Re: The Future


Charles Hottel <chottel@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:MhATh.2380$3P3.811@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
What do you think the next 20 to 30 years will be like? If you are like
most people you think it will be like the last 20 to 30 years and there is
a
good chance that you would be unprepared for the powerful changes coming
and
the the rapid pace of those changes.

That is just a small part of the thesis of a book I have just read: The
Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology by Ray Kurzweil

Couple of questions: does he specify his assumptions - in particular does he
expect that the resources for what he foresees will always be there? And
does he include individual choice in the matter: will people be obliged to
go along with the changes or not?

Me - I see society being more sharply divided into the INNERs and the
OUTERs. There are already quite a crowd of people who are perfectly happy
spending most of their life intereracting with devices - computers, games,
TV - all of which are indoors. TheIN-ward trend will continue: it's already
feasible, in principle, to live completely indoors without ever having to
leave the comfort of one's home: assumimng some sort of income to finance
the lifestyle. Only a little enhancement will be necessary to look after
all bodily needs and functions - well, almost all - so that a person could
live and interact with the world wholly through direct-brain inputs and
outputs. There will be quite a number of people who will enjoy this sort of
lifestyle - any sensation can be produced by stimulation of the proper part
of the brain. They'll be the INNERs. Everyone else will be the OUTERs to
one extent or other and there will likely be some bitterness because the
OUTERs will be supporting the INNERs.

I may be right or not! But I'll probably be around for 20 years, anyway, to
find out!

PL


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