On 2009-02-22, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote: > > > On Sun, 22 Feb 2009 12:46:36 -0800 (PST) delancey <[email protected]> > writes: > > > > > > > .... And > > folks like Vinge approach it with such a sense of inevitability that > > they think 'ways it couldnot-happen' is a clever time-waster of a > > parlor game. > > > To be fair, Vernor Vinge himself has examined non-singularity future > alternatives: > > http://www.transterrestrial.com/archives/010247.html > http://www.kurzweilai.net/meme/frame.html?main=memelist.html?m=1%23696 > http://www.kurzweilai.net/articles/art0696.html?printable=1(print-friendly > version of the above) > > http://media.longnow.org/seminars/salt-020070215-vinge/salt-020070215-vinge-web.mp3(.mp3 > audio of the above, plus questions and answers) >
I hadn't seen the others, but I've listened to the Long Now presentation. Vinge's a rational guy, a scientist, so of course he admits of the possibility that there won't be one. But as I recall that particular talk, he frames it by saying that this is basically a game to him, because he's sure it's going to happen (though far less sure what it will mean). At one level, the future is always a singularity, so in a sense I suppose 'the singularity will happen' ends up being a tautology (because the future will happen). -- eric scoles ([email protected]) --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "R-SPEC: The Rochester Speculative Literature Association" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/r-spec?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
