Transhumanism

Approaching the Singularity

 

One of my daily activities is checking out movie trailers on YouTube. I'm always looking to see what new science fiction might be coming out. I'm not really so interested in 'Space Opera' or 'Monster of the Week'; my interest is more in seeing some credible speculation on what the future just might have waiting for us. Recently I saw a trailer for a movie that might be hitting close to home sooner than we think.

 

 



Transcendence

 

 

The idea of merging human intelligence with machines is nothing new. I think I first read a novel featuring it in 'Neuromancer' by William Gibson.

 

 

Neuromancer by William Gibson

 

 

I eventually met William Gibson at a book signing in a science fiction and fantasy bookstore in 'Dinkytown' outside the University of Minnesota Minneapolis Campus. I remember somebody asking him where he got his ideas from and he told about how he was given a tour of the campus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and to talk with some of the students there. He stated that it didn't matter how crazy an idea might sound, with the right motivation, dedication and determination some bright mind could and would achieve it.

 

The fact of the matter is there are already people working on merging human intelligence with machines.

 



Ray Kurzweil and the 'Singularity'

 

 

Let's get Michio Kaku's take on some of this.

 

 

Now this gets me thinking about what would happen if you transfer your conscious mind into a machine? Let me take this a step further, rather than put yourself inside some wire and metal robot what if you moved yourself into a virtual world similar to Second Life?

 

What if you were given the chance to trade your frail and imperfect human 'meat' body for a self-aware computer program? You could actually live in a virtual reality. How many of you would do it?

 

While you think about that question just remember there are people working on actually doing it...