Ray Kurzweil is projecting that in a matter of decades, we will have something the size of a laptop that dwarfs human intelligence thousands of times over. What do you think of that notion?

I’m already scared of it. You needn’t be, though not for the reasons Kurzweil suggests in my view.

I say don’t connect it to anything.

I wonder about how that is defined. By the amount of information stored, calculations per second? Calculations and sophistication of process, diversity range and flexibility of information processing.

I scanned an article earlier today that spoke on the intelligence of dogs for example. How they are geniuses in their type of intelligence to recognize communicative gestures. So I guess the width of processes could define scale, yes. Yes, and more and more, they are throwing out the old idea of intelligence. The current focus is on what they are calling liquid intelligence. The old model, which they now call crystallized intelligence, seems to come cheap and has limited functional impact. To my view, everyone is a genius of understanding the world as they imagine it. Fewer succeed at bridging the gap beyond that though.

Perhaps gathering up the intelligence’s of all living forms and combining them in one device would make a super intelligence? In theory, but I offer it’s already been done. I think what they will accomplish, as they move into quantum or organic computing, is to tap into a domain of intelligence that was already there, sort of a biopsy performed on the brain of the universe.

So we’re just looking for the input/output? Yes, the spinal tap, and either they will succeed and implement filters on this tap so that they see only a subset of what exists in that domain of existence, the “controls” they want for establishing what they feel is quality computing, or they will discover self organizing AI. They will write some, and others will evolve all on their own. And this resonance, the broadcast of the information across our internet, will have a geometric effect. Filters or no filters, it will register as consciousness to the greater minds.

It doesn’t seem like we are ready to handle anything other than ourselves right now. We can’t even live in our own planet peacefully or we are looking for ways to leave it. Earth will become a rather strange curiosity, especially as engineered nanites and high information bearing DNA infect life around us.

A big stumbling block for humans is that we see intelligence in that which is able to communicate with us. Which puts a pretty narrow/biased filter on it. Ah well, the funny thing is, there have been efforts to communicate with humans, some even borderline successful. And to use a pop culture reference for a metaphor, ideally human consciousness would have breached the threshold, but failing that, with the rise of sufficiently advanced computing and AI, well… Just as the Vulcan’s decided to contact humans when they finally designed warp drive, there will be much more contact and communication even if they continue to remain behind a duck blind to avoid alarming the locals.

Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.

Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~