26 October 2008

Brian Wang Covers the Singularity Summit

Be sure to check out Brian Wang's coverage of yesterday's Singularity Summit in San Jose. Brian links to several areas of progress covered at the conference, in the quest for a technological singularity. Particularly interesting to me at first glance are Dharmendra Modha's brain emulation project, the Intel digital "multi-radio" project, the impressive planned expansion of the XPrizes, and the collaboration between Carnegie Mellon and Intel in creating millimeter and smaller sized "catoms."

Also be sure to check out Brian's posting on the "mundane singularity" (a good antidote to "gee-whiz" futurism), and his article about the recent lunar lander X Prize contest $350,000 prize won by Armadillo Space.

The momentum achieved by many high-tech giga-corps such as Google, Intel, Microsoft, IBM, and others, will likely continue for some time in connection with their counterparts in Japan and Europe. They are less likely to be assaulted by the anti-business, anti-profit, anti-energy zealots in the possible Obama administration than are companies such as Exxon, Dow, Monsanto, GE, GM, etc. that are more directly connected to the misdirected environmental concerns of "green" ideologues entrenched in the current dysfunctional incarnation of the US Democratic Party.

What that means is that on the surface, much technological progress will appear to continue at an accelerating rate, due to the synergism of convergence and multi-disciplinary impacts of coming breakthroughs. At the same time, the economic foundation for the dissemination of this progress to all levels of society via the free marketplace will be undermined by the policies of a possible Obamanation. Simultaneously, surplus profits supporting new ventures and new private research projects will dry up, as increasing taxation, regulation, and preferential treatment to opportunity-destroying tort lawyers increases. All the time, vital energy infrastructure will be shut down by over-enthusiastic enforcement of unscientific, nonsensical greenhouse gas regulations.

All of which goes to point out the wisdom of Al Fin's emphasis on the improvement of the human brain, mind, and integrative competence, over the gee-whiz futurism of a technological singularity. It is important to keep up with developments in new technology, of course. Brian Wang's site is one of the best all-around news sites for significant future tech. Access to all types of tools will be important for next level humans.

Alice Finkel

Labels: ,

Bookmark and Share

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act” _George Orwell

<< Home

Newer Posts Older Posts
``