----------
> From: GBurch1@aol.com
> In a message dated 3/12/00 11:47:50 AM Central Standard Time,
> brian@posthuman.com writes:
>
> > linked from Slashdot, this article quoting Bill Joy from SUN:
> >
> > http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/2000-03/12/215l-031200-idx.html
>
> >From the article:
> Joy enjoys a level-headed reputation in the industry. "Nobody is more
> phlegmatic than Bill," said Stewart Brand, an Internet pioneer.
>
> "He is the adult in the room.""
>
> Aw, shucks . . . just when we were startin' to have fun, the adults have to
> come in and mess everything up!
"Joy is disturbed by a suite of advances . He views as credible
the prediction that by 2030, computers will be a million times
more powerful than they are today. He respects the possibility
that robots may exceed humans in intelligence, while being able
to replicate themselves.
He points to nanotechnology--the emerging science that seeks
to create any desired object on an atom-by-atom basis
[...]
What deeply worries him is that these technologies collectively
create the ability to unleash self-replicating, mutating, mechanical
or biological plagues."
=====
Wow, looks like a more realistic vision of the future is
slowly but steadily entering the mainstream. Stopping
progress is neither possible (unless you nuke everything
to hell) nor desirable (nature's default death sentence is
still upon us, after all), but that doesn't change the fact
that advanced technologies will probably kill us all sooner
or later. No choice, tricky situation...Getting to space
looks like the only way out. Won't help you much against
>AI, of course, just nano. Never hurts to try, though.
[Dynamic Pessimism in action!]
Towards Oblivion! :)
http://www.transtopia.org
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Jul 27 2000 - 14:04:57 MDT