In a message dated 8/12/2001 11:15:38 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
mlorrey@datamann.com writes:
<< For this reason I am generally opposed to defining the homo sapiens
genome exclusively as 'human'. Any member of the homo group of species,
and any intelligences that evolve from them should be considered
'human'. Failing to do so I can guarantee will result in
luddite/transhuman race wars. >>
Maybe our descendents will agree on some kind of symbol, like Prince did, a
few years ago? We can term ourselves, "The Species Formerly Known as Human".
I prefer we call ourselves, The Knights who Formerly Said "Nyeah!"
<<What is to be of concern is not how individuals see themselves, but
future problems of racism and discrimination as transhumans diverge into
many diverse paths, such that some humans will cease to consider others
to be 'human' if they are excessively focused on defining 'human' in
terms of physical appearance or mode of existence.>>
One of tomorrow's many problems. Perhaps such issues might be forestalled, by
implementing Hans Moravec's suggestion that truly EX-humans (former
homo-sapiens) who desire massive configuration, such as being transformed
into spaceships, seek their fortune in the solar system, and galaxy? They can
surely trade material and data with earth, in order to upgrade continuously.
Conversely, Ex'e's who dwell on planet earth as citizens, accept limitations
on their power. An example might be: No Orion-type Nuclear Detonations within
the atmosphere please.
Or, please-no hogging the datalines!
Moravec depicted homo sapiens and trans sapiens being protected by complex
computer defense systems, also operating lasers to zap any suicidal attacker
from beyond Lunar Orbit. Eventually, when the galaxy spanning Minds become
hyper-advanced, we will be absorbed, Borg-Like, with the intellectual
collective. Curiously, Moravec stated that such entities and earth and its
populace, along with their guardian defense systems, would continue on, as
normal, not even knowing that they had been absorbed!
The upside to all this, as Moravec suggests, when we would find out, we would
be living an even more cozy existence, with myriad's more opportunities to
explore phase space (read: Life as Ascription), then in the normal humdrum
universe. This is because the matter and energy to run our lives as
observers/sensorialists/thinkers is astronomically, smaller then the physical
masses now in "real" existence.
All this guaranteed, or your money back! Actually, I find this really
plausible, since its conceptually science as we know it.
Mitch
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