I'd bet it's in one or more of his books (None of which, I must confess, I've read.). Probably something more nuanced than those two options only.
It's a good question, though. In some ways we're already confronting a similar situation. People are living a lot longer after retirement than was originally planned. Full benefit retirement age for social security used to be 65 across the board, but is now 67 for those born after 1937. It's a very touchy political issue, so nothing more has been done in that direction. Yet.
Kurzweil's big into life extension. It's a fair bet that one or more of the PACS will lobby for more research into the mechanisms of aging and improved health care techniques for it.
Another would be prosthetics and human augmentation (I want my brain interface VR, dammit! Screw the flying car.).
He might actually do some good in those areas.
If it's just the usual corporate type lobbying I can't really see that as much of a plus.
This hoohah even managed to drag me and my BS detector back from Soylent.
(I'm blatantly stealing this quote from one Robert A. Nelson, but it sums up my point quite well.)
In 1894, Albert A. Michelson remarked that in physics there were no more fundamental discoveries to be made. Quoting Lord Kelvin, he continued, âoeAn eminent physicist remarked that the future truths of physical science are to be looked for in the sixth place of decimals.â
A few short years later, physics was grappling with two tiny details called quantum mechanics and special relativity.
I just got back from a talk outlining the unbelievable complexity involved in the assembly of fleeting RNA and protein complexes that are crucial in translating DNA to protein in our cells. What they are doing and how they do it is not at all well understood, regardless that our lives and that of all cellular/multicellular life depend critically on it.
Three weeks ago BICEP2 gave fair evidence of beyond standard model physics (How else can you characterize amplified quantum fluctuations in the field of gravity?). This is something that only happens at many many orders of magnitude greater energy than we've ever observed before.
And you propose to tell me that science is mostly finished but for tidying up "minor details"?
Whether the technologies are compatible is irrelevant.
The people are not compatible.
Further, many of the people have little desire to be compatible. The "other" side is seen as evil and disingenuous rather than just disagreeing. Compromise is thus impossible in the same way as the current Washington political situation. Gridlock. Forever. No quarter given or expected.
So, no worries, Dice Holdings. This will continue to be a profitable generator of page and ad views for the foreseeable future.
No, there are definitely things a population geneticist could study in North Korea. Some of them involve horrible things the regime has done to large numbers of people.
I have an idea the IRB (Institutional Review Board, basically the research ethics review body for each of the colleges he works with) would look very closely at any data he or arrangements gotten from there.
Some things would be ethical, but it would be awfully easy to go beyond the bounds of what's ethical in studies involving humans.
It's probably not the case, but there have been cases where researchers have gone far beyond the bounds.
I'm kind of bucking the trend, but it's due to now having a job that is 25 miles away from where I live. I repair machinery and instruments, so no chance for telecommuting. 10 years ago, I was combining part time and self employment and didn't have to commute.
15 years ago, I worked in the same small city I do now and so I was driving the same amount. I was doing sysadmin work that about half of it could have been done by telecommuting, but that wasn't as prevalent then.
"No more so than the far more desperate folks here on slashdot who are ferociously denying it."
I bow before your certainty that you are the smart clued in one and everyone else is the dimwitted fool who will pay the cost at their death. (Funny how that sounds so similar to fundy Christians)
I do wonder where those extremely long lived and far more healthy vegans throughout history are. They seem to have hidden themselves very well among the miserable sick and dying everyone else whose average lifespan has increased over the past century.
We're not gonna tell your Sunday prayer group that your car is parked in the porno shop parking lot every Friday evening. But we just wanted to let you know that we could.
"That's -40 REAL degrees (trivia: -40F == -40C), or -80F with the "Wind Chill".... "
Dammit, I've told ya ten million times not to exaggerate!
(-40 is several degrees colder than the statewide all time records in either Illinois or Indiana, and neither of those were in the Chicago/Gary region).
No, you're thinking of the great state of Chicago and its suburbs.
Illinois is this tiny little place south of I-80 that no one pays attention to. Just ask House Speaker Mike Madigan. It's rumored he's even been there once, but his limo was going near 90 on I-57, so no one is quite sure it really was him.
Slashdot Mirror
Does Linden Lab know about this?
Only if I can have that screechy augmented voice saying "Exterminate!"
My bad. Left out "up to" between "now" and "67".
I put it down to early onset Alzheimer's.
I'd bet it's in one or more of his books (None of which, I must confess, I've read.). Probably something more nuanced than those two options only.
It's a good question, though. In some ways we're already confronting a similar situation. People are living a lot longer after retirement than was originally planned. Full benefit retirement age for social security used to be 65 across the board, but is now 67 for those born after 1937. It's a very touchy political issue, so nothing more has been done in that direction. Yet.
Kurzweil's big into life extension. It's a fair bet that one or more of the PACS will lobby for more research into the mechanisms of aging and improved health care techniques for it.
Another would be prosthetics and human augmentation (I want my brain interface VR, dammit! Screw the flying car.).
He might actually do some good in those areas.
If it's just the usual corporate type lobbying I can't really see that as much of a plus.
Be careful what you ask for. If everyone in less well off conditions moves to New Zealand, it won't be stable, sane, or a first world country.
Then again, maybe you're really a Silicon Valley resident hoping that if someone there takes your advice, housing costs will drop.
I'm all set, then. Not only do I know how to brew beer, but I also used to work as a refrigeration technician.
(I've also worked building houses, but I can get someone else to do that for me if I've got cold beer and ice. :).
This hoohah even managed to drag me and my BS detector back from Soylent.
(I'm blatantly stealing this quote from one Robert A. Nelson, but it sums up my point quite well.)
In 1894, Albert A. Michelson remarked that in physics there were no more fundamental discoveries to be made. Quoting Lord Kelvin, he continued, âoeAn eminent physicist remarked that the future truths of physical science are to be looked for in the sixth place of decimals.â
A few short years later, physics was grappling with two tiny details called quantum mechanics and special relativity.
I just got back from a talk outlining the unbelievable complexity involved in the assembly of fleeting RNA and protein complexes that are crucial in translating DNA to protein in our cells. What they are doing and how they do it is not at all well understood, regardless that our lives and that of all cellular/multicellular life depend critically on it.
Three weeks ago BICEP2 gave fair evidence of beyond standard model physics (How else can you characterize amplified quantum fluctuations in the field of gravity?). This is something that only happens at many many orders of magnitude greater energy than we've ever observed before.
And you propose to tell me that science is mostly finished but for tidying up "minor details"?
That's spelled "horseshit" where I come from.
Damn it, you're not a cyborg because you're standing on that step ladder.
Now come down off of it so I can beat you with my cane (which also doesn't make me a cyborg)!
Whether the technologies are compatible is irrelevant.
The people are not compatible.
Further, many of the people have little desire to be compatible. The "other" side is seen as evil and disingenuous rather than just disagreeing. Compromise is thus impossible in the same way as the current Washington political situation. Gridlock. Forever. No quarter given or expected.
So, no worries, Dice Holdings. This will continue to be a profitable generator of page and ad views for the foreseeable future.
So... Do you still lie awake at night hiding under the covers because of all the "Space Nutters" plotting against you?
Oh no! There may be one under your bed RIGHT NOW!
You know that someone will try to break into the system running this and alter the messages.
This thing has a giant "Kick me!" sign pinned on it..
"I think the NJ governor will be saving his money for legal fees"
Now, now. It ain't over until the fat lady sings about the fat man.
Oh joy. I can just hardly wait for the race to get .obama, .clinton, .christie, .huckabee, etc.
What a wonderful advance for the intarwebs...
(sarcasm warning for the insight impaired)
No, there are definitely things a population geneticist could study in North Korea. Some of them involve horrible things the regime has done to large numbers of people.
I have an idea the IRB (Institutional Review Board, basically the research ethics review body for each of the colleges he works with) would look very closely at any data he or arrangements gotten from there.
Some things would be ethical, but it would be awfully easy to go beyond the bounds of what's ethical in studies involving humans.
It's probably not the case, but there have been cases where researchers have gone far beyond the bounds.
I'm kind of bucking the trend, but it's due to now having a job that is 25 miles away from where I live. I repair machinery and instruments, so no chance for telecommuting. 10 years ago, I was combining part time and self employment and didn't have to commute.
15 years ago, I worked in the same small city I do now and so I was driving the same amount. I was doing sysadmin work that about half of it could have been done by telecommuting, but that wasn't as prevalent then.
Why just steal calories from animals? Spread the suffering to those dratted plants as well! :)
"No more so than the far more desperate folks here on slashdot who are ferociously denying it."
I bow before your certainty that you are the smart clued in one and everyone else is the dimwitted fool who will pay the cost at their death. (Funny how that sounds so similar to fundy Christians)
I do wonder where those extremely long lived and far more healthy vegans throughout history are. They seem to have hidden themselves very well among the miserable sick and dying everyone else whose average lifespan has increased over the past century.
We're not gonna tell your Sunday prayer group that your car is parked in the porno shop parking lot every Friday evening. But we just wanted to let you know that we could.
Have a nice day.
This is supposed to be some great revelation?
They're also the ones who can get security policy overridden so that something can be easy for them. Regardless of the problems.
"That's -40 REAL degrees (trivia: -40F == -40C), or -80F with the "Wind Chill".... "
Dammit, I've told ya ten million times not to exaggerate!
(-40 is several degrees colder than the statewide all time records in either Illinois or Indiana, and neither of those were in the Chicago/Gary region).
The US can still beat them in Eve Online, can't we?
How many times did I hear from tech pundits that the New Virtual Economy made the brick and mortar world less important? Isn't this the same?
Oh wait. There was that little thing called the dot com crash. Guess the real world capabilities still matter.
No big deal. Guess I'll just get a beer and go back to playing Kerbal Space Program, then. It's what made America great. ;)
There are several million voters in Cook County, but there's a decades old debate over what fraction of them are living.
No, you're thinking of the great state of Chicago and its suburbs.
Illinois is this tiny little place south of I-80 that no one pays attention to. Just ask House Speaker Mike Madigan. It's rumored he's even been there once, but his limo was going near 90 on I-57, so no one is quite sure it really was him.
Brings back fond screen saver memories of Opus shooting down flying toasters.