Re: Posthuman

Anders Sandberg (nv91-asa@nada.kth.se)
Wed, 30 Jul 1997 18:50:34 +0200 (MET DST)


On Wed, 30 Jul 1997, Prof. Jose Gomes Filho wrote:

> Well, variable chromogeometry (or, extending,
> functional-chromogeometry...) could include also fuzzy, Mandelbrot,
> etc. geometries... (including a possible telepresence...)

Hmm, this gave me a truly bizarre idea: if somebody has a
high-resolution chromophorous skin and a net link, it might be
possible to use it as a kind of videophone. Imagine talking to a
small face on your palm...

> A suitable question is if it would be adopted, in the future,
> something like a hardware sharing... or we'll choose continue
> being individuals. (The talk is getting really crazy...)

Crazy? Hardly, at least not on this list. The normals all believe we
are nuts anyway. :-)

Hardware sharing is an interesting idea, especially if we upload
ourselves and link up to different bodies for different tasks. I have
already suggested Hertz Body Rental, where you can lease cloned
bodies during your vacation. I can also imagine future teenagers
asking their parents for the keys to the body...

However, I think most people are so used to the idea of being
individuals that they will not share hardware and would find other
forms of existence somewhat frightening ("yes, I was a part of a
group-mind when I was younger. Typical teenage rebellion...").

> Another interesting possibility (but very dangerous and insecure yet)
> in thinking about to create a super main processor where our
> individualities would share the facilities. Don't know if it would be
> good or bad, but the natural tendency would be the unification of all
> the universe in just one counscious living organism, with various
> "selfimages" that would be ourselves in better forms... Something
> better that the ancient religious "God" imagination (or
> selfprojection...)

I'm not sure I follow you how sharing the same processor would lead
to a merger. A more likely model would be a huge "processor hotel",
where infomorphs live in well protected memory areas. Merging minds
is tricky...

> Gomes, M.Sc. ("M"ad "Sc"ientist ... joking...)

Only half joking...

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