Re: Anti-singularity?

From: Mike Lorrey (mlorrey@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Jan 07 2003 - 18:56:44 MST


I think it is more an indication of the dotage and lack of curiosity of
the Forbes editorial board. However, I don't think that the great ideas
of the 90's are really evident at this point in time. It is gonna take
a few more years for them to sort out from the rest of the chaff and
prove their validity.

For example, Reagan's harsh opposition to communism as a great idea
wasn't evident until the KGB opened it's files in the mid 90's. The
digital computer wasn't recognised as the huge idea it is for several
decades after it's invention.

--- "Robert J. Bradbury" <bradbury@aeiveos.com> wrote:
>
> Slashdot is also pointing out the article in Forbes involving the 85
> biggest ideas of the last century.
>
> http://forbes.com/2002/11/01/85.html
>
>
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/12/20/1636229&mode=thread&tid=126
>
> >From the /. leadin "and a frightening realization that not
> much of interest has come out of the last 10 years (a whopping 4
> of the 85 ideas)."
>
> That looks like a pretty low productivity during the last decade
> (particularly considering the amount of money that got spent during
> the dot-com boom). Did Forbes simply mis-judge the list or are
> we slowing down in inventiveness? This would seem to be counter
> to the singularity hypothesis.
>
> Could it be possible we are approaching some limit on the phase
> space of what humans (or teams of humans) are capable of? I.e.
> to push the envelope further requires transhumans or AIs.
>
> I'm just asking the questions...
>
> Robert
>
>
>

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