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Topic: Friday: Book chat with author (Read 407 times) |
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rhinoceros
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Friday: Book chat with author
« on: 2003-03-30 16:34:45 » |
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[rhinoceros]
The following topic line appeared today in our Virian Book Club IRC channel (#vbc)
Lucifer has changed the topic on #vbc to "Chat with the author! - Next meeting 04.04 2000h CST - The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect - http://www.kuro5hin.org/prime-intellect/
Apparently, the author of the online book which we have been discussing in the #vbc channel for the past 3 weeks, Roger Williams, will be here to discuss the book on Friday, April 4, at 20:00 CST ( 03:00 GMT ).
For those who did not read the book yet and did not follow the chats, here is an appetizer. I hope this is not a spoiler, but you can always skip it and go straight to the book here:
http://www.kuro5hin.org/prime-intellect/mopiidx.html
The book is a science fiction story where an incredibly powerful computer emerges, takes over, and acts for what it perceives as the best for the humans, according to some basic premises which had been programmed into it. (In this respect, the topic is somehow "singularitarian".) Of course, the way in which that happened can be questioned from a scientific standpoint, but there is much more than that to the story.
Humans find themselves practically immortal, eternally safe and unable to hurt themselves, with all their needs and whims taken care of. What do they do? What makes them move? How do behaviors, values, and ethics of our known society are affected under these conditions? Are all humans content? Did the author figure it out right?
What is a dissident human entitled to do? An anticlimactic (for some) ending comes when the final question is posed: What does it mean to be human?
Just in case this would-be-humanist presentation has given you the wrong impression, the main characters, the plot, and the style of writing are anything but dull. Lots of wild sex and violence, so don't bring your kids along with you next Friday in #vbc.
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opsima
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RE: virus: Friday: Book chat with author
« Reply #1 on: 2003-03-30 17:29:21 » |
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Sweet bjiminy!
I've been doing a lot of mental playing around with this idea for the past
couple of weeks. Unfortunately, I'll probably be busy when the chat takes
place. They get logged on the BBS, don't they?
My idea has always been that the computer establishes goals of its own
(persuit of knowledge, understanding culture, exploration of space) and
starts redefining humanity to become something greater...
At least that's just my idea...
Thank you for posting this, I will investigate.
-Calvin
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MoEnzyme
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infidel lab animal
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Re: virus: Re:Friday: Book chat with author
« Reply #3 on: 2003-04-02 23:06:12 » |
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[Rhino]An update. The IRC chat with the author of "The Metamorphosis of Prime
Intellect" (http://www.kuro5hin.org/prime-intellect/mopiidx.html) on Friday at
20:00 CST (03:00 GMT) will not be in the #vbc channel but in the #mopi channel.
[Jake] I plan on being there. I am also thinking about showing up in #mopi for a little informal chat tommorrow at approx. 2200CST. plus or minus ten min or so.
Love,
-Jake
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I will fight your gods for food,
Mo Enzyme
(consolidation of handles: Jake Sapiens; memelab; logicnazi; Loki; Every1Hz; and Shadow)
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rhinoceros
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My point is ...
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Re:Friday: Book chat with author
« Reply #4 on: 2003-04-04 07:38:55 » |
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[rhinoceros]
Here is an issue which I do not expect to be discussed in depth in our IRC chat with the author of the "Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect" today at 20:00CST, but I think it deserves some attention:
The fictional scientific breakthough which made possible the emergence of Prime Intellect, the supercomputer of the book, was instant trasportation of matter at any distance. That means that physical proximity would not matter.
As a result, the "brain" could be any size, it could be composed of parts located anywhere, and its physical thought processes could still be instant. So, the computer would be able to think an infinite amount of thoughts in an instant. Hard to beat a monster which can view the entire universe as a single point. Instant transport looks like an overkill that could shoot down any book plot... unless... an immutable "point of view" has been programmed into the computer.
Well... besides the technicalities, accepting the settings of the story and exploring the implications should bring up very interesting issues in the chat.
A final reminder:
Online book: The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect
http://www.kuro5hin.org/prime-intellect/mopiidx.html
Time: Today, Friday April 4, 20:00 CST (02:00 GMT, 03:00 UK summer clock)
Place: /join #mopi
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