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Knowing my personality it would not have worked out so well. This way I was able to enjoy high school, college and grad school thinking I was living the only time I would have my youth to the fullest. If I had known then what I know now it would made that time less special and to be honest less enjoyable. Now being in my late 30's and early 40's was the best time for me to figure it out as this is when normally people have their mid life crisis but now knowing what I now I am just starting life so in a way I feel like I am 20 again but instead of trying to figure out what kind of college education I want I am trying to figure out how to best be prepared for the coming singularity in about 20 years.
Edit: Because of the coming singularity I am the opposite of what most people I have known have said. They say things like I wish I had known in high school what I know now and I think if this was say 1964 I would be saying that but the singularity changes even that for me.
Get you 100% here, I actually spent a lot of time trying (and even sometimes succeeding^^) to "have a great time", fellow students put small sums of money away for pension and whatnot, I didn't, tried to live to the fullest, I mean you only have one (first) "youth" and I'm really happy I did go like flat out in every decision, I can always look back at that time and think I did what I could to make it the best.
It's funny, I have too got that feeling that "it's not over" (because you hit 40), it's the reverse (feeling like 20), there is plenty of time to do projects and whatnot, not just sitting around waiting to get old...
While I have not read the entire 172 pages of this thread, I have seen a few comments here and there that they believe that technological singularity will be achieved in our lifetimes... and I think it's highly unlikely to happen within the next 100 years. The pinnacle of technological singularity is the creation of a superintelligent AI where the AI's intelligence far outstrips that of a human's. (Here's Wikipedia's article on it: Technological singularity - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Even the best computers are not able to mimic human speech to the point of fooling people into thinking it's human (Turing test). I really don't think Singularity will be possible any time soon.
Unless of course, everyone is talking about a different definition of singularity. If that is the case, please enlighten me!
Hi thebeteam!
There seems to be several definitions of the singularity but usually they share the idea that beyond the singularity, you just can't predict what will happen so runaway AI is usually there.
The key to predict what will happen up to the singularity, I (among others, I didn't invent it!) think you must understand exponential growth. I don't know your background but as the brain isn't really wired to understand exponentials it might be a bit complicated if you are not used to it.
For example:
What do we need to simulate a human brain (this would be a big step towards AI right)?
Comparing the raw processor power, number of neurons and interconnections and so, experts think we need Exascale computers (we also need simulation software, but the European Brain project will have mapped the human brain by 2020-2021 IIRC).
So what does we have today? We have a 1Petaflop super computer, that is a thousand times less than needed (1 exaflop = 1000 petaflop).
So we are right on time (barring some disaster of course)!
We are on time because computer calculation power (per dollar) doubles every year, it is exponential!
But doubling a 1petaflop computer only gives you 2 peta?
Yep, but then it will be 4,8,16,32,64,128,256,512 and finally >1000 peta which equals an exaflop.
So ten doublings give a thousandfold increase. How much will 20 doublins give? Usually the gut feeling says something like 2000 or 10.000 but it is a million times.
You might ask yourself if it is going to happen though, I mean maybe there is some technological snag that prevents those doublings?
Who knows?
But I know that it started long before the transistor was invented, there is historical proof that it have doubled (at an increasing rate too) since before 1900.
If this doesn't stop, projections says we'll have a 1000$ computer with the same power as a human brain by 2023-2025 (depends how you calculate the brains 'power').
That day it won't be a smart AI but the road to it is wide open.
One thing that blows my mind is that ten years later, a computer 1000$ computer will have 1000 times the computing power of a human brain.
Get you 100% here, I actually spent a lot of time trying (and even sometimes succeeding^^) to "have a great time", fellow students put small sums of money away for pension and whatnot, I didn't, tried to live to the fullest, I mean you only have one (first) "youth" and I'm really happy I did go like flat out in every decision, I can always look back at that time and think I did what I could to make it the best.
It's funny, I have too got that feeling that "it's not over" (because you hit 40), it's the reverse (feeling like 20), there is plenty of time to do projects and whatnot, not just sitting around waiting to get old...
Great times now, even greater ahead!
Most people have a "retirement fund" I have a "fountain of youth fund". Meaning as soon as we can reverse age I will use all of it if needed to be young again as I can just start saving again.
More information on the robot revolution that will change the way we work in the service sector, etc. It will change everything by 2020.
The value of the market for industrial robots is much harder to estimate, as the cost of this equipment is usually market sensitive. Instead the IFR estimates that 1.5 million industrial robots were in operation by the end of 2012. China is the fastest-growing market, with almost 37,000 industrial robots sold there last year.
Overall, the industry is expected to grow rapidly. Current estimates suggest the market for robots in non-military sectors will be around $120 billion a year by 2020-2025.
The value of the market for industrial robots is much harder to estimate, as the cost of this equipment is usually market sensitive. Instead the IFR estimates that 1.5 million industrial robots were in operation by the end of 2012. China is the fastest-growing market, with almost 37,000 industrial robots sold there last year.
Most people have a "retirement fund" I have a "fountain of youth fund". Meaning as soon as we can reverse age I will use all of it if needed to be young again as I can just start saving again.
Ha ha, that is truly excellent!
I'm mostly using up what I have or try to work less (I'm not a big spender) so I can 'profit' a maximum of today. Well, I do have some funds if ever but Europe is quite forgiving.
I also think maybe money won't be worth that much in the future, or not be that important when there will be abundance of everything we (physically) need.
Some funds for rejuvenation techniques, if "desperately needed", is a good idea though...
Some news about computers (tech that might enable 1000 times faster computers)
[edit] Peter Diamandis really rocks, he knows what he's talking about and takes huge action for tomorrows wealth for everyone. This learning prize and if they make it open source it would be one of those things that will probably be remembered forever.
A smart worker bot that learns your job, if it isn't too complicated I guess, the article didn't really go in
depth but it shows that there are people out there building machines that will soon compete with workers.
Most people have a "retirement fund" I have a "fountain of youth fund". Meaning as soon as we can reverse age I will use all of it if needed to be young again as I can just start saving again.
What about a bodily security fund?
If you really expect to be computerized by 2030, what will you do if you get hacked into?
If you really expect to be computerized by 2030, what will you do if you get hacked into?
Ok we are all possible targets of getting our smartphones hacked, be smart and it won't be a big deal.
If you think that being "computerized" will be like wifi on your PC well then try to hack one yourself, lol, and that is WIFI not like important things...
Hack into some other part of someones augmented body? Just don't buy M$ legs or something no really, stop reading neuromancer (well do read it but please stop thinking that all hacks are similar)
Anyway, what purpose would it be from the hackers side to do this (instead of say injecting a mortal virus/shoot someone/...)? Smart people killing for fun? Well that already exists and I think the world will do its best to fix it, like today except that you can plant a bomb or something but you can't just break through heavy cryptation...
ps. please explain what you mean with "computerized".
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no really, stop reading neuromancer (well do read it but please stop thinking that all hacks are similar)
