Kurzweil on the Future

dwrugh writes "With these new tools, [Kurzweil] says, by the 2020s we'll be adding computers to our brains and building machines as smart as ourselves. This serene confidence is not shared by neuroscientists like Vilayanur S. Ramachandran, who discussed future brains with Dr. Kurzweil at the festival. It might be possible to create a thinking, empathetic machine, Dr. Ramachandran said, but it might prove too difficult to reverse-engineer the brain's circuitry because it evolved so haphazardly. 'My colleague Francis Crick used to say that God is a hacker, not an engineer,' Dr. Ramachandran said. 'You can do reverse engineering, but you can't do reverse hacking.'"

Comments

poverty of expectations

[Bastard of Subhumani]

we'll be adding computers to our brains and building machines as smart as ourselves.

Sigh, talk about picking the low-hanging fruit...

Re:Adding computers to our brains?

[mrbluze]

This serene confidence is not shared by neuroscientists Or anyone else who isn't on sedatives.

Where's my f'ing flying car dip$%^*

[coren2000]

Where's my motherf'ing flying car?

Re:Will people move data like in Johnny Mnemonic i

[Yetihehe]

With current technology I can very easily move some 20-30gb in my stomach (2gb microsd cards in some small pill-like protective case). But download is then a little shitty...

Re:Adding computers to our brains?

[Gazzonyx]

Taking into consideration computer security issues, I think I'll pass. Yeah... and you don't even want to know about 'Patch Tuesday'...

Re:Obfuscation

[dintech]

According to the summary you do it every day with everyone you meet!

Re:Balls of crystal

[Anonymous Coward]

Try adding a computer to your brain to remember things better.

Re:Obfuscation

[c6gunner]

He's not trying to obfuscate the code, he's just not trying not to. Purposeful obfuscation implies organization. Hacking together humanity's brain is just a million billion messy miracles.

So you're saying the human brain is Open Source? :D

Re:Adding computers to our brains?

[kvezach]

Zombies that actually shamble.

Re:Will people move data like in Johnny Mnemonic i

[minasoko]

If so, let's hope there's a grammar check on the data beforehand.

Re:mid-age life crisis

[elrous0]

Oh wait, I just noticed his "degrees" are all honorary degrees from no-name colleges. I guess he didn't have generous committees after all (or any committees at all, for that matter). Now if you'll excuse me, I have an honorary badge that I got from the cops when I was a kid--and somewhere there is a crime to stop.