life extension and the singularity
phylodome 22 Aug 2007
*Bio-medical research is technically part of what would be defined as a "singularity"
There will be massive cultural blowback over radical life extension when the technologies begin arousing popular debate, which will likely be when modern religions are pushed to their breaking points by our own acts as demigods.
Hopefully we don't kill ourselves, but if you had included that in your survey, i think at this point i would be inclined to choose it.
There will be massive cultural blowback over radical life extension when the technologies begin arousing popular debate, which will likely be when modern religions are pushed to their breaking points by our own acts as demigods.
Hopefully we don't kill ourselves, but if you had included that in your survey, i think at this point i would be inclined to choose it.
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caston 22 Aug 2007
I voted for the third option. I believe it is a problem that humans can resolve but we will need tools ranging from low-tech to the the absolute state of the art and stuff that hasn't even been invented yet. The driving force behind all of this is our dedication and our imaginations. A lot of the advances will double as treatments for viral, genetic, metabolism and age related diseases and it shouldn't be difficult to find funding for them if we break the problem down into small parts where breakthroughs can bring incremental increases to the quality of life and our life expectancy in reasonable time frames.
All of these advances will be in the right direction and a stated and carefully planned course of maintaining the human body in a healthy and youthful state. Other advances will come along that are purely for profit but we understand that money is little comfort for poor health and useless if you are dead.
We will also need to explore and truly understand the relationship between sex and death in order to defeat death.
Edited by caston, 22 August 2007 - 12:08 PM.
All of these advances will be in the right direction and a stated and carefully planned course of maintaining the human body in a healthy and youthful state. Other advances will come along that are purely for profit but we understand that money is little comfort for poor health and useless if you are dead.
We will also need to explore and truly understand the relationship between sex and death in order to defeat death.
Edited by caston, 22 August 2007 - 12:08 PM.
platypus 22 Aug 2007
I voted for number three as I suspect that conscious machines might be very, very hard to do. Is human-level AI possible without consciousness? I somehow doubt it.
Aegist 22 Aug 2007
I think we will need medical science to extend our lifespan in order to see the singularity. The singularity will then complete the task we have started.
So, i guess technically my answer should be the first one, even though I think we will have medical breakthroughs in extending lifespan before the singularity.
So, i guess technically my answer should be the first one, even though I think we will have medical breakthroughs in extending lifespan before the singularity.
cyborgdreamer 24 Aug 2007
Didn't we have this poll exactly made once, a year ago or so?
-Inf.
If there was, it didn't know about it -I wasn't here a year ago. [lol]
Live Forever 25 Aug 2007
I've noticed lots of stuff is recycled from month to month, year to year, etc. Its all good though. )Didn't we have this poll exactly made once, a year ago or so?
-Inf.
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Liquidus 25 Aug 2007
Bio-medical research will defeat aging before the singularity
Seems like the most likely to happen. I think less emphasis will be put on AI once the technology (probably thanks to religious/moral counters) becomes available at first. In that event, more of the technology would likely be used on more relevent issues that people today can relate to, like perfecting biology, curing aging, optimizing the body.
As humans are able to overcome the problems of their last phase of evolution (which, is our current day state of being a human being), they will then likely be more prepared for the Singularity and real AIs with actual rights. It's also important to consider that the acceptance of AI's will probably increase with the generations who are born into this better human condition, so eventually the Singularity will happen, and AIs will be equal to humans, and help humans achieve great things.
Of course, I could be wrong, maybe society will be come more liberal with the acceptance of science and technology not as an experiment in a laboratory, but rather as a necessity as humans continue to explore their potential into the future. My original mindset is that the singularity might be slowed down by our current day models of society, so unless society evolves, the biological aspects will likely come before the singularity.
But, no one knows, and that's why we play the game.
Seems like the most likely to happen. I think less emphasis will be put on AI once the technology (probably thanks to religious/moral counters) becomes available at first. In that event, more of the technology would likely be used on more relevent issues that people today can relate to, like perfecting biology, curing aging, optimizing the body.
As humans are able to overcome the problems of their last phase of evolution (which, is our current day state of being a human being), they will then likely be more prepared for the Singularity and real AIs with actual rights. It's also important to consider that the acceptance of AI's will probably increase with the generations who are born into this better human condition, so eventually the Singularity will happen, and AIs will be equal to humans, and help humans achieve great things.
Of course, I could be wrong, maybe society will be come more liberal with the acceptance of science and technology not as an experiment in a laboratory, but rather as a necessity as humans continue to explore their potential into the future. My original mindset is that the singularity might be slowed down by our current day models of society, so unless society evolves, the biological aspects will likely come before the singularity.
But, no one knows, and that's why we play the game.