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ProfessorFalken Profile
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Registered: 12-2017
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Can humanity survive the Singularity?


Out of all the arguments that doubt the arrival of the Singularity the one that im mosted compelled by is humanity destroying itself before we get there.

I just dont see how the world can survive once super powerful tech is im the hands of bad actors (terrorists, rogue states, whatever). Nuclear weapons are bad, but tricky and expensive to make.

As I see it the main threat is biotech. Print off a carefully designed deadly virus, brew it in a large batch and then disperse liberabally - at a budget well within a maniacs grasp.

The credibility of the Singularity is not a doubt about whether it is technically feasible - its whether mankind is able to get there without destroying itself.
6/13/2018, 2:05 am Link to this post PM ProfessorFalken Blog
 
Animecat Profile
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Re: Can humanity survive the Singularity?


Simulations are run all the time given every scenario. Minority Report is a reality. They track everything.
6/13/2018, 12:40 pm Link to this post  
 
Spikosauropod Profile
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Registered: 06-2007
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Re: Can humanity survive the Singularity?


Honestly, I have my doubts that all this will work out. There are a lot of things that can go wrong and there are a limited number of ways to keep them under control.

A house can be destroyed by flooding, fire, wind, earthquakes, and falling trees. No matter which one gets it, the rebuilding process is slow, expensive, and not at all guaranteed. However, if the world gets crushed by any of the things that could accompany the Singularity, we will have no temporary lodging while we rebuild and no insurance company or benevolent government to pay for the repairs.

All we can do is watch our step and keep our fingers crossed.
6/14/2018, 9:41 am Link to this post PM Spikosauropod
 
spud100 Profile
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Registered: 12-2017
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Re: Can humanity survive the Singularity?


Here's a Singularity for you. The Machine invents things that wind up in human hands. We colonize the solar system. Life goes on. We add parts to our bodies as available.

The future kiddies look on to our 21st century discussion of AI's taking over, as basically ignorant, as most primitives are.

Here's the future, yes, with accidents.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1VhJkVhAws
6/14/2018, 3:00 pm Link to this post PM spud100 Blog
 
Spikosauropod Profile
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Registered: 06-2007
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Re: Can humanity survive the Singularity?


If we can establish self-contained extraterrestrial colonies, I will believe we are safe. These must be colonies in large wheel habitats that recycle air, grow food, and manufacture most of things they need. Such a colony could easily depart the solar system and leave any strife behind.
6/14/2018, 6:00 pm Link to this post PM Spikosauropod
 
spud100 Profile
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Re: Can humanity survive the Singularity?


Wouldn't need to go too far--Out to the Oort Cloud, which dwarfs the Asteroid Belt.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oort_cloud

Image
6/14/2018, 6:15 pm Link to this post PM spud100 Blog
 
greendocnowciv Profile
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Registered: 11-2017
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Re: Can humanity survive the Singularity?


Masses of people could certainly be devastated by the kind of bio attacks the Prof predicts.

A team of cooperating bad actors, such as the currently "off the shelf" available batch of Commie fanatics here and there and Muslim fanatics also about - they will surely be interested once this tech is so good you just buy the box and press the button.

And you know we are headed there! To that handy box of tricks with a button!
 
At that time Russian oligarchs and other comfortably rich, top levels of Mideast rulers, and many elites in several African and South and Central American cities, and many many middle class-and-up US, Canadian, Japanese, Singaporean, Indian, Chinese, Brits and Euros will have nanites in our bodies monitoring our breath and body fluids.

Just as so many of have fitbits or other tech that helps us monitor our health a bit now.

Various tech solutions to bioterror will be worked out by thoughts like this. Solutions that many of the very techno-savvy will have will not save all. But such tech will save many millions. More probably - billions.

But thats tomorrows tech and attack. With todays tech it would most probably fail to bring us down to attack if terrorists use bio weapons in the US.

If done really effectively, it could be approx like 9/11 or worse, certainly. We self-stalled our whole economy by stopping most air traffic inside, and to and from the US for a short while.

A really complex and thorough bio attack could do much worse.

That would probably both terribly wound and infuriate us. Forget "9/11," and consider Pearl Harbor for fury.

Lots of stuff can happen, and Spike noted a slew of accident possibilities. Even more simply, any of us can fall en route to sitting down on the throne and crack our skulls or break our necks.

Taking a clue from Spuds earlier post - hey - let's buy some insurance!

The farmers commercial of a decade from now may well feature a younger Ray K.

I picture him conversing with a younger version of that same old "Farmers" spokesman who played a forensic psychologist on the "Law and Order" TV show.

As they talk, Ray will note that the same nanites that give them new youth and longer lives will help protect from accidents and illness.

The Farmers rep adds - Farmers will give you a discount if you order your nanites now!

Just tell them "Ray K sent ya."
6/14/2018, 6:40 pm Link to this post PM greendocnowciv Blog
 
Spikosauropod Profile
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Registered: 06-2007
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Re: Can humanity survive the Singularity?


There should be people who are paid to do nothing but sit around, think up and discuss ways to kill as many people as possible. I strongly suspect that there is no such profession, just due to the oversights we have seen thus far. Many of the terrorist attacks we have seen are identical to things I thought of years ago, and they seem to have caught our government flatfooted.

I have occasionally wondered about something. If I spent all my spare time from now on just trying to come up with a way to kill everyone and acquire the skills to carry it out, could I succeed? I don't venture too far into such musings because they make me uneasy. I won't describe any of the ideas I have already come up with because I don't want to be perceived as demented.

Nevertheless, I do perceive some danger. I do have glimpses into how such horrible acts of terror could be carried out. Moreover, I am reassured by the ease with which I have been able to do some surprising things that the education curve would not be too terribly steep. When I learned that I can download any YouTube video (or any video from any site) just by using a readily available extension on Firefox, that greatly expanded my awareness in this arena.

We are definitely at a dangerous crossroads in our history. Like I said before, we need to keep our fingers crossed.
6/14/2018, 10:19 pm Link to this post PM Spikosauropod
 


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