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In a rebuttal paper[1], Hameroff asserts that the quantum processing power required for consciousness is at an order of magnitude greater than can be expressed through conventional systems of processing measurement. This argument seems to ignore Kurzweil's premise that accelerating returns in development of present technologies could, in a nominal period, overcome such a barrier. Additionally, other technologies could emerge which greatly lower the time required to reach the Singularity. A notable example would be more advanced forms of quantum computing capable of full neural emulation, which on a large enough scale, could function equivalently to the biological human brain.

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"Our most powerful 21st-century technologies — robotics, genetic engineering, and nanotech — are threatening to make humans an endangered species."

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Originally posted by Etherfish

I think there will be a split. A simpler way of life will be those that shun the virtual reality.

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Originally posted by Etherfish

At that point, people will begin to live their entire lives in cyber space. They will do the low paid jobs in exchange for virtual heaven.

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Originally posted by cosmic_troll

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Originally posted by Etherfish

At that point, people will begin to live their entire lives in cyber space. They will do the low paid jobs in exchange for virtual heaven.

Wow. People will voluntarily plug themselves into the Matrix?!

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I can see that possibility, but I too hope Ösel is right

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Originally posted by Etherfish

The logical continuation of this train of thought is to wonder how many other life forms besides humans are enlightenable?
Yogananda said we are unique on earth and animals don't have the privilege. I don't know how he would know, but I tend to believe him.

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Originally posted by Etherfish
But what about microscopic animals? Some say animals reincarnate as humans. What about aliens in other solar systems? Castaneda referred to consciousnesses on earth that we can't see, like in the wind. Many of us have seen other dimensions where things were living. Is the space/time continuum the only framework?

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Originally posted by Etherfish

Of course they will. have you watched kids with video games?
Look how fast those have progressed in just a couple years.
There are already a lot of kids who spend ALL their spare time playing video games. This is essentially choosing to live in cyber space.

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Originally posted by Jo-self

I think its 50/50. The argument that Bill Joy makes in "Why the future doesn't need us" is very powerful. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_th...%27t_need_us

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"Our most powerful 21st-century technologies — robotics, genetic engineering, and nanotech — are threatening to make humans an endangered species."

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But, here is a good rebuttal to that piece: http://www.aaas.org/spp/rd/ch4.pdf

I pray that Konchok is correct. Something must come up to bring us back to simplicity and sustainable socioeconomic structures and most importantly the eye of wisdom must open. Else, yup, Frankenstein monster scenarios (we already have Frankenfoods!).

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Originally posted by yogani

Hi All:

From a spiritual perspective, the question is, if/when machines become self-aware (the singularity), will they eventually be able to become enlightened? Will they be endowed with (or evolve) the necessary internal capabilities? And what are those capabilities?

This is being addressed by the human species (for itself) on an ever-growing scale. Will the machines be far behind?

I Robot: "Who am I? ... I am That."

The guru is in you.


PS: It is theoretical, of course. If we can hypothesize (and create?) an "enlightenable" machine, we will likely come to understand our own inner process of spiritual transformation much better.

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... On earth the so-called ‘memon’ is the most complex operator and is characterized by its neural
network. About what will be the next step in evolution ... The operator hierarchy now speaks in favor of technical
intelligence, because the position of the next operator is associated with a property
called ‘structural copying of information’. The latter property indicates the capacity
of a memon to copy its learned information by means of replicating the structure of
its brain, just as a cell copies its survival information by replicating its DNA. The
passing on of information via learning is insufficient for this property! It is unlikely,
if not impossible, that memons based on organic cells will ever develop the structural
copying of information property, because structural copying requires that the memon
autonomously identify all of its cells and their connections with other cells and precisely
measure the connection strengths of these connections. In contrast, the brain
of a technical memon relies on computer files, which are easy to copy. This reasoning
implies that the next memon must show technical intelligence, a conclusion that tears
down the walls between biology and robotics and places artificial intelligence at the
heart of evolution on earth.

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