> LONDON, Sept. 18 - A poll in the United States has
> found widespread support for a ban on "uncrackable"
> encryption products, following proposals in Congress
> to tighten restrictions on software that scrambles
> electronic data.
The fact that Americans are silly enough to support this ban is irrelevant.
What matters is that Congress can use such a poll to gain support for their
proposals to tighten restrictions.
If Congress can ban encryption products, they can ban scientific research that
would lead to a technological singularity, and the same people who want to be
safe and secure from encryption also want to be safe and secure from
evolutionary phase transition. So this bodes ill for unstoppable technological
progress. It may be difficult to explain to Congress why encryption should be
legal, and it will be more difficult to persuade Congress that a technological
singularity should be legal.
--- --- --- --- ---
Useless hypotheses, etc.:
consciousness, phlogiston, philosophy, vitalism, mind, free will, qualia,
analog computing, cultural relativism, GAC, Cyc, Eliza, cryonics, individual
uniqueness, ego, human values, scientific relinquishment
We won't move into a better future until we debunk religiosity, the most
regressive force now operating in society.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Fri Oct 12 2001 - 14:40:53 MDT