From: Paul Hughes (psiphius@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Mar 18 2004 - 13:23:06 MST
Damien Broderick wrote:
> Of course, Vinge makes sense, whereas Wilson's
witterings about the
> number 23 and other superstitious drivel makes
paranoiac delusions,
> and some amusing fiction (the kind that gets
adolescents all churned
> up with its daring antinomianism and naughtiness).
Three things,
When Wilson wrote about the singularity, he discussed
the entire sum of human knoweledge, whereas Vinge only
discussed computer power (software/hardware).
Secondly, when I went to see Wilson in 1988, for his
his three-night lecture series, there were over 400
people in the auditoriam, and the average age of those
in attendence then was at least 35. Hardly naughty
teenagers.
Thirdly, Wilson's loud disclaimer has been repeated
too many times to count, 'HE DOESN'T BELIEVE
ANYTHING', which includes all the models, metaphors,
strange conspiricies and 'witterings' he discusses.
Paul
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