AerospaceFan From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (6 years 4 months 2 weeks 18 hours ago) and read 2277 times:
Let's imagine that futurology is a widely accepted field science. I'm not going to explore whether it is or not. Let's just say it is.
The most intimate decisions made by homo sapiens sapiens often relate to who to f*ck, and when to do it. Further, we do so under the cover and the gloss of love, supposedly the most elevated of emotions, particularly pertaining to the love that gives no regard to self.
Comes now, the idea that even the most human, the most personal of emotions, may be reified in some way by mechanical means. And I'm not talking about sex toys.
To cut to the chase, gentlepersons: Humanity, to say nothing of sex, as we know it, will not exist only in its present form in two centuries.
In their work Beyond Humanity: Cyberevolution and Future Minds, evolutionary biologist Gregory Paul and artificial intelligence expert Earl D. Cox put the case for human extinction rather succinctly: “First we suffer, then we die. This is the great human dilemma.” As the extinctionists see it, the problem with human life is not simply suffering and death but the tyranny of desire: “I resent the fact,” says Carnegie Mellon University roboticist Hans Moravec, “that I have these very insistent drives which take an enormous amount of effort to satisfy and are never completely appeased.” Inventor Ray Kurzweil anticipates that by 2019 virtual sex, performed with the aid of various mechanisms providing complete sensory feedback, will be preferred for its ability “to enhance both experience and safety.” But this is clearly only the beginning of the story:
["]Group sex will take on new meaning in that more than one person can simultaneously share the experience of one partner … (perhaps the one virtual body will reflect a consensus of the attempted movements of the multiple partners). A whole audience of people—who may be geographically dispersed—could share one virtual body while engaged in sexual experience with one performer.["]
AeroWesty From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 18889 posts, RR: 64 Reply 2, posted (6 years 4 months 2 weeks 17 hours ago) and read 2245 times:
Quoting Superfly (Reply 1): Thanks for not starting another Pelosi bashing thread.
I'm sure she'll be worked into it before long, stay tuned!
AerospaceFan From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (6 years 4 months 2 weeks 17 hours ago) and read 2240 times:
Did I mention that Pelosi is actually a "fembot"?
... Just joshin' ya, guys.
Seriously. The future. It's scary.
This is the thread where you get to talk about Kurzweil and pals and about, possibly, how you and I and everyone else can get out of our minds, and into the great electronic abyss, centuries from now.
As to the merits of getting out more:
You know, there's a little place out in Malibu... aaaaaand, there's a brushfire. Enough of that.
Mir From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 19719 posts, RR: 56 Reply 6, posted (6 years 4 months 2 weeks 17 hours ago) and read 2239 times:
Well, if you really want to wait until 2019 to get some (albeit virtually), be my guest. However, I would offer that the quote below is an indicator that you may find it advantageous to get in the game sooner rather than later:
Quoting AerospaceFan (Thread starter): Further, we do so under the cover and the gloss of love, supposedly the most elevated of emotions, particularly pertaining to the love that gives no regard to self.
Love as "gloss" or "cover"? Methinks you need to get out more.
-Mir
7 billion, one nation, imagination...it's a beautiful day
Vikkyvik From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 8228 posts, RR: 28 Reply 11, posted (6 years 4 months 2 weeks 17 hours ago) and read 2178 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW PHOTO SCREENER
Quoting AerospaceFan (Reply 8): That would be two of the same kind of comment. Three, and we'll have a hat trick.
You need to get out more.
"Two and a Half Men" was filmed in front of a live ostrich.
AeroWesty From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 18889 posts, RR: 64 Reply 13, posted (6 years 4 months 2 weeks 17 hours ago) and read 2168 times:
Quoting Vikkyvik (Reply 11): Quoting AerospaceFan (Reply 8):That would be two of the same kind of comment. Three, and we'll have a hat trick.
You need to get out more.
With four do we get eggroll?
You need to get out more. Perhaps a nice weekend in San Francisco.
AeroWesty From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 18889 posts, RR: 64 Reply 15, posted (6 years 4 months 2 weeks 16 hours ago) and read 2155 times:
Quoting AerospaceFan (Reply 14): Only if you choose from Column "B", and you didn't, so you're screwed.
Deskflier From Sweden, joined Jan 2007, 537 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (6 years 4 months 2 weeks 16 hours ago) and read 2154 times:
And why would robots want to "do it" with us? I can see how you could use a computer program in a game console to your pleasure, but why would robots want to have intercourse, or even petting, with frail and stupid humans?
How can anyone not fly, when we live at a time when we can fly?
AerospaceFan From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 17, posted (6 years 4 months 2 weeks 16 hours ago) and read 2147 times:
Quoting Deskflier (Reply 16): And why would robots want to "do it" with us? I can see how you could use a computer program in a game console to your pleasure, but why would robots want to have intercourse, or even petting, with frail and stupid humans?
I think that the premise is that since human beings will initially be cyberneticized, as the process has already been begun through the use of prosthetics, orthotics, and the like, the robots spoken of would essentially be us. The replacement of biological parts would continue along a path toward neural subsitution. Work has already begun toward various analogous ameliorative and other neurological interfaces.
Kurzweil and others have also spoken of the "uploading" of our intelligence to machines in order to prevent us from dying when our bodies fail for reasons of old age.
As an avid motorcyclist, I don´t give that possibility much thought. It would actually be a nice surprise if old age turns out to be the reason for my death.
How can anyone not fly, when we live at a time when we can fly?
AerospaceFan From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 19, posted (6 years 4 months 2 weeks 16 hours ago) and read 2132 times:
Quoting Deskflier (Reply 18): As an avid motorcyclist, I don´t give that possibility much thought. It would actually be a nice surprise if old age turns out to be the reason for my death.
I admire you for your courage and dedication.
The article, I think, addresses the desires of those who might think that a nearly complete fusion of man and machine could occur in the intermediate future -- one that, because of its scale, will involve neither you, nor me.
It is virtually certain that none of us currently posting on the Internet, no matter how young, will be alive when the full implications of the futurology I cited become clear.
SlamClick From United States of America, joined Nov 2003, 10062 posts, RR: 71 Reply 20, posted (6 years 4 months 2 weeks 16 hours ago) and read 2112 times:
Every compliment paid to this idea, every argument in support, every opinion to the effect that it is inevitable is inextricably rooted in the concept that the individual self is more important than all other selves combined. Narcissm and self indulgence to triumph over the entire biosphere.
Quoting AerospaceFan (Thread starter): I resent the fact,” says Carnegie Mellon University roboticist Hans Moravec, “that I have these very insistent drives which take an enormous amount of effort to satisfy and are never completely appeased.”
All of these are engineered by evolution (or intelligently designed by a white, blue-eyed God) to advance THE SPECIES. To the species the individual simply does not matter as long as there are lots of individuals. Don't believe that - just have a pet rabbit some time. Rabbits have many offspring because most of them die young.
Now here we are conquering one disease after another and not about to come up with any good ideas about what to do with all the excess human beings overgrazing the planet and everyone, it seems, with a soapbox to stand on now wants to be immortal and is willing to be frozen or become a machine to do it.
Sorry folks but this whole concept is porn. Interactive, but serving porn purposes and, thus, precisely equal in merit to chewing gum. It is a way to pass time.
Happiness is not seeing another trite Ste. Maarten photo all week long.
AerospaceFan From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 21, posted (6 years 4 months 2 weeks 16 hours ago) and read 2108 times:
SlamClick -- excellent points! Very good, indeed.
The question now in my mind is whether the desire for immortality is meritorious. It is certainly interesting in a detached sort of way to be able to see the universe progress in the fullness of time, to see galaxies rise and fall, and to see the fate of all there is. But -- from the standpoint of a single consciousness, a single perceiver? All alone, in the dark? For aeons that pass, one second at a time?
This question of immortality isn't answered by any religion, any more than by science, save as to those that place nirvana at the center. As I understand it, the achievement of same is not that of self, but of a selfless merger into the greatness of the universe. It's certainly an opposite pole from the idea that one must live forever.
As once I must have read: Heaven must be boring, because, there, we are condemned to live.
____________________________________
Correction:
Quote: Let's imagine that futurology is a widely accepted field of science.
Why can't you write a post without having to go back and edit it?
When you click the "POST THE MESSAGE" button... you are brought to a screen allowing you to preview your post. The purpose is for you to make your edits/corrections iBEFORE posting it.
AeroWesty From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 18889 posts, RR: 64 Reply 23, posted (6 years 4 months 2 weeks 15 hours ago) and read 2058 times:
Quoting UH60FtRucker (Reply 22): Why can't you write a post without having to go back and edit it?
The last time I asked that question, I was told, "Don't respond to my posts for 30 minutes then".
Mir From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 19719 posts, RR: 56 Reply 24, posted (6 years 4 months 2 weeks 15 hours ago) and read 2058 times:
Quoting Vikkyvik (Reply 11): Quoting AerospaceFan (Reply 8):
That would be two of the same kind of comment. Three, and we'll have a hat trick.
You need to get out more.
-Mir
7 billion, one nation, imagination...it's a beautiful day
25 AirCop: Making an assumption here.. Just enough time for the tylenol to kick in, from trying to figure what he is saying. From robo-sex to immortality, now I
26 Kmh1956: Methinks Moravec has never gotten laid....
27 Miamiair: This thread is as worthless as this picture:
28 AeroWesty: Luckily, I get the good drugs, but unfortunately can't share.
30 Texan: At least line from The Big Lebowski can be used in this thread, though Jackie Treehorn: "Digital imaging...it's the wave of the future!" The Dude: "We
31 DfwRevolution: Can't wait for Macworld 2019. Score
32 AerospaceFan: ^^ They've already got sex toys of that nature, as I heard on National Public Radio or other (relatively) reputable source. [Edited 2007-01-12 23:56
33 Usnseallt82: Honest question..............have you lost your damn mind?
34 AerospaceFan: Would anyone who has read the kind of magazine I cited above? ... Don't answer that!
35 Blackbird: This is what I meant when I talked about technology going too far.
36 AerospaceFan: Agreed, from our point of view. Further, there are multiple senses in which technology must have its limits. I think that as technology progresses, h
37 Braybuddy: Roll on 2019! Seriously though, robots and brain stimulation, interesting and fun as no doubt they will be, will surely be more of a replacement for
38 AerospaceFan: Braybuddy, the law of unintended consequences may make this kind of thing a bit iffy, if you ask me. I'm setting the timescale out to two hundred year
39 Dw747400: Surprised the public service announcement has not appeared yet:
40 Cadet57: This thread is still going? Jesus sweet tap dancing christ... You want to have fun with something electronic? Here ASF, just for you:
Sponsor Message: 
From , joined Dec 1969, posts, 
From Thailand, joined May 2000, 38514 posts, 
From Bermuda, joined Jun 2005, 3324 posts, 
From Sweden, joined Jan 2007, 537 posts, 
to advance THE SPECIES. To the species the individual simply does not matter as long as there are lots of individuals. Don't believe that - just have a pet rabbit some time. Rabbits have many offspring because most of them die young.
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