6 replies to this topic

[Lazarus Long]

http://www.nytimes.c...amp;oref=slogin

The article in the NY Times is very comprehensive and provided many links to other Kurzweil works. It discusses his predictions about technology and even the Singularity. There is honorable mention of longevity technology and the Kurzweil's prediction for the the Turing Test.

The author also does a comparison with another science prognosticator, Dr. Ramachandran who is not so sanguine about the future.

Are you depressed by the prospect of dying? Well, if you can hang on another 15 years, your life expectancy will keep rising every year faster than you’re aging. And then, before the century is even half over, you can be around for the Singularity, that revolutionary transition when humans and/or machines start evolving into immortal beings with ever-improving software.

BTW, the UN came out with a prediction of its own recently, the world needs to increase food production by 50% in order to meet demand by 2030.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24942035

[maestro949]

Dr. Ramachandran said, but it might prove too difficult to reverse-engineer the brain’s circuitry because it evolved so haphazardly.

I agree that top-down reverse-engineering is impractical for even the next 30 years of engineering however I think it will be able to re-evolve the brain's circuitry, or something even more optimal, in-silico.

[mentatpsi]

No offense, but Kurzweil is representing himself as seriously over idealistic. Though i don't believe that's really the case, he seems to be more of a public figure bringing incentive for funding... He's an excellent author, inventor, and creative thinker though... but the people who are making the change should be internally realistic rather than overly idealistic about the prospects of the future. Shoot an arrow straight up and it'll come right back.

[Shannon Vyff]

I love seeing such a positive piece in the New York Times! Kurzweil is a great 'cheerleader' and if he inspires anyone to look into the movement further then that is one more person likely to support the cause (of transhumanism, A.I., extreme life extension etc.).

There are plenty of pieces around that are more 'Down to Earth' 'realistic' about Kurzweil's predictions, I like those too as balance--but this positive publicity now, is much needed and very exciting!

After reading the bit about brain reverse engineering, I'm going to finally get 'Kluge' which I've been wanting ever since I read a review in New Scientist a while ago, since it has always been a major area of interest for me http://www.amazon.co...d/dp/0618879641

[Live Forever]

This was linked to from the article. It looks like it was written today as well on the Law of Accelerating Returns about which Kurzweil is always talking:
http://tierneylab.bl...o-fast-forward/

It mentions Kurzweil prominently as well. I suppose it was written as a companion piece on the tierneylabs blog on nytimes.com to go with the article. Most of the comments are critical of Kurzweil's approach.

Edited by Live Forever, 03 June 2008 - 05:29 PM.

[forever freedom]

Worried about greenhouse gas emissions? Have faith. Solar power may look terribly uneconomical at the moment, but with the exponential progress being made in nanoengineering, Dr. Kurzweil calculates that it’ll be cost-competitive with fossil fuels in just five years, and that within 20 years all our energy will come from clean sources.

I wonder what the CEOs of big petro companies would think if they read this . I think that solar energy is really the energy source of the future but i think it's going to take a little longer.


Do you have trouble sticking to a diet? Have patience. Within 10 years, Dr. Kurzweil explained, there will be a drug that lets you eat whatever you want without gaining weight.

Imagine, the revenge of McDonalds... being able to eat as much mc donalds as we want without storing it's fat in our bodies would be great. I would eat like a maniac. I do see such pills coming, sooner or later.


Are you depressed by the prospect of dying? Well, if you can hang on another 15 years, your life expectancy will keep rising every year faster than you’re aging. And then, before the century is even half over, you can be around for the Singularity, that revolutionary transition when humans and/or machines start evolving into immortal beings with ever-improving software.


I don't know about that in 15 years, actually i think that we will only be able to not die of aging anymore once we build computers smart enough to figure it all out, which means computers smarter than us.






edit: I also found this page about Kurzweil. Very interesting and up-to-date (from 03/24/08), and we get to take a look at all the pills that kurzweil gets in a day and to know a bit more about his regimen and life.

Edited by sam988, 03 June 2008 - 05:27 PM.

[mentatpsi]

I love seeing such a positive piece in the New York Times! Kurzweil is a great 'cheerleader' and if he inspires anyone to look into the movement further then that is one more person likely to support the cause (of transhumanism, A.I., extreme life extension etc.).

There are plenty of pieces around that are more 'Down to Earth' 'realistic' about Kurzweil's predictions, I like those too as balance--but this positive publicity now, is much needed and very exciting!

After reading the bit about brain reverse engineering, I'm going to finally get 'Kluge' which I've been wanting ever since I read a review in New Scientist a while ago, since it has always been a major area of interest for me http://www.amazon.co...d/dp/0618879641

Ya you're right... Kurzweil had a huge impact on my imagination and pursuits, I don't think i'd be as active on this forum if it wasn't for his book on the Singularity. Ya guys you have him to blame for me annoying you . Actually, a lot of great events came to happen simply from having knowledge of that book.