Re: Journalism [ was: RE: Making HAL Your Pal]

From: Samantha Atkins (samantha@objectent.com)
Date: Tue Apr 24 2001 - 00:54:09 MDT


Ben Goertzel wrote:
>

> Stephan (my former Deputy CTO) and I came up with a related idea...
>
> We intend to start a new firm focused on the use of quantum teleportation to
> remove feces ~directly~ from the rectum without passing through the usual
> orifice. This will allow one to relieve one's bowels while driving, sitting
> in business meetings or classrooms, etc.
>
> company name: Rectronix
>
> slogan: No shit!

ROTFLMAO.

>
> Ok ok. I'm really just trying to get Eliezer to BZZZZT!! me for the first
> time...
>

Sometimes the most serious and critical of subjects most needs a bit of
humor to open things up. And after your own recent trials humor is a
damn healthy sign.

> A few of us, including Eli and Peter Voss myself, just got back from the
> Foresight Gathering in SF, at which there was a fair amount of talk about AI
> and the Singularity, almost more so than about nanotechnology, the alleged
> primary focus of the conference. Peculiarly, among that crowd, I found
> myself among the more practical-minded people around ;O

<grin> It was great seeing you in person and hearing your run-down on
building real AI while practically standing on one leg. Most
impressive.

I am unclear about a couple of things regarding the state of WebMind
though. It was not clear to me whether y'all are accepting donations
now or whether that needs to wait until some of the upcoming legal stuff
is out of the way. It also isn't fully clear to me if companies
interested in some of your technology (super search, document
categorization especially) should be talking with you and/or the
trustees (or whatever the right term is) now or should also wait until
some of the legal smoke clears. I am not sure what the legalities are
or if there is enough of WebMind around and with enough time to pursue
such possibilities presently.

>
> Anyway, it's clear from this conference and from Kurzweil's forthcoming book
> that the Singularity concept is going to seep into the tech media over the
> next couple years. I'll be curious to see what it turns into.

It will go further than the tech media. It will soar into general
awareness, for good or ill. Time to get those beneficial meme machines
cranking.

- samantha



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