Comments on: Singularity University – Am I Missing Something? http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2009/02/04/singularity-university-am-i-missing-something/ Simon Brocklehurst's Technology Blog Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:33:27 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Prokofy Neva http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2009/02/04/singularity-university-am-i-missing-something/comment-page-1/#comment-824658 Prokofy Neva Mon, 06 Jul 2009 06:17:10 +0000 http://www.psynixis.com/blog/?p=801#comment-824658 It would hardly be ethical to leave the ethical debate for "later" when the technology is already in place. This isn't a real university; it's not only not a place of objective science-based research; it's a cult. There is no critical debate. http://secondthoughts.typepad.com/second_thoughts/2009/07/boycott-slcc-fight-the-singularity-bring-the-pluralarity.html http://secondthoughts.typepad.com/second_thoughts/2009/07/why-singularism-is-fascism.html Aging men who want to be gods, with no belief in any established religion, putting their faith in expensive secular snakeoil cures for long or eternal life. A very old story. It would hardly be ethical to leave the ethical debate for “later” when the technology is already in place.

This isn’t a real university; it’s not only not a place of objective science-based research; it’s a cult. There is no critical debate.

http://secondthoughts.typepad.com/second_thoughts/2009/07/boycott-slcc-fight-the-singularity-bring-the-pluralarity.html

http://secondthoughts.typepad.com/second_thoughts/2009/07/why-singularism-is-fascism.html

Aging men who want to be gods, with no belief in any established religion, putting their faith in expensive secular snakeoil cures for long or eternal life.

A very old story.

]]> By: simon http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2009/02/04/singularity-university-am-i-missing-something/comment-page-1/#comment-719047 simon Thu, 05 Feb 2009 22:37:39 +0000 http://www.psynixis.com/blog/?p=801#comment-719047 Yes - you're absolutely right - issues to do with cognitive enhancement are hitting right now, and it's a topic absolutely ripe for public debate. Ethical issues abound.. Should use of drugs with "cognitive enhancement" benefits be allowed/encouraged/banned? Should research into the discovery and development of new cognitive enhancement drugs be allowed/encouraged/banned? Etc. etc. etc... Yes – you’re absolutely right – issues to do with cognitive enhancement are hitting right now, and it’s a topic absolutely ripe for public debate. Ethical issues abound.. Should use of drugs with “cognitive enhancement” benefits be allowed/encouraged/banned? Should research into the discovery and development of new cognitive enhancement drugs be allowed/encouraged/banned? Etc. etc. etc…

]]> By: Asam Bashir http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2009/02/04/singularity-university-am-i-missing-something/comment-page-1/#comment-719028 Asam Bashir Thu, 05 Feb 2009 22:20:19 +0000 http://www.psynixis.com/blog/?p=801#comment-719028 Sure, wearing spectacles is an augmentation so it's nothing new, but also it's not just about interfacing electronic components, a debate on cognitive enhancement is something we need to think about now, http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v456/n7223/full/456702a.html http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v457/n7229/ p532-533 Sure, wearing spectacles is an augmentation so it’s nothing new, but also it’s not just about interfacing electronic components, a debate on cognitive enhancement is something we need to think about now,

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v456/n7223/full/456702a.html

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v457/n7229/ p532-533

]]> By: Tim http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2009/02/04/singularity-university-am-i-missing-something/comment-page-1/#comment-719022 Tim Thu, 05 Feb 2009 22:14:07 +0000 http://www.psynixis.com/blog/?p=801#comment-719022 I agree with the idea of starting a program in an existing university. You'd think if Google is involved their first choice would be Stanford. The founders went there and a huge percentage of Stanford grads work at Google. I agree with the idea of starting a program in an existing university. You’d think if Google is involved their first choice would be Stanford. The founders went there and a huge percentage of Stanford grads work at Google.

]]> By: simon http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2009/02/04/singularity-university-am-i-missing-something/comment-page-1/#comment-718988 simon Thu, 05 Feb 2009 21:24:37 +0000 http://www.psynixis.com/blog/?p=801#comment-718988 @Asam I don't think they'd get away with being part of any serious university if they don't do research. For example, the guys at the FHI at Oxford have to do research: http://www.fhi.ox.ac.uk/research.html BTW - speaking of human augmentation, did you know that, already, more than 10% of US citizens are cyborgs? That is, if you count hip-replacements and implanted RFID chips as augmentation... which I don't ;-) I'm not sure how urgent the ethical debate is - I suspect the technology has a long way to go before the ethical issues will really hit. For example, you can't really interface electronic components to humans in the true spirit of "augmentation" yet - and the research is still pretty early e.g. http://www.nanoscience.cam.ac.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=68&Itemid=85 @Asam

I don’t think they’d get away with being part of any serious university if they don’t do research. For example, the guys at the FHI at Oxford have to do research:

http://www.fhi.ox.ac.uk/research.html

BTW – speaking of human augmentation, did you know that, already, more than 10% of US citizens are cyborgs? That is, if you count hip-replacements and implanted RFID chips as augmentation… which I don’t ;-)

I’m not sure how urgent the ethical debate is – I suspect the technology has a long way to go before the ethical issues will really hit. For example, you can’t really interface electronic components to humans in the true spirit of “augmentation” yet – and the research is still pretty early e.g.

http://www.nanoscience.cam.ac.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=68&Itemid=85

]]> By: simon http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2009/02/04/singularity-university-am-i-missing-something/comment-page-1/#comment-718984 simon Thu, 05 Feb 2009 21:12:20 +0000 http://www.psynixis.com/blog/?p=801#comment-718984 @nanotürkiye - Yes, right now, at best, it sounds like a talking shop. To me, $25,000 for a ten week taught course at an organization with no reputation to speak of sounds expensive. I hope the students that attend think they're getting value for money. At $25K for ten weeks, pro rata, it looks to be about twice the price of going to grad school at Harvard or MIT (which, of course, have strong international reputations). In my opinion, the SU needs to do more work on its value proposition. I don't find it credible at the moment. That's not to say it <i>can't</i> be credible in the future. Right now, though, the content they've put out looks pretty weak intellectually. IMHO, they also have some work to do, simply to overcome negative perceptions that will come from their decision to misappropriate the word "university". Rightly or wrongly, that makes them look as though they're trying to make people believe they're something they're not. @nanotürkiye – Yes, right now, at best, it sounds like a talking shop. To me, $25,000 for a ten week taught course at an organization with no reputation to speak of sounds expensive. I hope the students that attend think they’re getting value for money. At $25K for ten weeks, pro rata, it looks to be about twice the price of going to grad school at Harvard or MIT (which, of course, have strong international reputations).

In my opinion, the SU needs to do more work on its value proposition. I don’t find it credible at the moment. That’s not to say it can’t be credible in the future. Right now, though, the content they’ve put out looks pretty weak intellectually. IMHO, they also have some work to do, simply to overcome negative perceptions that will come from their decision to misappropriate the word “university”. Rightly or wrongly, that makes them look as though they’re trying to make people believe they’re something they’re not.

]]> By: Asam Bashir http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2009/02/04/singularity-university-am-i-missing-something/comment-page-1/#comment-718974 Asam Bashir Thu, 05 Feb 2009 20:49:49 +0000 http://www.psynixis.com/blog/?p=801#comment-718974 Yes agree, using the term University is confusing when there is no active research, but thought the organisation is more about bringing awareness and teaching general skills like horizon scanning - there is a political element to the 'singularity' as well as the scientific - it's hip among the neo-cons and Kurzweil had a favorable ear in Bush administration. They might have been better off creating a department or institute within an existing University like Oxford has done, http://www.fhi.ox.ac.uk/ Future of humanity still sounds a bit cheesy, but at least it's clear to understand it's a philosophical consideration of the possibilities. We do need these discussions to be happening now though, issues surrounding human augmentation and definition of it's limits need public consultation and understanding of the issues involved. Yes agree, using the term University is confusing when there is no active research, but thought the organisation is more about bringing awareness and teaching general skills like horizon scanning – there is a political element to the ’singularity’ as well as the scientific – it’s hip among the neo-cons and Kurzweil had a favorable ear in Bush administration.

They might have been better off creating a department or institute within an existing University like Oxford has done,

http://www.fhi.ox.ac.uk/

Future of humanity still sounds a bit cheesy, but at least it’s clear to understand it’s a philosophical consideration of the possibilities.

We do need these discussions to be happening now though, issues surrounding human augmentation and definition of it’s limits need public consultation and understanding of the issues involved.

]]> By: nanotürkiye http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2009/02/04/singularity-university-am-i-missing-something/comment-page-1/#comment-718921 nanotürkiye Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:59:54 +0000 http://www.psynixis.com/blog/?p=801#comment-718921 I think what this "university" will be like an extended TED conference. People all around world will talk about their ideas and inspire students. Aim is not researching something, aim is exchanging ideas. I think what this “university” will be like an extended TED conference. People all around world will talk about their ideas and inspire students. Aim is not researching something, aim is exchanging ideas.

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