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Posted on Jul 21, 2009
brain
dailymail.co.uk

It’s not news that the planet is in trouble, that global food and energy supplies won’t last long at the current rate of consumption, and that we’ve basically got a big mess on our hands as the species most responsible for all of the above and more. What’s the human race to do? The answer, according to The Atlantic’s Jamais Cascio, could have something to do with intelligence augmentation, but we’re definitely still skeptical over here.

The Atlantic:

But here’s an optimistic scenario for you: if the next several decades are as bad as some of us fear they could be, we can respond, and survive, the way our species has done time and again: by getting smarter. But this time, we don’t have to rely solely on natural evolutionary processes to boost our intelligence. We can do it ourselves.

Most people don’t realize that this process is already under way. In fact, it’s happening all around us, across the full spectrum of how we understand intelligence. It’s visible in the hive mind of the Internet, in the powerful tools for simulation and visualization that are jump-starting new scientific disciplines, and in the development of drugs that some people (myself included) have discovered let them study harder, focus better, and stay awake longer with full clarity. So far, these augmentations have largely been outside of our bodies, but they’re very much part of who we are today: they’re physically separate from us, but we and they are becoming cognitively inseparable. And advances over the next few decades, driven by breakthroughs in genetic engineering and artificial intelligence, will make today’s technologies seem primitive. The nascent jargon of the field describes this as “ intelligence augmentation.” I prefer to think of it as “You+.”

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CJ's avatar

By CJ, July 27, 2009 at 7:17 pm Link to this comment

Apparently, Mr. Cascio never heard of the disinformation highway, by which only the stupid never feel exhausted. “Most people (including Cascio) don’t realize” a bunch a stuff. Thanks not least to the very opposite of what he contends; namely, dumbing down. Which process is—in the real world beyond the Internet, though also online—ongoing.

What the hell is he talking about? New Age Scientism? Futurism? Once again misunderstood Darwinism? For a second there I thought I might be in for brain im-plantation/colonization. (Not that I couldn’t use that, no doubt. But not that, apparently.)

Just today, Maher appeared again with Wolf Blitzer for yet another of medias’ most bizarre encounters. (Forget Dr. Phil and Oprah. For really weird, see Blitzer in role of Maher’s straight-man. I guess you can state one or two facts of real life over the tube so long as you’re…Bill Maher? Or so long as you come over like a lounge-lizard just off a binge? Just in time to be interviewed by the “Wolf Man.” Woof, woof.)

At one point, Maher informed Blitzer (and the universe) that the country is “stupid.” After a couple minutes (of commercials, if I recall), Blitzer reappeared talking back to Maher of how CNN was getting emails asking what Maher meant by “stupid”?

DUH, Wolf Man! Which-boiled down-was what Maher answered when he told Wolf that what he meant is that the country is stupid. (Not that complicated.) One more time—since well said, Bill—DUH!

Might have said, “dumber than a post,” which old adage has by now taken on a whole new meaning.

Next up, “How To Become Smarter (and More Successful, Not To Mention Hugely More Sexy) and Feel Better By Way Of Wicca.” (One can only hope for a better jacket illustration, by the way. Possibly depicting something so original as a lady in London Fog and pointy hat atop a broomstick.)

Until being saved then,

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By rockinrobin, July 23, 2009 at 8:47 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

the USA used to give out food commodies; they let crops rot in fields giving out $ for “price” control; they switched then to “food stamps”; as they held back products, to get more $ 4 themselves; illegally thru misuse of media, & abuse of “laws”: ie deliberately underpricing to force farmers out of business; then gobbling up the land for “Corps”; so successfully did they do this in the USA that they have gone globally; same CORPS; using military might; weaponing up heads of nations to tell THEM to hold back food supply under arms: to make the people PAY more more more: THIS they say is “democracy”; flooding nations with cheaper crops than the people can grow: THIS of course will be “free” trade; as in the USA the “free dom” you have to buy ONLY from THEM; enslaved to Corps connected to Congress & Pentagon; THESE of course are full of CHEMICALS: average onion contains minimum of 40 chemicals & upward: 75 is common; ONLY in the USA thru FALSE information called MISINFORMATION: is this done; stating “we are not going back” means they have NO INTENTION of stopping their deeds: Columbia: targeted & killing folks trying to unionize for “decent” living wage; traced back to Capitol Hill; Clinton (b) given $800,000 for H’s campaign & in 3 weeks it was claimed Colombia Trade Agreement was signed back in 2006; Bush claimed “it was for the peoples good” and wondered why the PEOPLE (some of us) objected to it; was being “put on internet” 5/5/08 as “bipartisan” agreement: now listed as “done” on internet as of 2006; NOTHING in it has benefitted the PEOPLE of the USA nor Colombia; and of course FAIR trade which benefits PEOPLE & ENVIRONMENT MUST be SQUASHED IMMEDIATELY!!!!!
THIS is the so called “democracy” and/or “free dom” they are FORCING down everyone’s throat: IGNORING wonderful plans that would have benefitted the PEOPLE & ENVIRONMENT: for THEIR greater “good” of THEIR pocketbooks: 900,000,000,000.00 is POCKET CHANGE to these folks: WAKE UP AMERICANS! now busy destroying crops, making them rot in fields, pulling up gardens, using weather control & destroying fresh water supply: first here in USA where they have SUCCESSFULLY gotten away with it for over 100 years: they are busy carrying out Hitler’s agenda: Corps in EVERY NATION: controlled of course by the rules & dictates of a handful of dominent men that Wilson lamented (Pres during WW1) when he STATED: we were NO LONGER the land of the FREE nor EVEN OF MAJORITY VOTE: but rather under the RULES & DICTATES of a handful of dominent men; NO REASON for shortage of EITHER food or WATER for ALL: except THAT would HARM their POCKETBOOKS: and that MUST be SQUASHED at all COSTS!

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Fat Freddy's avatar

By Fat Freddy, July 23, 2009 at 5:00 am Link to this comment

and in the development of drugs that some people (myself included) have discovered let them study harder, focus better, and stay awake longer with full clarity.

I think Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin has synthesized and identified several “smart drugs”. See PiHKAL and TiHKAL.

http://www.erowid.org/library/books_online/pihkal/pihkal.shtml

http://www.erowid.org/library/books_online/tihkal/tihkal.shtml

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By NYCartist, July 22, 2009 at 3:32 pm Link to this comment

How about starting with:
making sure all have enough food so they can think
a work day so they can get enough rest
childcare so mothers get help
teaching so kids can read, think critically
a media that tells information
resources, education FREE for all, as they can use it
health care for all so people can think about other
  things
housing so people can get beyond survival mode
income for all, so people can get beyond survival mode..

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By Anarcissie, July 22, 2009 at 2:29 pm Link to this comment

It would be reasonable to say that it is intelligence that got homo sapiens in trouble.  Additional intelligence might just make things worse, since h.s. evidently isn’t able to control the powers he already has.

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By Tim, July 22, 2009 at 9:17 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

This is the kind of jaunty, devil-may-care attitude about technology, which is incredibly destructive, that just gets my blood pressure up. I thought this sort of stupidity went out of fashion in the 90’s.

Making us smarter? It’s driving us crazy. No thank you.

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By keepyourheaddown, July 21, 2009 at 7:15 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

the development of drugs that some people (myself included) have discovered let them study harder, focus better, and stay awake longer with full clarity…
you are kidding yourself, how naive of you to think drugs like adderall(amphetamine salts) will be of any benefit…  in the long run…WAKE UP!

the drugs will eventually destroy your mind as well as your body…

truly immature thinking…

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