From: Anders Sandberg (asa@nada.kth.se)
Date: Sat May 24 2003 - 17:45:16 MDT
On Sat, May 24, 2003 at 11:56:39AM -0400, Harvey Newstrom wrote:
> Anders Sandberg wrote,
> > I think where we can really shine is in applying our own unique outlooks
> > to problems and come up with really new solutions (which we then better
> > promote). Dealing with SARS is best left to the epidemologists and
> > virologists - we can think of innovative ways of handling the next
> > pandemic or how such prevention could be combined with internet
> > institutions or whatever.
>
> I hate to ask this, but are many of us capable of doing this? Anders is an
> obvious exception, as are a few others. But most people on this list are
> arm-chair quarterbacks. The average participant in this group has little
> expertise in extro-tech, and will likely never be more than a cheering
> section or fan club. I wonder how many on this list are actually experts
> working in their field creating solutions as you describe.
Thanks. But even the stars need their cheerleaders. And I think the
everyhuman has much to contribute - many of the most useful technologies
are not truly about technology but social interactions and institutions,
something everybody can contribute mindpower to. A proposed institution
needs to be criticised from a variety of angles. People need to be able
to suggest how it can be abused, or what they would rather have instead.
Leaving it all to experts is dangerous.
Then again, I think the goal of everybody who truly belongs here on the
list should be to turn oneself into an expert or generalist. Why settle
for being normally educated when there is so much more to know? A hour
of playful reading and thinking each day will turn anybody into an
expert or generalist within a few months to years, and it is less heavy
lifting than bodybuilding and far easier than caloric restriction :-)
-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Anders Sandberg Towards Ascension! asa@nada.kth.se http://www.nada.kth.se/~asa/ GCS/M/S/O d++ -p+ c++++ !l u+ e++ m++ s+/+ n--- h+/* f+ g+ w++ t+ r+ !y
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