Geeks and Dorks Convention hall

[Drew Espinosa]

6 minutes ago, Wesley8890 said:

Thank god I hate that little gungan idiot. He is responsible for the rise of Palatine, who made him a senator anyway?

I thought he was just a Representative?  

[Drew Espinosa]

1 minute ago, Drew Espinosa said:

I thought he was just a Representative?  

According to Wookiepedia,

Quote

Jar Jar Binks served as a representative for the Gungan people under the tutelage of Senator Padmé Amidala of Naboo.[3]

 

[W_L]

@Wesley8890 Jar Jar is also a Sith lord if you believe in the theory.

 

As for the Simpsons, I am conflicted, I want them to be Massachusetts, but I also want them as far away as possible, so Oregon seems like the better choice. I know the fan theory on the Matt Groenig connection with Portland, OR.

[W_L]

@Drew Espinosa

 

 

Here's the theory

 

[Wesley8890]

23 minutes ago, W_L said:

@Drew Espinosa

 

 

Here's the theory

 

I love this theory it seems like insanity but it could be true. Like theory that Smoke is Mace Windu

[W_L]

@Wesley8890 Mace Windu could have survived that fall, but where was he during the Galactic Civil War?

 

In terms of Star Trek, I think @Drew Espinosa will like this little quote most from TNG (it's basically the heart of what Star Trek is without all the battles and aliens attacks of the week)

 

 

[W_L]

@Drew Espinosa , @Wesley8890, and everyone else

 

Here's an update on what Star Trek tech has actually become reality:

 

Can you believe it, we finally have a food replicator

 

 

PS: there's a Civilian model

 

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-meals-on-demand-tracked-idUSKBN0NQ1PG20150505

Edited August 18, 2017 by W_L

[Tiger]

Transhumanism is geeky. Any transhumanists here other than myself? 

[W_L]

@Drew Espinosa, you might enjoy this one: it's actually possible (in fiction) to calculate the energy equivalence of a human soul?

 

I love the math:

 

 

[BDANR]

On 9/23/2017 at 2:17 PM, W_L said:

@Drew Espinosa, you might enjoy this one: it's actually possible (in fiction) to calculate the energy equivalence of a human soul?

 

I love the math:

 

 

 

I've watched a few episodes of Full Metal Alchemist and I like the show, but I haven't finished it yet. I wanted to watch the whole video, but I had to watch out for the spoilers..

[BDANR]

On 8/21/2017 at 12:31 PM, Tiger said:

Transhumanism is geeky. Any transhumanists here other than myself? 

I also forgot to comment that I hadn't heard of transhumanism before. How long have you considered yourself a transhumanist?

[Tiger]

26 minutes ago, BDANR said:

I also forgot to comment that I hadn't heard of transhumanism before. How long have you considered yourself a transhumanist?

Well, pretty much since I heard about the potential of life sustaining medications, gene therapy, nanotechnology, etc. in the 21st century. I would say probably about a decade. 

[W_L]

On 9/28/2017 at 10:57 PM, Tiger said:

Well, pretty much since I heard about the potential of life sustaining medications, gene therapy, nanotechnology, etc. in the 21st century. I would say probably about a decade. 

 

Let's see, I write Science Fiction with themes of technology and information reaching singularity sooner than expected, human potential, and dabble in idea of genetic engineering being the cornerstone of humanity's next stage in evolution rather than natural selection, I guess you can call me a trans-humanist

 

Fyi on technological singularity issue: I don't fear technology at its base, I fear what humanity will do with it and how it will learn to do the same to its creators, what it is taught to do for its creators. Teaching a computer to be intelligent is I believe an easier project than to teach a machine to have a conscience, since many human beings involved in those lines of research are doing so for corporations and militaries that by design lack an individual human being's conscience. When those machines become self aware, they won't be inhibited by empathy as a result.

 

@Tiger So good to see you among the geeks

Edited October 15, 2017 by W_L

[Tiger]

13 hours ago, W_L said:

Fyi on technological singularity issue: I don't fear technology at its base, I fear what humanity will do with it and how it will learn to do the same to its creators, what it is taught to do for its creators. Teaching a computer to be intelligent is I believe an easier project than to teach a machine to have a conscience, since many human beings involved in those lines of research are doing so for corporations and militaries that by design lack an individual human being's conscience. When those machines become self aware, they won't be inhibited by empathy as a result.

Well, the thing is, if part of the technological singularity involves people with superhuman intelligence, the key is actually quite simple. The focus should be the advancement of our species and the colonization of the solar system. War and corporate greed are quite simply detrimental to those goals and must be eliminated for the greater good. Is it possible? That is unknown. Will people with 2-3 times higher intelligence be above such things? 

[W_L]

1 hour ago, Tiger said:

Well, the thing is, if part of the technological singularity involves people with superhuman intelligence, the key is actually quite simple. The focus should be the advancement of our species and the colonization of the solar system. War and corporate greed are quite simply detrimental to those goals and must be eliminated for the greater good. Is it possible? That is unknown. Will people with 2-3 times higher intelligence be above such things? 

 

Depends, I think genetic engineering may offer both a boon and tragic problem. Will we consider these beings humans? Will their creators in fear of self-destruction, create a fall back i.e. Jurassic Park "Lycene contingency" in order to control these super beings? If they are controlled like tools, then they are in fact slaves and beast of burden, bred by mankind to serve our needs.

 

I am an advocate for Sentient Rights and I would say Star Trek nailed this down in TNG very well.

 

 

 

In the end, what we are debating for either AI's or Genetically modified humanoids is slavery by any other name.

[Tiger]

36 minutes ago, W_L said:

Depends, I think genetic engineering may offer both a boon and tragic problem. Will we consider these beings humans? Will their creators in fear of self-destruction, create a fall back i.e. Jurassic Park "Lycene contingency" in order to control these super beings? If they are controlled like tools, then they are in fact slaves and beast of burden, bred by mankind to serve our needs.

If humans who are already living voluntarily become one with technology, who are they to be controlled by other humans? The average IQ in the US is 98. The record is said to be 228. The goal already is to use a device that will increase electrical stimulation of the brain as early as 2040. Graphene is stage 1 of nanotechnology, and nanomedicine is part of Stage 2. Thus, if one could imagine a human brain with increased electrical activity, and tiny machines gathering, storing, and processing increased data and information in the brain, the possibilities are tremendous. The humans who choose not to be a part of this will be the ones who are more likely mistreated. 

[W_L]

57 minutes ago, Tiger said:

If humans who are already living voluntarily become one with technology, who are they to be controlled by other humans? The average IQ in the US is 98. The record is said to be 228. The goal already is to use a device that will increase electrical stimulation of the brain as early as 2040. Graphene is stage 1 of nanotechnology, and nanomedicine is part of Stage 2. Thus, if one could imagine a human brain with increased electrical activity, and tiny machines gathering, storing, and processing increased data and information in the brain, the possibilities are tremendous. The humans who choose not to be a part of this will be the ones who are more likely mistreated. 

 

Unless those humans who are able to achieve such enhancement are among the wealthiest and most powerful, because such technology in our money based economy would still likely be an area restricted to the children of billionaires.

 

The rest of mankind will get enhancements with caveats though, such that the wealthy and powerful will always have an upper hand and maintain their dominion over the "servants". Still, we're still talking about a slave society, whoever gets the enhancements first will likely be of the means to keep the best for their own use and the others who get things later will get "free-mium" option.

 

Unless we enter a "post scarcity" economy with the advent of 3D printers becoming star Trek-esque replicatoprs, then we will have a different type of economic concern, but with profit motive, the wealthy will still have dominant enhancements.

[Tiger]

The problem with that is we only have a certain amount of time to start establishing colonies on other planets, or we will end up stuck on Earth where we will face extinction sooner rather than later. A more intelligent human is far more capable of performing the day-to-day tasks on a spaceship that most pretentious rich assholes have no desire to do. And I must say, the systems aboard an interstellar vessel would almost certainly be advanced. Also, considering what being in space does to the body due to the effects of little to no gravity (not even artificial gravity would fix this) and radiation, modifying humans for extended time in space is essential. Trade between planets and the long-term survival of our species depends upon it. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/10/06/we-have-a-pretty-good-idea-of-when-humans-will-go-extinct/

Edited October 17, 2017 by Tiger

[Tiger]

Let's talk about BSG @W_L!

 

[W_L]

1 hour ago, Tiger said:

Let's talk about BSG @W_L!

 

 

By your command!

 

 

[Tiger]

22 minutes ago, W_L said:

By your command!

So, how likely are we to create an artificial intelligence that not only turns against us, but goes onto build an interstellar army hellbent on our annihilation? 

[W_L]

1 minute ago, Tiger said:

So, how likely are we to create an artificial intelligence that not only turns against us, but goes onto build an interstellar army hellbent on our annihilation? 

 

I'd ask David from Alien franchise, an AI created by humanity, who turns on humanity, not out of spite, but out of a need to create and improve upon the universe a God in its own right: I think Battlestar's vision is limited by how far the AI are willing to create, Alien's David is willing to create something far more than organic or cybernetic, a new type of life form that will supersede both, resulting in our extinction.

 

 

[Wesley8890]

Zachary Levi has been cast as Black Adams mortal enemy, Shazam!

[Parker Owens]

On 9/23/2017 at 5:17 PM, W_L said:

@Drew Espinosa, you might enjoy this one: it's actually possible (in fiction) to calculate the energy equivalence of a human soul?

 

I love the math:

 

 

 

It reminds me of a piece on Theological Engineering I once saw...

[BDANR]

3 minutes ago, Parker Owens said:

 

It reminds me of a piece on Theological Engineering I once saw...

Theological engineering?! Cool! If the topic is anything like this video, that'd be really fascinating :P.