Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id PAA05047 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 31 Jan 2002 15:00:28 GMT Message-ID: <20020131145511.13626.qmail@web12303.mail.yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2002 14:55:11 +0000 (GMT) From: John Croft <jdcroft@yahoo.com> Subject: Singularity (was +ve or -ve curvature) To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk In-Reply-To: <200201310608.GAA04184@alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2002 19:47:59 -0800
> From: "Grant Callaghan" <grantc4@hotmail.com>
> Subject: Re: +ve or -ve curvature (was: necessity of
> mental memes)
>
> >
> >Jo wrote to my post
> A beautiful picture, John. I have seen emergence
> encompassing AI rather
> than AI producing its own emergence separate from
> the noosphere. If
> computers do become self replicating, as they have
> the potential of doing if
> we start using DNA in their construction, then your
> prediction seems highly
> plausible. I read today that there's going to be a
> conference on
> non-silicon chip building in the near future. The
> basic elements of a
> computer (the switches) have already been made out
> of DNA, nanotubes, single
> molecules of metal, and who knows what else we still
> haven't heard about.
> Self constructing arrays of nanotubes have also been
> developed in a test
> tube. We may yet be able to cram libraries of
> information into a space
> smaller than a chromasome and make it self
> replicating in a way that DNA is
> not. Who knows what might emerge from that
> scenerio? Do you believe in
> Kurzweil's "singularity?"
In terms of Kurzweil's extrapolation of Moore's Law
and the acceleration of Technological progress, I
think we have passed the point of inflection and the
speed of technological developments will be slowing
down. Less money is being spent on pure science as
the economic system demands immediate application of
existing technologies. And yet it is out of the pure
science that the technological adaptions for new
systems has always come. The best and brightest
students are being attracted to law, business and
accounting degrees and away from science and
mathematics.
And yet I still feel that there is an Omega point
around the corner. But we need to take into account
the social, political and the economic trends, not
just the technological. And this makes it more
"messy" and human. In any case I see us as
participating in a race with catastrophe resting on an
indeterminate knife edge.
Perhaps more can come out if others explore this issue
too.
Regards
John
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Everything you'll ever need on one web page
from News and Sport to Email and Music Charts
http://uk.my.yahoo.com
===============================================================
This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Jan 31 2002 - 15:08:58 GMT