Article

2005-05-22 -Short Attention Span Theater-

Death could be averted by 'downloaded brains', British futurologist says

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Spavirt Pheng6042 2005-05-22 06:08|| || Front Page|| [4 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Shades of Doug Adam's Titanic...

Posted by Pappy 2005-05-22 10:29|| 2005-05-22 10:29|| Front Page Top

#2 Let's download Harry Reid - I'll even donate the floppy disk.

Posted by DMFD 2005-05-22 10:48|| 2005-05-22 10:48|| Front Page Top

#3 "This could eventually involve such things as aeroplanes being programmed to be even more terrified of crashing than their passengers, meaning they would do whatever possible to stay airborne..."

...or, once they REALLY catch on, refuse to take off at all.

Tower: "UA429 Heavy, you are cleared for takeoff on runway 27R."

Pilot: "Philadelphia Control, UA429 Heavy, rolling." (releases brakes, moves throttles forward)

Airplane: "What the fuck do you think you're doing??? You expect me to do WHAT???? Look, asshole, you wanna go to Duluth why don't you just get out and fuckin' WALK-- I ain't goin' NOWHERE! I ain't stupid, you know!!!" (abrupt brake lock and engine shutdown)

Posted by Dave D. 2005-05-22 11:05|| 2005-05-22 11:05|| Front Page Top

#4 That'll be too late for Paris Hilton.
On the other hand her brain would fit on a floppy disk.

Posted by True German Ally 2005-05-22 12:38|| 2005-05-22 12:38|| Front Page Top

#5 futurology unit at British telecommunications giant BT

ooookay

Posted by Rafael 2005-05-22 12:49|| 2005-05-22 12:49|| Front Page Top

#6 That'll be too late for Paris Hilton.
On the other hand her brain would fit on a floppy disk.

Paris' brain isn't what I want to see.

Posted by badanov">badanov 2005-05-22 12:52|| http://www.rkka.org]">[http://www.rkka.org] 2005-05-22 12:52|| Front Page Top

#7 On the first day I'd download Marilyn Monroe's brain (25 year old model) and spend the whole day mind f*cking myself.....On the second day I'd down.......

Posted by Dirty old m... 2005-05-22 13:25|| 2005-05-22 13:25|| Front Page Top

#8 You need to read "The Hechee Saga" stored "personalities" continue their lives with no real interruption.

It's a good science fiction series,

Posted by Sleth Glatle9076 2005-05-22 13:59|| 2005-05-22 13:59|| Front Page Top

#9 ;-)

Posted by Omavish Floger2863 2005-05-22 17:26|| 2005-05-22 17:26|| Front Page Top

#10 "How does one get a degree in futurology, by the way?"

Even better: How does one get a JOB as a futurologist?

One thing to remember: HAL and AI were "right around the corner" ...

... back in 1976.

(humming along with "I.G.Y." off Donald Fagen's Nightfly album/CD -- and wondering how many are old enough to remember that one)

Posted by OldSpook 2005-05-22 20:21|| 2005-05-22 20:21|| Front Page Top

#11 The Turing Project - Harry Harrison and Marvin Minsky , great book .

Based on Alan Turing musings in early 1950

Posted by MacNails 2005-05-22 20:42|| 2005-05-22 20:42|| Front Page Top

#12
One thing to remember: HAL and AI were "right around the corner" ...

... back in 1976.

It's name is now Unix, popularly known as Linux.

Posted by badanov">badanov 2005-05-22 21:08|| http://www.rkka.org]">[http://www.rkka.org] 2005-05-22 21:08|| Front Page Top

#13 120 years should be enough for anybody. Besides, so few are equipped to live a life of the mind (certainly not me!), they'd likely go mad on short order. And measured in human terms, those many nanomoments probably will look like a few minutes to mental self-destruction. I don't think I'll invest the retirement money in this technology.

Posted by trailing wife 2005-05-22 22:25|| 2005-05-22 22:25|| Front Page Top

#14 I remember reading this in a SciFi novel in the mid-60s...

Posted by 3dc 2005-05-22 22:41|| 2005-05-22 22:41|| Front Page Top

23:59 .com
23:59 thibaud (aka lex)
23:30 Bomb-a-rama
23:25 trailing wife
23:19 trailing wife
23:18 trailing wife
23:07 DMFD
23:02 DMFD
22:59 trailing wife
22:48 trailing wife
22:41 mhw
22:41 Dave D.
22:41 3dc
22:40 Bomb-a-rama
22:32 trailing wife
22:25 trailing wife
22:22 trailing wife
22:21 .com
22:20 Pappy
22:17 Dave D.
22:13 trailing wife
22:12 Pappy
22:11 trailing wife
22:09 Anonymoose