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Wednesday, 28 March 2000
Hello all,
I've watched this thread with delight. SNR here had strayed to low
levels before this. Most proposals for Mr. Brin seem to fall into one
of three categories: (a) space migration, (b) increasing
intelligence, and (c) life extension. The generally pessimistic tone
about space migration discourages me, but I suspect most here hope
advancing technology will ease surface-to-orbit travel. Increasing
intelligence also includes such items as web enhancement, inexpensive
computing, superior educational methods, and so on. Life extension,
IMO, covers not only immortality but also quality of life. This
requires a healthy ecosystem and general prosperity and security.
I suggest that a small fraction of the immense wealth Mr. Brin
identifies see use to encourage the habit of philanthropy. Eighteen
trillion dollars takes many people's inheritances and lumps them
together, but charity remains an individual decision. A financial
instrument as popular as today's mutual funds, perhaps with tax
benefits, designed to encourage long-term charitable giving would
serve society very well. Surveying existing instruments and services
for their benefits and limitations would have to come first. Next,
(re)designing a service according to the expected customer's values
would have to happen. Third, such services and products would need to
be advertised. It is all well and good to target the wealthy, but
far more $10,000 mutual fund accounts exist than $10,000,000
accounts.
Finally, while I'd like to see many things here on the list: a
moonbase, Zubrin's Case For Mars prizes, better internet access,
X-Prize funding, etc., let me make my pet idea public. A few million
dollars for effective water-soluble nootropics suitable for
supplementing public-water supplies would please me. Of course, it's
hard to counteract the trend of water filters and bottled water here
in USA. Perhaps such a program could help comprise a general public
water-works upgrade.
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