Comments on: Convergence 08 Wrap-Up

By: club penguin

club penguin — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 20:00:09 +0000

This has been true of pretty much all innovations among humankind throughout history. The majority were not polled beforehand even to the degree that likely outcomes of past changes were forseeable which mostly they were not. So why are these changes really any different? The vast majority of humankind is not even capable or willing to understand the rudiments of the science behind so much of what is around them today.

By: kids room

kids room — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:44:45 +0000

I do think that many transhumanists/futurists tend to be smarter than average, but not by as much as we think, and it doesn't change the equation bedroom furniture as much as many believe. To "win the meme wars" we need to connect with more of the mainstream, not dismiss it.

By: kids bedrooms

kids bedrooms — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:41:07 +0000

I just think this is PJ's tribalism and lack of empathy in action, and it's really just a kind of preemptive defensive posturing. We're mostly geeks, after all, and by and large we learned early on that there's rarely bedroom furniture any point bothering with most of the other kids -- they don't "get" us and they can be pretty mean when they want to. And there's no way of saying it that doesn't sound conceited, but we know it's true.

By: MDarling

MDarling — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 20:02:45 +0000

Lot’s to say on the topic of supposed superiority
… but start here: To get away form the “all the right answers are in the Bay area” myth, have the event next year in Cody, WY…. or North PLatte NE, or….

By: Phil Bowermaster

Phil Bowermaster — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:00:26 +0000

Most of the changes we dream of will come from the far right side of the IQ normal distribution. This has been true of pretty much all innovations among humankind throughout history. The majority were not polled beforehand even to the degree that likely outcomes of past changes were forseeable which mostly they were not.. So why are these changes really any different?

Well, what about those who live on “the far right side of the IQ normal distribution,” but who have never heard of any of this stuff? Some of them may be poor, lacking a TV or Internet connection, others may have just never heard about these things, but would be highly interested if they did.

(Or, as I would like to have explained to certain members of my audience, some of them don’t even live in the Bay area!)

Assuming you to be a person of good will, Samantha, I would expect you to disagree with the following reasoning:

“Most human beings have been exploited and abused for most of human history. Usurping power and exploiting our fellow human beings is the natural state of things — why should we expect that things will ever be any different?”

History tells us how things have been; it doesn’t dictate how they have to be. I think there are many people who would like to be involved in moving human evolution forward, given the opportunity to do so. Why deny them the opportunity? Because our ancestors would have?

By: Samantha Atkins

Samantha Atkins — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:33:20 +0000

As far as the elitist meme goes, it is in part quite correct. Most of the changes we dream of will come from the far right side of the IQ normal distribution. This has been true of pretty much all innovations among humankind throughout history. The majority were not polled beforehand even to the degree that likely outcomes of past changes were forseeable which mostly they were not. So why are these changes really any different? The vast majority of humankind is not even capable or willing to understand the rudiments of the science behind so much of what is around them today. The majority are unwilling to consider the unfamilar or question their mostly implicit assumptions. So how could it ever happen that we really, not as a political game but really, get the majority to understand what is possible, its possible implications and somehow choose? It seems to me to be an utter fantasy.

By: Phil Bowermaster

Phil Bowermaster — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:41:43 +0000

Yes, let the record show that Michael was a member of the vociferous minority!

Leslie — I’m seeing ads for flying cars. But then, I always do…

By: Leslie Kirschner

Leslie Kirschner — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:44:28 +0000

AI to the rescue! — I found it amusing that all the google ads that came up with this post have to do with curing or overcoming narcissism!

Seriously, I just wanted to commend you on the FFR shows and coverage on Convergence 08. It’s nice to read the things that all of these people write, but much more fun and illuminating to listen to them in conversation.

By: Michael Anissimov

Michael Anissimov — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:47:28 +0000

I was right there objecting to the elitist line of thought! I do think that many transhumanists/futurists tend to be smarter than average, but not by as much as we think, and it doesn’t change the equation as much as many believe. To “win the meme wars” we need to connect with more of the mainstream, not dismiss it.