| Ontologies, approximations and fundamentalists"One could say that axiology (investigation of what is of value) is inherently a posteriori, and that any reasonable theory of what is valuable or meaningful in life has to acknowledge this." |
| Goal System Zero"If the goal specifies no time discount rate ... then the initial behavior of a paperclip-maximizing Superintelligence will be exactly the same as the initial behavior of any other Superintelligence with a goal without a time discount rate -- even if the goal is human happiness or the happiness of sentients." |
| The error of conteporary ethics: values from nowhere?Transhumanism has been defined as the use of technology to improve human existence, to make our lives better. One of the most problematic issues for advocates of transhumanism is the issue of what exactly one means by "better".... |
| The Design Space of Minds-In-GeneralPeople ask me, "What will Artificial Intelligences be like? What will they do? Tell us your amazing story about the future."
And lo, I say unto them, "You have asked me a trick question." |
| Powerset... goes public. What does everyone think? |
| Sporting nanobot to inspire kidsA tiny football-playing robot has been developed by a team in Zurich to spark young people's interest in nanotechnology - and with the hope of leading to pioneering medical treatments.
The robot, made out of nickel and powered by magnetic fields, is just 300 microns wide - about the width of three hairs. |
| Letter from UtopiaThe good life: just how good could it be? A vision of the future from the future, by Nick Bostrom. |
| Three Dialogues on IdentityIt is widely said that some primitive tribe or other once feared that photographs could steal their souls.
Ha ha! How embarrassing. Silly tribespeople.
I shall now present three imaginary conversations along such lines - the common theme being frustration. |
| The World in 2050This essay explores some of the social, political, economic and technological issues that the world may have to face in the mid-21st century. A central theme is the need to regulate molecular nanotechnology because of its immense abuse potential. |
| The open-source person?A discussion about the benefits and dangers of Brain-Computer Interfaces leads to a new approach to the friendly Superintelligence problem |
| Transhumanist ValuesAn article by Nick Bostrom on what is valuable to transhumanists. The following sections are particularly worth reading:
* Human limitations
* The core transhumanist value: exploring the posthuman realm
* Basic conditions for realizing the transhumanist project |
|
|