In other words, transhumanism promotes a way of thinking which tends to make transhumanists spectators of, instead of active participants in, creating the sort of future they want to see. And cryonics has become a casualty of this screwed up world view, when it didn’t have to turn out that way. Why exert yourself to improve cryonics’ scientific credibility—again, in ways which neuroscientists would have to take seriously—when you believe that friendly AI’s, Drexler’s genie-like nanomachines and the technological singularity will solve your problems in the next 20-30 years? And as a bonus, this wonderful world in 2045 or so will also revive almost all the cryonauts, no matter how badly damaged their brains.
applause. If there actually existed a cryopreservation technique that had been proven to really work in animal models—or better yet in human volunteers! - I would go ahead and sign up. But it doesn’t exist, and instead of telling me who’s working on making it exist, people tell me about the chances of successful revival using existing techniques.
I could say the same thing to the FAI effort. Actually, no, I am saying the same thing. Everyone seems to believe that too few people are committed to FAI research, but very few step up to actually volunteer their own efforts, even on a part-time basis, despite much of it still being in the realm of pure mathematics or ethics where you need little more than a good brain, some paper, pens, and lots of spare time to make a possible contribution.
Nu? If everyone has a problem and no-one is doing anything about it… why?
applause. If there actually existed a cryopreservation technique that had been proven to really work in animal models—or better yet in human volunteers! - I would go ahead and sign up. But it doesn’t exist, and instead of telling me who’s working on making it exist, people tell me about the chances of successful revival using existing techniques.
I could say the same thing to the FAI effort. Actually, no, I am saying the same thing. Everyone seems to believe that too few people are committed to FAI research, but very few step up to actually volunteer their own efforts, even on a part-time basis, despite much of it still being in the realm of pure mathematics or ethics where you need little more than a good brain, some paper, pens, and lots of spare time to make a possible contribution.
Nu? If everyone has a problem and no-one is doing anything about it… why?