, hoping that one day soon they’ll make all the bad people go away after giving the Grim Reaper a swift kick in the rear.

You’d make no friend out of Michael Anissimov then;

http://www.acceleratingfuture.com/michael/

I used to believe in the Singularity Edit and I would probably consider myself more of a Transhumanist than most people because of advanced cardiac surgery, but for the same reasons you list Greg, I grew disillusioned with the demi-religious fervor and dogma that came along with it.

]]> By: Uncle Al http://worldofweirdthings.com/2009/11/09/the-singularity-now-with-even-more-utopia/#comment-7769 Uncle Al Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:05:02 +0000 http://worldofweirdthings.com/?p=8533#comment-7769 The low-tech high-leverge counterpoint: a score of Cessnas each carrying two cases of automobile flares. Wait for a big southwest US Santa Ana wind and set 500,000 mi^2 of scrub and national forests ablaze at dusk, when aerial tankers are grounded. What could jackbooted Homeland Severity do to thwart 500-1000 ignition points? http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/homesec.jpg http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/severity.htm New Orleans was piddles. The low-tech high-leverge counterpoint: a score of Cessnas each carrying two cases of automobile flares. Wait for a big southwest US Santa Ana wind and set 500,000 mi^2 of scrub and national forests ablaze at dusk, when aerial tankers are grounded. What could jackbooted Homeland Severity do to thwart 500-1000 ignition points?

http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/homesec.jpg
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/severity.htm

New Orleans was piddles.

]]>