If it's not AI, Nano, or Uploading Extropians Ignore it.
Robin Hanson (hanson@hss.caltech.edu)
Tue, 8 Oct 96 11:15:23 PDT
Chris Hind writes:
>Also we *MUST* vary our topics! We keep discussing AI, Nano, and
>uploading constantly! I'm actually beginning to believe the ravings of
>Mark Plus that extropians keep discussing the same topics without
>making any such progress. I would *VERY MUCH* like to see what is
>being worked on in a hands-on manner. There *MUST* be other topics
>other than the onces discussed frequently. For example telepresence,
>global climate control, new space tech such as the roton and methods
>for FTL travel. There are literally *HUNDREDS* of topics on Anders
>page and we concentrate on 5-10% of them? Sure the big three extropian
>topics are the most important but we *NEED* variety.
Personally I am much more interested in getting deep enough into some
topic to actually make some new intellectual progress, rather than
briefly touching on hundreds of topics (workshop vs. party mode). We
still don't understand very much about the favorite topics, and they
are well worth getting right. They are hardly played-out territory.
But then I am more of an academic, who doesn't think you really
understand a topic until you can make original contributions to it,
and who doesn't think you've made a contribution until it can stand up
to detailed criticism. Of course you don't have to share my
preferences, but then neither do I have to share yours.
Robin D. Hanson hanson@hss.caltech.edu http://hss.caltech.edu/~hanson/