Ray Kurzweil: How technology's accelerating power will transform us

[JFox]

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/38

If you're gonna comment, be sure to watch the whole thing. Its 23 mins. I wouldn't recommend skipping forward, just watch all the way through.

Anyways, I found this to be really interesing. Some of the things towards the end sound crazy, but he makes a very compelling argument. Any comments?

 

[omfgomfg]

i expect that if i post here more people will post after me and that i will not be the thread killer
on the other hand, if i did not post here, the TC would have had a likely chance of being his own thread killer

but don't worry, JFox, i will watch some of it tomorrow when i am finished with one of my pesky little exams

 

[Blazey]

That stuff at the end about blocking the central nervous system and replacing their signals sounds mindblowing. Not to mention the artificial blood cells releasing oxygen for us, greatly increasing physical performance and the like. Could run a marathon while smoking a cigarette. Or 10.

I'm looking forward to turning 40.

 

[JFox]

I know right blazey! I was thinking the same thing. The future sounds MEGA exciting. I'm glad someone watched it

Cmon pool room, I want discussion!

 

[Mic_128]

While things like that could be possible, the moral and religious talk will end up stalling it.

It's technically posible to clone humans and organs, but we dont because even cloning a hair cells starts huge debate. Replacing blood cells with human-created improved artificial ones? Not for centuries.

 

[Kio Iranez]

This is a good reason for the God(s) to end the world in 4 years.

If a growth like this continues, who knows what can become of the world in the next 100 years. Let's not forget that this applies to war as well.

 

[JFox]

Mic, I think you have a point. However, the idea that it will take CENTURIES seems way off the mark. Even stem cell research, which has been controversial in the US has been progressing elsewhere. Pretty soon we will be buying stem cells from other countries, and eventually the US will give into the idea. It doesn't take more than a couple decades, if that, for science to bypass religious prohibitions.

I doubt that religious extremists will really hold us back as long as you're expecting.

Edit: Oh and Kio, do me a favor and pray to your God that he kills only you, the rest of us will stay here. I will be perfectly complacent surviving armageddon, merging with machinery sounds exciting. Sure it will bring up new ethical questions, but think of the benefits. I plan on living past 100, not dying in four years.