Why Didn’t We Go Back to The Moon?
TIME MACHINES Human bodies are time machines. My grandfather, born in 1896, grew up in the “wild west” of California: horses, buggies, the occasional train. Before he died, he flew 400 mph in a jet airliner as big as a building and watched men walk on the moon. But what happened during my lifetime? There’s…
The Human Essence Assumption
THE PROMETHEAN MOMENT Here’s a couple of examples of a common trope in science fiction. Terminator II: Judgement Day, 1991: The Terminator: “… [Skynet] goes online on August 4th 1997. Human decisions are removed from Strategic Defense. Skynet begins learning at geometric rate. It becomes self-aware at 2:14 a.m. eastern time August 29th. In a…
Four Assumptions About the Future of Artificial Intelligence
These four assumptions are almost always made in science fiction and popular commentary on AI (or alien life). They are often made by academic futurists and professional scientists (who should know better). The Human Essence Assumption The Chain of Being Assumption The Myth of Steady Progress The Myth of Limitless Progress
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CHARLES GILLINGHAM 