Maybe... Technological Singularity ? 2010/4/30 John Mikes <jami...@gmail.com>
> Dear List, > for some weeks many write about TS (no explanation, seemingly all you > physicists on the list know exactly what they are talking about. I don't.) > So after 'enough is enough' I looked up Wiki. I found some 50 different > items 'TS' may stand for, in physical sciences only some 20. > It did not make sense when I substituted in the posts "T.S.Elliott, besides > in the texts there are no periods in between. Nor Tectonic Slip. Or Teutonic > Surrogates. Tyrannical Softness? I bet it does not stand on the Trafalgar > Square. (maybe in texting lingo: *t^2* as in Time Square?). > Somebody have mercy on me! > John M > > > On 4/30/10, Sami Perttu <sami.per...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> Hi, I've been thinking about the political implications of TS. The >> conclusions I've so far reached are quite pessimistic, but perhaps >> they're realistic. I'm trying to come up with a detailed scenario, and >> here are some starting points. All help is appreciated! >> >> I believe control is one of the paramount issues considering the >> politics of TS, and the unfolding of TS. There are many factors that >> point to the need for increased control, surveillance and >> authoritarian forms of rule, and I still believe these will spill over >> to the digital domain. But I may be missing some important component. >> >> -Interpersonal economic polarization is increasing. A threat from >> below implies less democracy. >> -TS is the biggest strategic issue of the 21st century. It can be seen >> as the final race to global supremacy: if there are sufficient >> computational resources available, then whoever will first achieve >> brain digitization and emulation technologies will win the race, for >> example by gaining a massive economic advantage, or by starting a >> massive weapons research program. >> -The huge potential for technological advance will fuel instability; >> the major powers could attempt to resolve this by coming to an >> agreement to create a global political organ to oversee all of digital >> humanity. Rogue nations will be brought in line by economic or >> military means. On the other hand, conflicts will likely remain >> regional in scope, as >> globalized capital won't tolerate a global conflagration. >> -Digital communities can't simply be let loose. Previously most power >> rested in the hands of an elite of analog humans, and they won't be >> willing to relinquish their position so easily. The Luddite movement >> will be exploited politically to this end. This will lead to strong >> digital surveillance, a digital police force, and possibly STASI style >> methods of enforcing control in the digital world. >> -Such controls clearly impede productivity, which is another incentive >> to establish global control over TS technologies. Otherwise some large >> nation or power could hedge its bets, dispense with control and make >> an alliance with a liberal digital community, achieving >> a competitive advantage. >> -Corporations will likely continue to increase their power. Strong >> digital property rights will be established. Digital exploitation and >> slavery will follow. >> -Even more control is needed when most of analog humanity becomes >> economically unviable: they will no longer be able to compete in wages >> with digital humans. I have no idea how this question will be >> resolved. >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Everything List" group. >> To post to this group, send email to everything-l...@googlegroups.com. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> everything-list+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<everything-list%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> >> . >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list?hl=en. >> >> > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Everything List" group. > To post to this group, send email to everything-l...@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > everything-list+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<everything-list%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list?hl=en. > -- All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To post to this group, send email to everything-l...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to everything-list+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list?hl=en.
