Some interesting things to ponder - all interrelated

[FirstAscent]

Consider the following:

- The Singularity
- Immortality
- Life in the Universe
- The Hard Problem
- The Easy Problem
- Quantum entanglement
- The Two Slit Experiment
- Bell's Theorem
- Gödel's Theorem
- Relativity
- Dark Energy
- The human diaspora (prehistoric)
- The human diaspora (in the future)
- The overkill hypothesis
- Climate change
- The human socio-economic-political complex
- Steady state economics

I may edit and add to this list. Discuss. Links to books, papers and websites should be forthcoming.

Here are some names:

- Aubrey de Grey
- Vernor Vinge
- David Chalmers
- Daniel Dennett
- Roger Penrose
- Stephen Hawking
- Paul Ehrlich
- Herman Daly
- Werner Heisenberg
- John S. Bell
- Kurt Gödel
- Albert Einstein
- Niels Bohr

[Phinnaeus Gage]

Consider the following:

- The Singularity
- Immortality
- Life in the Universe
- The Hard Problem
- The Easy Problem
- Quantum entanglement
- The Two Slit Experiment
- Bell's Theorem
- Relativity
- Dark Energy
- The human diaspora (prehistoric)
- The human diaspora (in the future)
- The overkill hypothesis
- Climate change
- The human socio-economic-political complex
- Steady state economics

I may edit and add to this list. Discuss. Links to books, papers and websites should be forthcoming.

Here are some names:

- Aubrey de Grey
- Vernor Vinge
- David Chalmers
- Daniel Dennett
- Roger Penrose
- Stephen Hawking
- Paul Ehrlich
- Herman Daly
- Werner Heisenberg
- John S. Bell
- Albert Einstein
- Niels Bohr

Is there any way you can quickly add to this list for, as it stands know, the talking points are quite limited.

~Cackling Bear~

[FirstAscent]

Is there any way you can quickly add to this list for, as it stands know, the talking points are quite limited.

Yeah. I've added Gödel's Theorem.

[Phinnaeus Gage]

Is there any way you can quickly add to this list for, as it stands know, the talking points are quite limited.

Yeah. I've added Gödel's Theorem.

What about famous chess strategies?

Three Prong Pawn Attack
Pattayan Gambit
Black played by White with an extra tempo

[bb113]

When I play chess I either win in under ten moves or lose.

[Phinnaeus Gage]

When I play chess I either win in under ten moves or lose.

It's safe to assume, there's a leak in your game.

[LightRider]

-Resource Based Economy

-Buckminster Fuller
-Jacque Fresco

[FirstAscent]

What about famous chess strategies?

Because it does not, has not, and won't be relevant to all of humanity or the Universe.

[FirstAscent]

Obviously I'm going to have to start a thread on each one of these topics.

[benjamindees]

You'll probably want to add Quantum Suicide to that list eventually.

[FirstAscent]

You'll probably want to add Quantum Suicide to that list eventually.

I had never heard of Quantum Suicide before. I googled it and it's interesting. Thanks. It also reminded me of Schrödinger's cat, which I am aware of. Should either of these be added to the list? I am not certain. We have three quantum mechanics topics in the list already which pretty much capture the gamut of quantum physics.

Maybe the Big Bang would be a candidate for the list though?

[FirstAscent]

Let's begin with the Singularity. And no, we're not talking about black holes or a mathematical concept. It's something else.

Here's the paper by the science fiction author Vernor Vinge who coined the term and will allow you to familiarize yourself with the concept: http://www.forbiddengate.com/vinge-singularity.pdf

I have reason to believe the outcome is going to be bad, not good.

[Mousepotato]

Here are some names:

- Aubrey de Grey
- Vernor Vinge
- David Chalmers
- Daniel Dennett
- Roger Penrose
- Stephen Hawking
- Paul Ehrlich
- Herman Daly
- Werner Heisenberg
- John S. Bell
- Kurt Gödel
- Albert Einstein
- Niels Bohr

What is Vernor Vinge doing in that list?  Isn't he a bad sci-fi novelist?  Granted, I only read one book of his (Across Realtime) but that was enough for me.

[FirstAscent]

Here are some names:

- Aubrey de Grey
- Vernor Vinge
- David Chalmers
- Daniel Dennett
- Roger Penrose
- Stephen Hawking
- Paul Ehrlich
- Herman Daly
- Werner Heisenberg
- John S. Bell
- Kurt Gödel
- Albert Einstein
- Niels Bohr

What is Vernor Vinge doing in that list?  Isn't he a bad sci-fi novelist?  Granted, I only read one book of his (Across Realtime) but that was enough for me.

Your post has really bad timing. Try reading my last post. Oh, and Vernor Vinge is a Hugo winner. Read A Fire Upon the Deep and then get back to me.

[FirstAscent]

I'm still waiting for some pondering on these subjects - rather than pondering on what should be and not be on the list.

Yes, I know, I'm guilty too. That's because my responses are influenced by the existence of meta pondering rather than the pondering.

[Explodicle]

Let's begin with the Singularity. And no, we're not talking about black holes or a mathematical concept. It's something else.

Here's the paper by the science fiction author Vernor Vinge who coined the term and will allow you to familiarize yourself with the concept: http://www.forbiddengate.com/vinge-singularity.pdf

I have reason to believe the outcome is going to be bad, not good.

1) Why will the outcome be bad?
2)  Has accelerating change been historically good or bad?
3) Do you think cryptocurrency is hastening the singularity?

Personally, I'm a big fan of Robin Hanson's "if uploads come first" singularity theory. When I first heard about Bitcoin, I immediately thought how it might be one of those Big Things that become a data point on those singularity extrapolation graphs. A year later it still hasn't quite taken off, but I'm still bullish.

[benjamindees]

You'll probably want to add Quantum Suicide to that list eventually.

I had never heard of Quantum Suicide before. I googled it and it's interesting. Thanks. It also reminded me of Schrödinger's cat, which I am aware of. Should either of these be added to the list? I am not certain. We have three quantum mechanics topics in the list already which pretty much capture the gamut of quantum physics.

Maybe the Big Bang would be a candidate for the list though?

Oh, I was under the impression that your list had a common theme.

If so, I would add evolution and the predominance of religious belief and warfare and cellular automata and perhaps remove dark energy since it doesn't seem to fit in based on my rudimentary understanding.

For some discussion of Bell's Theorem, how about this.

[Phinnaeus Gage]

[FirstAscent]

If so, I would add evolution and the predominance of religious belief and warfare and cellular automata and perhaps remove dark energy since it doesn't seem to fit in based on my rudimentary understanding.

Evolution seems solved. Maybe it's deserving of entry into the list within the context of human transcendence. I think to be a candidate for the list, it needs to be not entirely solved, with implications regarding the future of mankind.

Let's see:

- The Singularity: yes
- Immortality: yes
- Life in the Universe: yes
- The Hard Problem: yes
- The Easy Problem: yes
- Quantum entanglement: yes
- The Two Slit Experiment: yes
- Bell's Theorem: maybe
- Gödel's Theorem: maybe
- Relativity: yes
- Dark Energy: yes
- The human diaspora (prehistoric): maybe
- The human diaspora (in the future): yes
- The overkill hypothesis: yes
- Climate change: yes
- The human socio-economic-political complex: yes
- Steady state economics: yes

[FirstAscent]

So which topic is going to capture somebody's attention?