Comments on: Vernor Vinge & The Singularity: Authors at Google http://www.kurzweilai.net/vernor-vinge-the-singularity-authors-at-google Accelerating Intelligence Wed, 22 May 2013 15:24:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Katherine MacLean (old science fiction writer and research fan http://www.kurzweilai.net/vernor-vinge-the-singularity-authors-at-google/comment-page-1#comment-25616 Katherine MacLean (old science fiction writer and research fan Sun, 22 Jul 2012 21:19:29 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=156402#comment-25616 If we notice something needs to be done and a story shows it can work. some team will invent it. and a good science fiction will show what else can happen because of the invention, that we might need to stop. Nobody said change will be safe If we notice something needs to be done and a story shows it can work. some team will invent it. and a good science fiction will show what else can happen because of the invention, that we might need to stop. Nobody said change will be safe

]]> By: John http://www.kurzweilai.net/vernor-vinge-the-singularity-authors-at-google/comment-page-1#comment-25594 John Sun, 22 Jul 2012 16:40:55 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=156402#comment-25594 And i like "this Vinge fella" and his way of thinking. If everyone was like him, the world would be much smarter place. Liked the video too. Also liked thoughts from the first comment. Probably, guys predicting the future are still mostly wrong, but it's good to have many scenarios as realistic as possible, to have them compete for becoming reality. We have a better control then over what will happen. And i like “this Vinge fella” and his way of thinking. If everyone was like him, the world would be much smarter place. Liked the video too.

Also liked thoughts from the first comment. Probably, guys predicting the future are still mostly wrong, but it’s good to have many scenarios as realistic as possible, to have them compete for becoming reality. We have a better control then over what will happen.

]]> By: Ste chadwick http://www.kurzweilai.net/vernor-vinge-the-singularity-authors-at-google/comment-page-1#comment-25577 Ste chadwick Sun, 22 Jul 2012 08:35:18 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=156402#comment-25577 I don't this vinge fella.but it is good to see the previous message. I don’t this vinge fella.but it is good to see the previous message.

]]> By: GatorALLin http://www.kurzweilai.net/vernor-vinge-the-singularity-authors-at-google/comment-page-1#comment-25427 GatorALLin Fri, 20 Jul 2012 20:54:24 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=156402#comment-25427 Loved getting to see this video...thanks for posting here. Fun to see how science fiction helps influence reality...and fun to see what minds like Vernor Vinge can dream up. When his books from years ago have ideas or themes come true later....is this just because his mind is trained to think along evolutionary paths that can or should come true? ...or does he do so many ideas that some would by luck and common sense come true and we mostly remember the ones that do? ...or does he bend the future by the fact so many of his fans work in technology and thinking or envisioning these worlds then helps it come true? My guess is a bit of all 3...with most of the ideas needing a lot more time to really prove themselves out. My gut also says that some of the guys that are so good at developing the actual current technology are not the same guys like Vernor Vinge that can imagine exactly what comes down the road and how this technology will be used or how it affects the future things that are developed because of it. Vernor makes a reference to scenario planning in this video and mentions how others who never thought through all the extreme possibilities can't then deal with other issues that pop up when the real time actually comes and often left behind or become obsolete. Maybe technology creators should take some time off to write science fiction novels just to teach their brains how to think longer term and thus help invent a better future? Loved getting to see this video…thanks for posting here. Fun to see how science fiction helps influence reality…and fun to see what minds like Vernor Vinge can dream up. When his books from years ago have ideas or themes come true later….is this just because his mind is trained to think along evolutionary paths that can or should come true? …or does he do so many ideas that some would by luck and common sense come true and we mostly remember the ones that do? …or does he bend the future by the fact so many of his fans work in technology and thinking or envisioning these worlds then helps it come true? My guess is a bit of all 3…with most of the ideas needing a lot more time to really prove themselves out.

My gut also says that some of the guys that are so good at developing the actual current technology are not the same guys like Vernor Vinge that can imagine exactly what comes down the road and how this technology will be used or how it affects the future things that are developed because of it. Vernor makes a reference to scenario planning in this video and mentions how others who never thought through all the extreme possibilities can’t then deal with other issues that pop up when the real time actually comes and often left behind or become obsolete. Maybe technology creators should take some time off to write science fiction novels just to teach their brains how to think longer term and thus help invent a better future?

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