So for breakfast and dinner I usually grab a quick bite to eat at a local Kimbap restaurant. You’ve probably at least seen a picture of the generic kimbap dish: a roll of seaweed with rice and amalgam of food like carrots, ham, cat fish, and radish stuffed inside.
I’ve probably gone to one of the places near my apartment around 25-30 times in the past month and they know what I want (the cheapest thing they have…).
Anyways, today I walked in and one of the ladies looked at me and started singing “We Are the World.”
Remember the original music video? In all its cheese the best part is probably Jacko’s gitup. Amazing:
If you have a chance be sure to at least skim the various viewpoints presented in the recent special edition of IEEE Spectrum which tackles the super sexy technological singularity.
While he tends to kind of ramble a little bit, the essay by Vernor Vinge is a useful overview on how many futurists tend to view the various paths engineers and scientists are taking. [See also: Experts disagreeing]
And while individuals like Kurzweil are big proponents of “hard” take offs (in which a singular invention begets a self-replicating smarter-than-human propagation that physically transforms the planet within a relatively short period of time) I think that the safest bet to predict on is a combination of digital devices and network services forming seemingly high-order thought processes… Web 7.0!
Actually, take a quick step back and look at something like the new Luke arm developed by Dean Kamen. This device, which is capable of imitating nearly every aspect of a human arm is surely upgradable and could easily become superior to the appendage we take for granted.
And looking at individuals who are quadriplegic or survivors of multiple amputees, what is to stop the next step in creating synthetic, computer-controlled appendages for the entire body?
I think a milestone in human development will be when the physically handicapped, infirm and elderly voluntarily decide to become grafted into cyborg-like structures. The IEEE Spectrum also graphically displays the current progress on the science of bionics including the Luke arm and other digitally-controlled prosthetics.
One of my questions is what is the price-point in which the nerderati begin to allow themselves to be subjected to biomedical surgery, to replace their limbs with superior devices? Traditional prosthetics for arms and legs typically cost around $5000-10,000. The Luke arm apparently costs $100,000. Do you think advocates of transhumanism such as Google’s Larry Page or megainvestor Peter Thiel would take the plunge as a beta tester?
And this leads to the final question presented to Vinge, how do you prepare for the singularity? I am of the opinion that no one should assume that the AI scenario will occur in your current lifetime and that everyone should practice these three life extension techniques: exercise, eat decent food, save money.
Seriously now, how many fat engineers do you know? What if there is a snag along the way and your lifestyle kills you? By joining a gym and eating decent food not only will you be extending your own life, but you can enjoy your current one. Imagine that, actually having a fun time in meat space!
And while economist Robin Hanson discusses the issues of economics in the IEEE investigation, one thing that few people really have discussed is the costs of becoming a first mover. I would dare say that most people don’t like being the last person on the block to own the latest and greatest gizmo, unless of course it is AYDS.
Therefore, wouldn’t a prudent plan of action be to save say $150,000? It is the same amount of money for being doused into a vat of liquid nitrogen through the auspices of cryonic services like Alcor. As a consequence, not only would you be able to pay for the augmentation operations but in the event that you physically die, at the very least your brain could be preserved, right?
So, how about it? Stop eating junk food, invest your cash strategically, and learn how to program. After all, in the worst gray goo AI scenario, someone that knows how to write useful robotics code may be allowed to live by our new digital overlords. So why not grab a NXT kit from Lego or the new Create by iRobot. After all, Microsoft’s Robotics Studio is fairly easy to use (see Exhibit A) and could very well save your life!
Just kidding, anyone that has watched The Matrix knows you will probably die because we all smell like rotting big macs.
If you have a chance be sure to at least skim the 
One of my questions is what is the price-point in which the nerderati begin to allow themselves to be subjected to biomedical surgery, to replace their limbs with superior devices? Traditional prosthetics for arms and legs typically cost around $5000-10,000. The Luke arm apparently costs $100,000. Do you think advocates of transhumanism such as Google’s Larry Page or megainvestor Peter Thiel would take the plunge as a beta tester?
So, how about it? Stop eating junk food, invest your cash