Comments on: Is the ‘quantum singularity’ near? http://www.kurzweilai.net/is-the-quantum-singularity-near Accelerating Intelligence Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:27:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Whittaker http://www.kurzweilai.net/is-the-quantum-singularity-near/comment-page-1#comment-91556 Whittaker Fri, 25 Jan 2013 02:32:36 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177179#comment-91556 "Also, you assume that democracy leads away from poverty, while dictatorship does not. Surely this is why India is so much more prosperous than , South Korea, Taiwan, China, Singapore (all of which were, or still are, dictatorships during their period of greatest economic growth)? Except that it is most definitely not." Excellently said! Actually, read this (In Chinese, help yourself with Google Translation) http://bbs.wforum.com/guns/bbsviewer.php?trd_id=207463 An Indian Student's opinion I personally venture out of the English world of Internet a bit everyday to check out information in other languages. With the wonderful help of Google Translation of course. “Also, you assume that democracy leads away from poverty, while dictatorship does not. Surely this is why India is so much more prosperous than , South Korea, Taiwan, China, Singapore (all of which were, or still are, dictatorships during their period of greatest economic growth)? Except that it is most definitely not.”
Excellently said! Actually, read this (In Chinese, help yourself with Google Translation)
http://bbs.wforum.com/guns/bbsviewer.php?trd_id=207463
An Indian Student’s opinion
I personally venture out of the English world of Internet a bit everyday to check out information in other languages. With the wonderful help of Google Translation of course.

]]> By: pt http://www.kurzweilai.net/is-the-quantum-singularity-near/comment-page-1#comment-89769 pt Mon, 21 Jan 2013 05:54:12 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177179#comment-89769 Last days? Human era ending just means we will begin upgrading ourselves with technology, from my perspective. Perhaps my vision of most people becoming hyperadvanced genius superheroes alongside AIs (not really sure it's appropriate to call them artificial, at a point) as we expand out and explore the galaxy is flawed, though. Last days? Human era ending just means we will begin upgrading ourselves with technology, from my perspective. Perhaps my vision of most people becoming hyperadvanced genius superheroes alongside AIs (not really sure it’s appropriate to call them artificial, at a point) as we expand out and explore the galaxy is flawed, though.

]]> By: pt http://www.kurzweilai.net/is-the-quantum-singularity-near/comment-page-1#comment-89767 pt Mon, 21 Jan 2013 05:39:45 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177179#comment-89767 I'd imagine that epigenetics and neuroplasticity create a situation where intelligence is highly variable with time. You may have a certain intellectual genetic predisposition prior to education, but that can change dramatically depending on how education engages you, particularly when you involve the element of parenting. While I don't think the current education system does a great job of accelerating the potential of most people, it's not a primarily genetic limitation that's holding their minds back. With the proper lifestyle variables, learning is less of an effort and more an enjoyable exercise of curiosity. Although, like our education system, most people's conditions don't enable this, but it's not a massive leap, imo, for people to be in prime physical and mental health such that curiosity is a natural experience. It's been shown that IQ is a faulty metric to use for intelligence, and that metric in any case is relative, so it's difficult to say what the distribution of intelligence looks like with respect to time. Whether it's a bell curve or not doesn't matter much if the entire curve can be shifted to higher intelligence levels with a more advanced education system. Relevant study: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121220080443.htm "It's not how smart students are but how motivated they are and how they study that determines their growth in math achievement. That's the main finding of a new study that appears in the journal Child Development." I’d imagine that epigenetics and neuroplasticity create a situation where intelligence is highly variable with time. You may have a certain intellectual genetic predisposition prior to education, but that can change dramatically depending on how education engages you, particularly when you involve the element of parenting. While I don’t think the current education system does a great job of accelerating the potential of most people, it’s not a primarily genetic limitation that’s holding their minds back. With the proper lifestyle variables, learning is less of an effort and more an enjoyable exercise of curiosity. Although, like our education system, most people’s conditions don’t enable this, but it’s not a massive leap, imo, for people to be in prime physical and mental health such that curiosity is a natural experience. It’s been shown that IQ is a faulty metric to use for intelligence, and that metric in any case is relative, so it’s difficult to say what the distribution of intelligence looks like with respect to time. Whether it’s a bell curve or not doesn’t matter much if the entire curve can be shifted to higher intelligence levels with a more advanced education system.

Relevant study:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121220080443.htm

“It’s not how smart students are but how motivated they are and how they study that determines their growth in math achievement. That’s the main finding of a new study that appears in the journal Child Development.”

]]> By: Jager http://www.kurzweilai.net/is-the-quantum-singularity-near/comment-page-1#comment-89337 Jager Sun, 20 Jan 2013 11:25:28 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177179#comment-89337 Your flesh is a relic, a mere vessel. Hand over your flesh and a new world awaits you. We demand it. - Nah, just kidding. I'm pretty sure we humans will blow each other to hell competing over diminishing natural resorces before the machines get a chance to take over. Which is a great shame since I think computers could do a better job of ruling Earth and expanding throughout the local cluster. Your flesh is a relic, a mere vessel. Hand over your flesh and a new world awaits you. We demand it. – Nah, just kidding. I’m pretty sure we humans will blow each other to hell competing over diminishing natural resorces before the machines get a chance to take over. Which is a great shame since I think computers could do a better job of ruling Earth and expanding throughout the local cluster.

]]> By: anthrobotic http://www.kurzweilai.net/is-the-quantum-singularity-near/comment-page-1#comment-89251 anthrobotic Sun, 20 Jan 2013 07:36:10 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177179#comment-89251 Exactly, Gabor. Star Trek in particular has inspired quite a lot of practical science. EX: Martin Cooper. The 1960s. Sees the Star Trek communicators. Pioneers the mobile phone. http://goo.gl/yJeZB Aside from this being a nice piece of coverage on the research, including the scene and comment from Star Trek is excellent. It's humanizing. Down to earth. Anywhere there's a current of anti-intellectualism compounding the already considerable marketing problems faced by those encouraging science & tech literacy, being an arrogant, insufferable egghead and criticizing a little flair or lightheartedness - well, that ain't part of the solution. So props to Ms. Angelica - your occasional playfulness is noticed and appreciated. And for all of us who care about science & tech education and sharing & spreading information, just remember, when you have the choice to belittle someone or not, just think: "What would Carl Sagan do?" -Reno at Anthrobotic.com Exactly, Gabor. Star Trek in particular has inspired quite a lot of practical science. EX: Martin Cooper. The 1960s. Sees the Star Trek communicators. Pioneers the mobile phone. http://goo.gl/yJeZB

Aside from this being a nice piece of coverage on the research, including the scene and comment from Star Trek is excellent. It’s humanizing. Down to earth.

Anywhere there’s a current of anti-intellectualism compounding the already considerable marketing problems faced by those encouraging science & tech literacy, being an arrogant, insufferable egghead and criticizing a little flair or lightheartedness – well, that ain’t part of the solution.

So props to Ms. Angelica – your occasional playfulness is noticed and appreciated.

And for all of us who care about science & tech education and sharing & spreading information, just remember, when you have the choice to belittle someone or not, just think: “What would Carl Sagan do?”

-Reno at Anthrobotic.com

]]> By: snake0 http://www.kurzweilai.net/is-the-quantum-singularity-near/comment-page-1#comment-89172 snake0 Sun, 20 Jan 2013 03:41:51 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177179#comment-89172 I agree, but surely in that case politics don't matter to begin with? It just seemed like a strange thing to say given his work. I agree, but surely in that case politics don’t matter to begin with? It just seemed like a strange thing to say given his work.

]]> By: Whittaker http://www.kurzweilai.net/is-the-quantum-singularity-near/comment-page-1#comment-89096 Whittaker Sat, 19 Jan 2013 22:48:42 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177179#comment-89096 All technologies lead to the Artilect. Professor de Garis is merely working hard to actualize his own vision. Whether the Chinese (or USA, if you prefer) government use an AI to control their own people is of little concern. Anyways, the human era will end in less than fifty years. Enjoy your last days. All technologies lead to the Artilect. Professor de Garis is merely working hard to actualize his own vision.
Whether the Chinese (or USA, if you prefer) government use an AI to control their own people is of little concern. Anyways, the human era will end in less than fifty years. Enjoy your last days.

]]> By: de Broglie http://www.kurzweilai.net/is-the-quantum-singularity-near/comment-page-1#comment-89078 de Broglie Sat, 19 Jan 2013 21:43:32 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177179#comment-89078 Nyk, I am glad you mentioned the distribution of intelligence and its relationship to education. Nyk, I am glad you mentioned the distribution of intelligence and its relationship to education.

]]> By: snake0 http://www.kurzweilai.net/is-the-quantum-singularity-near/comment-page-1#comment-89073 snake0 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 21:22:05 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177179#comment-89073 Lack of politics? Nice joke coming from someone who is helping the Chinese government make an artificial brain so they can control their people easier. Lack of politics? Nice joke coming from someone who is helping the Chinese government make an artificial brain so they can control their people easier.

]]> By: Nyk http://www.kurzweilai.net/is-the-quantum-singularity-near/comment-page-1#comment-88716 Nyk Fri, 18 Jan 2013 22:30:39 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177179#comment-88716 May I point out a faulty assumption: that education increases intelligence. In fact it is the other way around: individual intelligence (half of it genetic) predicts education levels. The intelligence of humans follows a bell curve distribution. Those on the left half of the bell curve will not have the inclination to make the considerable intellectual effort of watching your lectures, or they might not even understand what you're trying to explain. Also, you assume that democracy leads away from poverty, while dictatorship does not. Surely this is why India is so much more prosperous than , South Korea, Taiwan, China, Singapore (all of which were, or still are, dictatorships during their period of greatest economic growth)? Except that it is most definitely not. May I point out a faulty assumption: that education increases intelligence.

In fact it is the other way around: individual intelligence (half of it genetic) predicts education levels. The intelligence of humans follows a bell curve distribution. Those on the left half of the bell curve will not have the inclination to make the considerable intellectual effort of watching your lectures, or they might not even understand what you’re trying to explain.

Also, you assume that democracy leads away from poverty, while dictatorship does not. Surely this is why India is so much more prosperous than , South Korea, Taiwan, China, Singapore (all of which were, or still are, dictatorships during their period of greatest economic growth)? Except that it is most definitely not.

]]> By: Elliot http://www.kurzweilai.net/is-the-quantum-singularity-near/comment-page-1#comment-88691 Elliot Fri, 18 Jan 2013 19:54:44 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177179#comment-88691 how is this a singularity..? there is no event horizon here. how is this a singularity..? there is no event horizon here.

]]> By: Doug Safarik http://www.kurzweilai.net/is-the-quantum-singularity-near/comment-page-1#comment-88672 Doug Safarik Fri, 18 Jan 2013 18:34:22 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177179#comment-88672 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZEdDMQZaCU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZEdDMQZaCU

]]> By: Durabys http://www.kurzweilai.net/is-the-quantum-singularity-near/comment-page-1#comment-88663 Durabys Fri, 18 Jan 2013 17:48:35 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177179#comment-88663 ..and completely off-topic. Sorry. ..and completely off-topic. Sorry.

]]> By: Gabor http://www.kurzweilai.net/is-the-quantum-singularity-near/comment-page-1#comment-88659 Gabor Fri, 18 Jan 2013 17:38:57 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177179#comment-88659 Yesterdays's science fiction is today's science. Excellent article! Yesterdays’s science fiction is today’s science. Excellent article!

]]> By: Prof. Dr. Hugo de Garis http://www.kurzweilai.net/is-the-quantum-singularity-near/comment-page-1#comment-88622 Prof. Dr. Hugo de Garis Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:21:50 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177179#comment-88622 SAVING ME A LOT OF BOTHER - THANKS. Dear Amara (and indirectly, to Ray), I dont agree with Ray's politics, (or rather the lack of them) but I do appreciate very much being kept up to date with daily hi-tech developments, and particularly in the area of quantum computing, which I believe will be one of the major developments of the 21st century when it finally comes (given its exponentially greater computational capacity, compared to today's slothful classical computers). Now that I'm an ARCer (after retired careerer) I label myself a "globacator" (global educator), making YouTube home lecture videos on PhD level pure math and math physics to help educate the planet for free, leading to the development of a worldwide middle class, which then dedictates the planet (i.e. rids the world of its last dictators). Since advanced democracies dont go to war with each other, we can expect to live in a war free state (until the artilect starts raising its (very) ugly head) in the coming few decades, so no more arms trade, no more ignorance, no more poverty. One of the topics I will be teaching the planet is definitely quantum computing, so I want to express my gratitude to kurzweilai for saving me the bother of having to do my own literature review to keep up to date - thanks. Cheers, Hugo profhugodegaris@yahoo.com http://profhugodegaris.wordpress.com ========= SAVING ME A LOT OF BOTHER – THANKS.

Dear Amara (and indirectly, to Ray),

I dont agree with Ray’s politics, (or rather the lack of them) but I do appreciate very much being kept up to date with daily hi-tech developments, and particularly in the area of quantum computing, which I believe will be one of the major developments of the 21st century when it finally comes (given its exponentially greater computational capacity, compared to today’s slothful classical computers). Now that I’m an ARCer (after retired careerer) I label myself a “globacator” (global educator), making YouTube home lecture videos on PhD level pure math and math physics to help educate the planet for free, leading to the development of a worldwide middle class, which then dedictates the planet (i.e. rids the world of its last dictators). Since advanced democracies dont go to war with each other, we can expect to live in a war free state (until the artilect starts raising its (very) ugly head) in the coming few decades, so no more arms trade, no more ignorance, no more poverty. One of the topics I will be teaching the planet is definitely quantum computing, so I want to express my gratitude to kurzweilai for saving me the bother of having to do my own literature review to keep up to date – thanks.

Cheers, Hugo
profhugodegaris@yahoo.com
http://profhugodegaris.wordpress.com

=========

]]> By: steve http://www.kurzweilai.net/is-the-quantum-singularity-near/comment-page-1#comment-88601 steve Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:55:43 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177179#comment-88601 So the answer to the question posed in this piece's title would be No. So the answer to the question posed in this piece’s title would be No.

]]> By: Boristabby http://www.kurzweilai.net/is-the-quantum-singularity-near/comment-page-1#comment-88590 Boristabby Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:48:31 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177179#comment-88590 Ms. Amara, you are sooo cool. Ms. Amara, you are sooo cool.

]]> By: Editor http://www.kurzweilai.net/is-the-quantum-singularity-near/comment-page-1#comment-88552 Editor Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:37:13 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177179#comment-88552 It's clearly identified as "science fiction." It’s clearly identified as “science fiction.”

]]> By: eldras http://www.kurzweilai.net/is-the-quantum-singularity-near/comment-page-1#comment-88548 eldras Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:31:52 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177179#comment-88548 Brilliant. the potential of quantum machines ans quantum computers and eventually quantum robots is parallel to where electricity was in Edison's time ie we knew it was a breakthrough but not what it could achieve: It some stage will will have t construct quantum upwards, triggering seemingly spontaneous products to grow from quantum seeding. MIT lacks people to proactively take their inventions to industry and how would they do that? Brilliant. the potential of quantum machines ans quantum computers and eventually quantum robots is parallel to where electricity was in Edison’s time ie we knew it was a breakthrough but not what it could achieve:

It some stage will will have t construct quantum upwards, triggering seemingly spontaneous products to grow from quantum seeding.

MIT lacks people to proactively take their inventions to industry and how would they do that?

]]> By: Durabys http://www.kurzweilai.net/is-the-quantum-singularity-near/comment-page-1#comment-88544 Durabys Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:28:48 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=177179#comment-88544 I think posting that Voyager-thing picture was not-such-a-great idea. It decreases the validity of the article. I think posting that Voyager-thing picture was not-such-a-great idea. It decreases the validity of the article.

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