Finally, “educated discussion”

Am I a transhumanist?  That is not entirely sure.  If it were possible  (and I think it will be) to improve the human body in order to…

(1) acceptable individual and societal misery

(2) make improving individual bodies affordable to a significant number of people

(3) in a manner than has acceptable side effects

than yah, I am a transhumanist.

Note, I won’t ever be able to afford anything serious unless its covered by medical insurance, and that latter proposition is starting to look iffy, even here in northwestern europe. So I may be a transhumanist, but chances it’ll improve my existence one iota are slim and chances I will die because of “transhumanist changes” are significant.  So all in all, insofar I am a transhumanist, I am one because of entertainment reasons.

So, am I an extropian? Well, I do have extropian sympathies – but I am deeply suspicious under underlying libertarian sentiments so common in extropianism – I have found that a human being that can make a boldfaced claim that taxation is theft and that people who do not contribute should not be able to depend on societal care or wellfare – I consider these people a severe threat to my wellbeing. I have used the word excludism quite a few times, and I read it is spreading. I will reaffirm that

disparaties in affluence and poverty – and the “excludism” that results in “the fortunate” taking any steps they deem acceptable to exclude the “unfortunate” from having access to more resources, “at the expense of the fortunate” – are the biggest existential risk facing humanity in the next 50 years. I am personally convinced that the rich, given “near-singularitarian’ ability, resource and prospects, will use gigadeath as a means to consolidate their hold on what they have.

It’s not that I am being charitable or socialist or an “income redistributer” in this regard. I am not even an idealist – I just those trust people with a lot to lose.

So, final question, am I a Sing-u-la-ri-ta-ri-an? Hell yah!

But not a kurzweilean one. Let’s formulate it carefully, as no to draw the ire of some unnamed Quixote on me.

I am personally certain that either humanity will become “functionally extinct’ before 2100, (largely because of environmental damage or industrial fallout), humanity may end its potential in a “long, drawn-out whimper” or we will experience a sequence of self-augmenting and unpredictable technological advances thart result in a world that is unrecognizable, utterly alien and neither utopian or dystopian when compared to the one we currently know.

and

I ascribe to the definition of “a Singularity” where this event involves a series of fundamental changes in the empowerment of (some) humans as to make what comes after (or what we make) fundamentally unpredictable. The lowest order “singularities” may involve “very weird” means of production (such as robust nanotechnology) whereas a “higher order singularity’ involves superhuman intelligence. (Well sorry mike..) – for instance, if we developed teleportation, time travel, had contacts with aliens or 1% of humans were suddenly able to cast D&D wizard spells – we’d have singularities.

But, most importantly

We will have, as far as I can see “with my limited and chaotic capacities”,  a singularity of some sort no sooner than 2020 and no later than 2050.  This can be anything, but I prefer to live to that day, and I prefer it happened later – this “envisioned transitional phase” can be good, bad, weird or anything inbetween. It may be a very subtle shift most people will be unimpressed with, or it might be more worldshattering than the plot of Accelerando. But  from what I know I do see technology slowly move into what I’d term “ontological rule changers” – technology empowering humanity, small groups of humans or literally itself -  into causing a type of itrreversible and directed change we have not seen before on this planet in the last 5 billion years.

Yah, well, I think that qualifies as Fringe Transhumanist,  Extropian critic and staunch yet cynical Singularitarian

So far these three have been regarded with degrees of aloofness, scorn, denial, alienation, complete misunderstanding by the press, the blogosphere, outsiders, Science Fiction fans or scientists.  But I do see that rapidly changing.

I am happy to see the emergence of this blog.  For a chance (as opposed to some hysterically (“florian”, “dythirambic”, “orotund”) Quixotterie I have been reading)  someone knows the insider (cult) lingo of this movement and treats the suppositions as plausible – but does so critically!

Kudos!