From: Brett Paatsch (bpaatsch@bigpond.net.au)
Date: Wed Jul 23 2003 - 00:28:57 MDT
Giu1i0 Pri5c0 writes:
>
> This is a good idea, I often thought the same.
>
> ### Alex: Regarding 2) A 'guide to Transhumanism
> for Dummies' would be a very useful thing. Many
> people are put off by the apparent Elitist and heavy
> 'high tech' emphasis of Transhumanism. Generally
> they run away from the idea because they think it is
> just for Boffins and nerds with high IQ's and letters
> after their name.###
I think there is merit in this too. I don't actually care
if anything called transhumanism for dummies is written
or not, but we live right now in democracies and an
IQ of 180 gets you only the same voting power as an
IQ of 90. Two 90's voting against you will trump you.
Second there are none of us so smart that we haven't
considerably more to learn as well as do. I consider this
a falsifiable hypothesis btw (possibly one of us has a
Friendly AI in his basement and has managed to uploaded
himself in multiple copies and now has no mortal fears at
all). But baring such unlikely scenarios all of us are mortal
and the current default prognosis for mortals is personal
annihilation.
It seems a great pity that amongst the first things intelligent
people often seem to get good at is sarcasm and the
great fear that stops a lesser mind from becoming a
greater mind is the fear of looking stupid.
The fear of *looking* stupid might very well cost people
their lives in coming decades. Ignorance and stupidity
are not the same thing. We all start ignorant.
Regards,
Brett
(being a bit preachy again)
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