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Accelerating Change Conference

Posted by timothy on from the get-there-first-or-you'll-miss-it dept.

gui noir writes "The first annual Accelerating Change Conference will go from September 12-14 at Stanford University. It will be 'the first conference in the world to focus on the multidisciplinary implications of accelerating change and the consequences of a technological singularity'. The all-star cast of speakers includes Ray Kurzweil, Tim O'Reilly, John Koza, Eric Drexler, and more than fifteen others (full list here). Attendance starts at $100. The closest the academic world has come to these subjects in recent memory was Douglas Hofstadter's standing-room-only Spiritual Robots Symposium back in 2001."

10 comments

  1. Brought to you by.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The Slashdot Article Advertising System. Please stand by...

  2. Brought to you by Kellogs. by Farley+Mullet · · Score: 1
    The closest the academic world has come to these subjects in recent memory was Douglas Hofstadter's standing-room-only Spiritual Robots Symposium back in 2001.

    So academia is staying away from this? Could it have something to do with how flakey this whole thing is? Watch out for the grey goo, and make sure your tin-foil hat is fastened tight. And if the goo comes, maybe some Goo Gone will do the trick.

  3. Oh no! by I(rispee_I(reme · · Score: 1

    The eschaton is being immanentized!

  4. Tell me... by jo42 · · Score: 1


    ...is Jon Katz going to be there???

  5. Ramona? by Vagary · · Score: 1

    Was it the fact that the keynote speaker cross-dresses as a 25-year-old rock star that tipped you off?

  6. Also by luekj · · Score: 1
    Person 1: Hey I have no idea what these people are talking about
    Person 2: Niether do I
    Person 3: Oh well.
    Person 4: I'VE RUN OUT OF NAPKINS!!!!!!!!

    --
    Many Thanks,

    Luke

  7. Accelerating Change Conference dates by Dr+Cool · · Score: 1

    Next year's Accelerating Change Conference will be held three weeks after the first conference.

  8. Lack of change at conference. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    $100?

    For any denomination less than a hundred there will be no change.

  9. Technological Singularity? by RobertB-DC · · Score: 1

    From the summary: It will be 'the first conference in the world to focus on the multidisciplinary implications of accelerating change and the consequences of a technological singularity'.

    Wow, what an impressive collection of buzzwords!

    According to the Wikipedia, you'd have to compress the Earth to a diameter of 3mm to create a traditional "singularity". I guess if you put enough conference attendees in a single place, and subject them to "accelerating change", you'd get a technological "singularity".

    Of course, one of the most interesting properties of a singularity is that you put stuff in it, and it never comes back out. Kinda like that C-note, huh?

    On the plus side, the journey to the singularity may include pretty lights and warped reality. I guess their terminology wasn't so far off, after all.

    --
    Stressed? Me? Of course not. Stress is what a rubber band feels before it breaks, silly.
  10. last post winner by patch-rustem · · Score: 0

    last post!
    Baby Ruby says "bwarghhhhh!"

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    Karma: Bad due to google bombing - Robert Watkins woz 'ere.