Michael Shermer: "Social Singularity: Transitioning from Civilization 1.0 to 2.0"

The Singularity Summit 2011 was a TED-style two-day event at the historic 92nd Street Y in New York City. The next event will take place in San Francisco, on October 13 & 14, 2012. For more information, visit:
http://www.singularitysummit.com

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[brucegalliver]

It's a shame about the relationship he makes with GDP and social progress, as there are so many other factors, including the rules of the banking system itself, that contribute to GDP that don't show any progress.

For example, GDP rises the more sick people there are in america, as the health industry benefits.

He doesn't challenge the existence of the monetary system as a root cause for social problems, we could see total equality in the future, in a different economic system.

[libertarianjury]

Shermer seems to not comprehend that "women's suffrage" does not equal "liberal democracy." In fact, given the loss of jury trials since 1832 (licensing of lawyers), 1850 (voir dire), 1895 (Sparf and Hansen v. USA, wrongful judicial instruction), 1930 (loss of defendant's free speech), we've in many ways backslid from the concept of a liberal democracy, burning up the industrial revolution's wealth, concentrating it into the hands of central bankers. Peaceful, yes. Progress, ...weak.

[libertarianjury]

How does he miss talking about jury rights, and the degradation of legal systems? How does he miss talking about the Federal Reserve's massive theft?

[libertarianjury]

Matt Ridley didn't come up with "ideas having sex with other ideas." I'd credit that to Dawkins' memes, or Kevin Kelly, the author of "What does Technology Want?"

[libertarianjury]

I'm really tired of "the golden rule" being thrown out as an oversimplified version of libertarian morality, rather than explicitly stating "the initiation of force is wrong." That level of specificity would do so much more to advance society, and return juries to dominance in our rule of law.

[MrAdvancedAtheist]

Louis XIV sucked as an economist. He drove the Huguenots from France, who had specialized in many valuable skills, and as a result damaged France's economy.

[MrAdvancedAtheist]

Given Shermer's commitment to empiricism, I wonder what he thinks about the rationality of patriarchy, despite what current political correctness says against it. Patriarchal beliefs derive from the accumulated experiences of men's lives with women over millennia. Men didn't pull patriarchy out of their asses, or invent it because of the meanness of our hearts. It arose from the pragmatic need to protect women from their often self-destructive inclinations.

[MrAdvancedAtheist]

Shermer sounds like he's borrowed from Matt Ridley and Steven Pinker.

[MrAdvancedAtheist]

I view the super rich, at least the legitimate ones, as "early adopters" of the lifestyles ordinary people could have if we have a few more centuries of exponential economic growth. We already see futuristic lifestyles in the One Percent.

[countseven]

... such as China and India the labor pool became huge and outsourcing happened in the USA. This is a correction to an imbalance. The income gap you enjoyed (usa) was artificial. The total GDP per capita has doubled since 2000. The poor of the world are in a much better state today than ever before. The singularity is a global argument, and isn't about America only. I find the criticism of KhanneaSuntzu emotional rather than objective. Also, you