>Authority is declining because of a systematic attack on Reason itself.
>You can
>no more squeeze blood out of a turnip, than you can squeeze extropy out of
>scientific nihilism, cultural relativism, and historical revisionism.
I would add one more thing to this list: hedonism.
You can't conquer death (and everything else) if you are a slave to
physical needs/desires. As I recall, someone on this list (maybe it was
Max More?) said they would not want to be uploaded to exist solely as
intellect. Why not? Do you think if you achieved such an existence you
would miss having physical needs/desires? I doubt it.
(Of course, I'm sure at some point virtual sex will be indistinguishable
from, and better than, the real thing. In fact, you could probably just
configure yourself in an endless loop. But it would be an entirely
meaningless existence.)
I am not recommending abstinence. It would be equally foolish -- while we
have no alternative to inhabiting our biological homes -- to waste energy
fighting their physical needs and desires. But the greatest and most
lasting pleasure is experienced through the pursuit of knowledge.
I also don't buy all the stuff about sex being the ultimate transfer of
information (serial or parallel). That would be achieved by donning a
helmet that lets you absorb all the information and wisdom contained in all
the world's libraries in just an hour or two.
Ira Brodsky
Datacomm Research Company
Wilmette, Illinois