What Will You Leave to Future Generations When You Die?

http://www.encognitive.com
What is humanity's place in the cosmos?

The same place held by all the other technology-using species now briefly living on or around the ten billion trillion (1) stars in this Universe: Our role in the cosmos is to become or create our successors. I don't think anyone would dispute that something smarter (or otherwise higher) than human might evolve, or be created, in a few million years. So, once you've accepted that possibility, you may as well accept that neurohacking, BCI (Brain-Computer Interfaces), Artificial Intelligence, or some other intelligence-enhancement technology will transcend the human condition, almost certainly within your lifetime (unless we blow ourselves to dust first). "Within thirty years, we will have the technological means to create superhuman intelligence. Shortly after, the human era will be ended." -- Vernor Vinge, 1993

The really interesting part about the creation of smarter-than-human intelligence is the positive-feedback effect. Technology is the product of intelligence, so when intelligence is enhanced by technology, you've got transhumans who are more effective at creating better transhumans, who are more effective at creating even better transhumans. Cro-Magnons changed faster than Neanderthals, agricultural society changed faster than hunter-gatherer society, printing-press society changed faster than clay-tablet society, and now we have "Internet time". And yet all the difference between an Internet CEO and a hunter-gatherer is a matter of knowledge and culture, of "software". Our "hardware", our minds, emotions, our fundamental level of intelligence, are unchanged from fifty thousand years ago. Within a couple of decades, for the first time in human history, we will have the ability to modify the hardware.
http://yudkowsky.net/tmol-faq/orientation.html#singularity

Category:

Education

Tags:

• meaning
• of
• life
• star
• wars
• trek
• postcards
• from
• the
• future
• movie

[Domzdream]

Is this a movie to be coming out?

[TrungEdm]

I think it's been out for awhile now.

[dalnky]

What Will You Leave to Future Generations When You Die?

Wait... what? I'm not planning to die anytime soon. Or ever.

[vegansong821]

"postcards from the future" is in a chuck palahniuk book, Invisible Monsters I believe

[Margjelo]

Or lately people are hoping that the technology is going to help them (US) enjoy the future, turning them (US) into transhumans

[Margjelo]

As much as I know (from a Richard Dawkins interview) the human hardware hasn't changed in the last 100 000 years, not 50 000! Anyway I liked the video! But I don't think that people work for the future (that they won't have the chance to enjoy) for the sake of future generations, I think they (WE) do it because of the feeling of importance it gives them (US) in the present, while they (WE) are actually doing it!

[Israe5l]

Its not the kind of technology one imagines that the transhumans have. They can be poets. They can be mechanics. But I think more than any type, the philosophers who ponders for the future.

[Domzdream]

Looks awesome! I love sci-fi. But American sci-fi. Not British. That Dr. Who shit. What the hell? I'd call it Dr why?? But I must say, when British and Americans gert together they produce amazing stuff in combination. Take 'aliens' for instance. Among many other films. Like 28 weeks later.