Small Steps Toward the Next Level

To reach the next level, humans need to make significant progress on many fronts. Humans need to become more intelligent (and wise), they need to learn to live much longer (and wiser) lives, and they need to learn to survive outside the benign surface of home planet Earth.

While we are working on becoming more intelligent -- and long thereafter -- we will probably need the assistance of intelligent machines. Currently, the memristor approach is seen by Al Fin cognitive scientists as the best approach to machine intelligence. Here is an update on the best current idea for building a machine intelligence PDF (via Brian Wang)


How to save rocket fuel for orbital launches: start high

Here is an exciting method for genetic modification of stem cells (and other cells).
This technique may eventually prove very useful for improving the genetic complement of stem cells used for growing new organs -- not to mention the gradual, over the decades, cell by cell replacement of organs such as liver, lung, heart, kidney, and brain. Cell by cell replacement over time utilises the pre-existing scaffold structure in place.

Advances in molecular manufacturing could put an end to scarcity,  and open up all of the world's real estate to comfortable, prosperous, sustainable living.  Say good-bye to kleptocrats, community organizers, investment bankers, bureaucrats, and most lawyers.

Having sex twice a night may help us avoid heart attacks and live longer.
[voice from next room]"Al! The article talks about having sex twice a week, not twice a night!"

[AF] "Oh, sorry.  My mistake." ;-)


Longer-lived people tend to collect more experiences and gain a broader perspective, than freshly hatched chicklings of 70 or 80 years.  Imagine living 500 years, but feeling as strong and vital as a 25 year old.  Imagine having the mind of a brilliant and creative scientist, and not having to worry about your brilliance fading for hundreds more years.  Consider having the resources of the entire solar system (and beyond) to work with.

Normal humans dislike limits.  They particularly dislike the arbitrary limits placed upon them by a corrupt , vampirish political class.  Some settling of contents may occur before opening.