[mos6507]

I'd say the greatest threat would be blackouts (think Olduvai). But if you believe in a singularity we'll certainly have gotten a nuke utopia by then.

[SeaGypsy]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mos6507', 'I')'d say the greatest threat would be blackouts (think Olduvai). But if you believe in a singularity we'll certainly have gotten a nuke utopia by then.

[Carlhole]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mos6507', 'I')'d say the greatest threat would be blackouts (think Olduvai). But if you believe in a singularity we'll certainly have gotten a nuke utopia by then.

[SeaGypsy]

I think what Carl is appealling for is a sane look at what is really going on right now n cutting edge science. He is not pushing the latest gismo crap, but stuff which could seriously transform our reality; for better or worse.
It seems some people have become so used to 'consumer science' they have forgotten that real science is about real innovation; the marketables are the bread and butter not the creative juice.

[Carlhole]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Arthur75', 'M')ore Sci Fi junk posing as science ...

Disgusting

Nothing but a reflection of US peasant religiousness

[Arthur75]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', '
')Surprised? We live in sterile suburbs and decaying cities. Sanctuary has been replaced with Ipods and automobile dashboards. Love that which enslaves--the psychology of an abused child.

Yup. The hopeless masses now pray to possibility of technical machine intelligence, instead of a white bearded guy in the sky.

[mos6507]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', '
')Sanctuary has been replaced with Ipods and automobile dashboards. Love that which enslaves--the psychology of an abused child.

[mos6507]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Arthur75', '
')Scary and sad indeed, and what a waste, such potential for great cities in the states, this car and single family home for everybody concept was really a bad joke :/

[mos6507]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', '
')Blind allegiance to the concept of "technology," some pure white godlike entity is self-defeating nonsense.

[mos6507]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', '
')Now it is nothing but a big outdoor shopping mall.

[Carlhole]

Of all the talks given at the 2009 Singularity Summit, I think I would have wanted to hear this one the most.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '1')1:10 am-12:00 pm, October 3

In this talk, I'll describe what big wins quantum computers give us, where they fail to help, and what we don't yet know (by far the biggest category!) I'll also briefly survey the current state of real-world implementations - where we're at, and what kinds of roadblocks might slow or stop progress.
9:15 am-9:40 am, October 4

I'll start this talk by describing how a large group of mathematicians have recently used blogs, wikis, and an open source style collaboration to attack and rapidly solve a difficult open mathematical problem. This story is part of a much larger story about how networked collaborative technologies are changing the process of scientific discovery. I'll briefly survey some of those changes, and describe some of the cultural blocks inhibiting many scientists from taking full advantage.

[Pops]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Carlhole', ' ')Machine intelligence will change everything utterly over the course of 3-4 decades. After 2040 or so, that there won't be the slightest need for most ordinary people

[mos6507]

Sorry, pstarr, high-tech ecocities have been in "demo" stage for many decades. I don't think we have the time, capital, or the resources to completely transform cities and suburbia. We're going to have to work with the embodied energy of what's already here, as Holmgren believes. I'm kind of surprised to see you pushing what I see as part and parcel of a technofix utopia. I thought you were much more sanguine about the future.

Europe is all well and good, because they spent their money and resources on building their cities and towns the right way, when they could. We blew our wad on what we have and now we're stuck with it, whether you like it or not. I'm a firm believer in the law of receding horizons. Just because we went to the moon and did all these other things doesn't mean we can do it again when we're on the cusp of energy descent.

In my town there is going to be a meeting about sustainable "growth" in a couple weeks. This is the website of the main speaker. I can't wait to hear what kind of roadmap is involved for this. If there isn't one, then this is the kind of thing that I really see as pie in the sky idealism. Kind of like concept cars that never hit the show-rooms. It's not that I don't like the ideas. But they should have been started 40 years ago. These days, they just lack practicality. You have to set incremental goals that can be realized.

Meanwhile, someone the block over from me is finishing up his 3 storey McMansion on what was once originally a post-war 1 story cape. Another brick in the wall.

[Carlhole]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pops', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Carlhole', ' ')Better than abiotic oil, The Secret Carburetor and methane from Jupiter combined!

[Carlhole]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', 'A')biotic brains that self-replicate from deep-earth methane and self-propel themselves (via gaseous emissions) all the way to Uranus (Sorry. Couldn't help that. ).

[threadbear]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Arthur75', 'M')ore Sci Fi junk posing as science ...

Disgusting

Nothing but a reflection of US peasant religiousness

[SeaGypsy]

Imagine this: On the appropriate day, farmer Joe turns on his megabrain controlled farm irrigation/ fertilization system. Sensors in the ground read not only moisture but microbiological balance across the field. Appropriate balancing micro agents are deployed through the irrigation system, massively reducing need for fertilizer/ pesticide inputs. At the end of the growing season a bio agent is released to fast track composting of stubble/ waste on the cropsite. Each year the system recommends the ideal crop spread for efficiency and marketablity.
Automated animal management systems select out vermin and catch the herd when required; diagnose stock health and prescribe bio agents to correct problems.
This is what will be happening in less than 5 years on cutting edge farms.
The basic tech for all of the above already exists; bio control of soil fertility and pests is moving exponentially.
In an oil free future, the efficiecy gains of this kind of tech are civilization's only hope for a somewhat similar life to what we enjoy now with oil.
Why does discussion of science have to come down to a for/ against dichotomy? Can't we just relax for a minute and see what is really going on?

[lowem]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', '
')Sorry Pops, there is no need for that geo-syncratic space elevator. It's all here now. Just grab it

[SeaGypsy]

Google/ biotechnology farming effieciency; I got over 7 million articles. Already savings are in the order of 20% +.
When the coupling of ag science with bio engineering gets up to full steam, there will be exponential efficeincy gains.

These guys have sold over 7,000 units in Australia in the last 3 years; with huge savings in maintenance, feral control, stock control and watering. The exact maths on savings will take several years to be complete but are certainly huge.

http://spie.org/x19124.xml?ArticleID=x19124#

[Carlhole]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', 'I') don't get you Carl. You have been an inspiration on the 911 thread. You promote the Truth there.