Re: tech miracles of the year 2000 as seen from 1950

From: Spudboy100@aol.com
Date: Wed May 16 2001 - 07:34:23 MDT


In a message dated 5/16/2001 2:35:35 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
johnmarlow@gmx.net writes:

<< Clearly stated: I'm a promoter of nanotechnology as the solution to
 most of our problems and the means to the realization of most or all
 of our aspirations.
 
 Clearly stated: I think more likely the damned thing will kill us all-
 -so I'm a bit ambivalent about speeding things up. >>

Ah, the many flavored goo's dilemma. I could see human mishandling of this
situation certain death. It hardly seems worth it, if all it produces is
uncontrolled, automated muck, that absorbs the planet. Unless we can achieve
something fabulous through "uploading" or protect the biota that we and
"nature" are with nanotech, also, it seems not such a bargain.

<<A computer which passes
the Turing Test is a parlor trick; the test itself is meaningless
because its definition of intelligence is meaningless.>>

Depending on who is asking what question, it may not be a parlor trick. Are
we just a parlor trick of nature, are we something more, and is it important?

Mitch



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