Re: How can we deal with risks?

Kennita Watson (kwatson@netcom.com)
Thu, 30 Oct 1997 04:00:12 +0000

Holger Wagner wrote:
> In history, very often genius ideas and inventions turned out to be
> rather "dangerous"... it happens quite often
> that something "impredictable" happens....you'll discover a lot of
> people that simply don't understand a lot of things...
> one insane person can do great
> harm if he has access to the "right" weapons. Imagine a person like
> Adolf Hitler with access to future-genetics and nanotechnology....
> Tell me what you think about this - I'm definitely not questioning
> technology but humans.
>
Bad people exist, and some are worse than others.

1) I don't worry about it -- worrying is bad for my immune system and
my productivity.
2) I advocate ubiquitous technology -- a Neo-Hitler will have a much
harder time wiping me out with nanotech if I have it too.
3) I expect both improved psychology (to notice destroyers early)
and excellent virtual reality (so we can give them something
to destroy without bothering the rest of us).
4) I try to stay in relatively safe places.

There's probably more, but it's late.

Cheers,
Kennita