And for all my rampant technological optimism, sometimes I think I'd be more comfortable if I were regarding these transcendental events from one thousand years remove... instead of twenty.

Vernor Vinge

Categorized in : Thinking Years Optimism

The heart of manipulation is to empathize without being touched. by Vernor Vinge

The heart of manipulation is to empathize without being touched.

touched manipulation heart

The voice was gentle, like a scalpel petting the short hairs of y... by Vernor Vinge

The voice was gentle, like a scalpel petting the short hairs of your throat.

scalpels voice hair

I have come to kill you."The death's heads shrugged. "You have co... by Vernor Vinge

I have come to kill you."The death's heads shrugged. "You have come to try.

trying

Politics may come and go, but Greed goes on forever. by Vernor Vinge

Politics may come and go, but Greed goes on forever.

greed goes-on forever

Animals can adapt to problems and make inventions, but often no faster than natural selection can do its work - the world acts as its own simulator in the case of natural selection.

problem animal world

But every time our ability to access information and to communicate it to others is improved, in some sense we have achieved an increase over natural intelligence.

increase information natural

I am suggesting that we recognize that in network and interface research there is something as profound (and potential wild) as Artificial Intelligence.

artificial-intelligence research profound

IA is something that is proceeding very naturally, in most cases not even recognized by its developers for what it is.

developers proceeding cases

The physical extinction of the human race is one possibility. by Vernor Vinge

The physical extinction of the human race is one possibility.

extinction possibility race

The problem is not simply that the Singularity represents the passing of humankind from center stage, but that it contradicts our most deeply held notions of being.

passing stage problem

The work that is truly productive is the domain of a steadily smaller and more elite fraction of humanity.

fractions domain humanity

When people speak of creating superhumanly intelligent beings, they are usually imagining an AI project.

creating intelligent people

How to explain? How to describe? Even the omniscient viewpoint qu... by Vernor Vinge

How to explain? How to describe? Even the omniscient viewpoint quails.

quails viewpoints omniscient

Poor humans; they will all die.""Poor us; we will not. by Vernor Vinge

Poor humans; they will all die.""Poor us; we will not.

dies poor humans

Peregrine Wickwrackrum was of two minds about evil: when enough rules get broken, sometimes there is good amid the carnage.

broken evil two

Pham Nuwen plunked himself down, stretching indolently. by Vernor Vinge

Pham Nuwen plunked himself down, stretching indolently.

stretching

It is a point where our old models must be discarded and a new re... by Vernor Vinge

It is a point where our old models must be discarded and a new reality rules.

old rules new reality