hunch_net hunch_net-2008 hunch_net-2008-295 knowledge-graph by maker-knowledge-mining
Source: html
Introduction: I’ve enjoyed the Terminator movies and show. Neglecting the whacky aspects (time travel and associated paradoxes), there is an enduring topic of discussion: how do people deal with intelligent machines (and vice versa)? In Terminator-land, the primary method for dealing with intelligent machines is to prevent them from being made. This approach works pretty badly, because a new angle on building an intelligent machine keeps coming up. This is partly a ploy for writer’s to avoid writing themselves out of a job, but there is a fundamental truth to it as well: preventing progress in research is hard. The United States, has been experimenting with trying to stop research on stem cells . It hasn’t worked very well—the net effect has been retarding research programs a bit, and exporting some research to other countries. Another less recent example was encryption technology, for which the United States generally did not encourage early public research and even discouraged as a mu
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1 Neglecting the whacky aspects (time travel and associated paradoxes), there is an enduring topic of discussion: how do people deal with intelligent machines (and vice versa)? [sent-2, score-0.408]
2 In Terminator-land, the primary method for dealing with intelligent machines is to prevent them from being made. [sent-3, score-0.216]
3 This is partly a ploy for writer’s to avoid writing themselves out of a job, but there is a fundamental truth to it as well: preventing progress in research is hard. [sent-5, score-0.332]
4 The United States, has been experimenting with trying to stop research on stem cells . [sent-6, score-0.245]
5 It hasn’t worked very well—the net effect has been retarding research programs a bit, and exporting some research to other countries. [sent-7, score-0.306]
6 Another less recent example was encryption technology, for which the United States generally did not encourage early public research and even discouraged as a munition . [sent-8, score-0.255]
7 This slowed the development of encryption tools, but I now routinely use tools such as ssh and GPG . [sent-9, score-0.217]
8 Although the strategy of preventing research may be doomed, it does bring up a Bill Joy type of question : should we actively chose to do research in a field where knowledge can be used to great harm? [sent-10, score-0.516]
9 Many researchers avoid this question by not thinking about it, but this is a substantial question of concern to society at large, and whether or not society supports a direction of research. [sent-12, score-0.372]
10 These radical changes in the abilities of a civilization are strong evidence against stability. [sent-19, score-0.382]
11 The fundamental driver here is light speed latency: if it takes years for two groups to communicate, then it is unlikely they’ll manage to coordinate (with malevolence or accident) a simultaneous doomsday. [sent-29, score-0.401]
12 Getting from one star system to another with known physics turns out to be very hard. [sent-31, score-0.229]
13 The best approaches I know involve giant lasers and multiple solar sails or fusion powered rockets, taking many years. [sent-32, score-0.204]
14 Merely getting there, of course, is not enough—we need to get there with a kernel of civilization, capable of growing anew in the new system. [sent-33, score-0.139]
15 Any adjacent star system may not have an earth-like planet implying the need to support a space-based civilization. [sent-34, score-0.391]
16 Since travel between star systems is so prohibitively difficult, a basic question is: how small can we make a kernel of civilization? [sent-35, score-0.58]
17 Many science fiction writers and readers think of generation ships , which would necessarily be enormous to support the air, food, and water requirements of a self-sustaining human population. [sent-36, score-0.358]
18 Eventually, hallowed out asteroids could support human life if the requisite materials (Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen, etc. [sent-39, score-0.227]
19 The fundamental observation here is that intelligence and knowledge require very little mass. [sent-42, score-0.154]
20 I hope we manage to crack AI, opening the door to real space travel, so that civilization doesn’t stop. [sent-43, score-0.539]
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