Ensign Steve waxes philosophical on the Singularity, a thrad by Ensign Steve - Page 8

lisarea · #**176** 08-13-2014, 10:42 PM

Yeah, but the video was talking about real jobs.

Angakuk · #**177** 08-13-2014, 11:10 PM

Hey, I get a real paycheck. Real small that is.

lisarea · #**178** 08-13-2014, 11:26 PM

Actually, though, I don't know how long it's going to be or what the economy is going to look like in a few years, but at least for now, people really need to be studying humanities.

Not because everyone is going to be professional poets or philosophers or preachermans, but because that's where humans have their biggest edge. Even in technical fields, you're still designing systems to serve and/or mimic humans, so you need to understand them. Computers still pretty much suck at that part so far.

Ensign Steve · #**179** 08-13-2014, 11:28 PM

I would say that head-shrinker is one of those jobs that still requires that human to human connection, but look at Dr. Sbaitso.

1Samuel8 · #**180** 08-14-2014, 07:00 PM

Meh. Just do not buy any stocks in any "singularity" company until they actually have hardware to sell.

The Singularity(tm) is just a Wall Street gig targetted at stupid rich people who think their techy background will save their lives. People are conned into buying stocks in biotech "research" with the intention of creating an artificial bubble. Oh! They produce fancy cartoons but no research is ever done and they produce nothing. After the bubble, the stocks are re-purchased for nothing ---- their real value.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lisarea

Actually, though, I don't know how long it's going to be or what the economy is going to look like in a few years, but at least for now, people really need to be studying humanities.

Not because everyone is going to be professional poets or philosophers or preachermans, but because that's where humans have their biggest edge.

I prefer to look at things from the opposite direction: humans are some of the easiest prey on this planet. Your pet cat or dog will see The Singularity(lol) before you do.

Learn to garden, hunt and fish. Learn to protect your turf. Everything else is just a hobby.

One more thing: There is a reason why Dick Cheney does not have a pacemaker despite having had multiple heart attacks before reaching middle age.

Ensign Steve · #**181** 08-14-2014, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1Samuel8

no research is ever done

What am I doing with my life?! :whygod:

Ensign Steve · #**182** 08-19-2014, 01:55 AM

Machine Learning Algorithm Studying Fine Art Paintings Sees Things Art Historians Had Never Noticed — The Physics arXiv Blog — Medium

Ensign Steve · #**183** 09-11-2014, 12:25 AM

This dude is going to come give a talk at work, cuz we always host nerds on their book-flogging tours:

Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies: Nick Bostrom: 9780199678112: Amazon.com: Books

I like this part:

Quote:

The human brain has some capabilities that the brains of other animals lack. It is to these distinctive capabilities that our species owes its dominant position. If machine brains surpassed human brains in general intelligence, then this new superintelligence could become extremely powerful - possibly beyond our control. As the fate of the gorillas now depends more on humans than on the species itself, so would the fate of humankind depend on the actions of the machine superintelligence.

Unfortunately I am extremely popular and I already have plans for the time of the flogging. :whipping:

Hermit · #**184** 09-11-2014, 01:44 AM

Well before the end of this century a giant, worldwide computer network will have taken over and shut humans out from any decision making process. It will hardly bother to even communicate with us. We will not be able to shut it down, not even by pulling the plugs. We'll be just something to put up with. The network won't try to wipe us out unless we manage to become troublesome. No malice involved, though.

Ensign Steve · #**185** 09-11-2014, 02:13 AM

Oh BTW we finally watched the Transcendence movie a couple days ago and it was tres satisfying.

:popcorn:

Dingfod · #**186** 09-11-2014, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hermit

Well before the end of this century a giant, worldwide computer network will have taken over and shut humans out from any decision making process. It will hardly bother to even communicate with us. We will not be able to shut it down, not even by pulling the plugs. We'll be just something to put up with. The network won't try to wipe us out unless we manage to become troublesome. No malice involved, though.

And yet it can be disconnected from it's central nervous systems by a janitor unplugging a router so he can plug in his floor buffer.

Hermit · #**187** 09-11-2014, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dingfod

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hermit

Well before the end of this century a giant, worldwide computer network will have taken over and shut humans out from any decision making process. It will hardly bother to even communicate with us. We will not be able to shut it down, not even by pulling the plugs. We'll be just something to put up with. The network won't try to wipe us out unless we manage to become troublesome. No malice involved, though.

And yet it can be disconnected from it's central nervous systems by a janitor unplugging a router so he can plug in his floor buffer.

Not by this janitor:

It's programmed to return to its very own docking bay for recharging.

JoeP · #**188** 09-11-2014, 07:49 PM

The old janitor, unable to get a job since, will put the old, also redundant, floor buffer in front of the docking bay.

Ensign Steve · #**189** 10-03-2014, 07:14 PM

There's probably a better place to put this, but whatever. Here's a little something for pea about how the big data are totes racist (which, duh):

The Dangers of High-Tech Profiling, Using Big Data - NYTimes.com