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Non-existent people are people too
Perhaps the simplest argument for caring deeply about the future is this obvious one: if humanity doesn’t wipe itself out, by far more people will live there than here. If you’re concerned with morally...
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Do singularitarians worry about their retirement?
Ronald Bailey provides good coverage of the Singularity Summit over at Reason. I am mystified as to what is going on in Peter Thiel’s mind here: Co-founder of Paypal, venture capitalist, and supporter...
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The important questions
With so many unimportant questions around to distract us, it’s important to be reminded of those that really matter. What are they? Here are my suggestions: What are the risks to there being any future...
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We may never civilise the wilderness, but we are on track to destroy it
Wild animals can count on human avarice, but not compassion, to end their suffering. David Pearce endorses reprogramming nature to reduce wild animal suffering: “A biosphere without suffering is...
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A preview of virtual reality
A while ago Bryan Caplan and Robin Hanson had a little stoush about how quickly the economy could grow when people can live in a virtual reality. Here’s Bryan: “I’m baffled. You don’t have to be a...
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Carl Sagan on the importance of preserving consciousness
HT Talia Katz. Tagged: consciousness, existential risk, the future, videos
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Growth more important than unions in the long run
How much does it matter whether we have labour unions or not? In the popular imagination labour unions are a significant factor in the incomes of ordinary people and a major reason we don’t endure the...
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Should singularitarians be socialists?
In the marketplace, factors of production (usually grouped into labour, capital and land/natural resources) are paid what is called their ‘marginal product’ (the extra output derived from the last unit...
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Martin Rees always interesting
Martin Rees on existential risk: I am concerned about the threats and opportunities posed by 21st century science, and how to react to them. There are some intractable risks stemming from science,...
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What problems would a baby born in 3000 AD want us to work on now?
Unsurprisingly given our psychology’s origin in evolution, humans spend most of their time thinking about everyday concerns: how to get food, stay clean, find friends, get laid, etc. Most of our...
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New existential risk links
Earlier today I had the pleasure of a long Skype with Seth Baum about existential risk and how I could best contribute to reducing it. Among other things, Seth studies climate change as a global...
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The case for working on an AI singularity even if it is improbable
For those concerned about the future there are a lot of things to worry about. Nuclear war, bioterrorism, asteroids, artificial intelligence, runaway climate change – the list goes on. All of these...
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Nick Bostrom interview on x-risk in The Atlantic
Nick Bostrom of the Future of Humanity Institute has a new interview in The Atlantic. It’s one of the more sophisticated discussions of existential risk I’ve seen in the mainstream press and is worth...
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Is an interstellar singleton possible?
In response to my post about the case for working for singleton futures, Proper Dave made a point that had occurred to me in passing but which I have never properly thought through. I actually believe...
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Should we be searching for new planets to live on?
Two academics from my university think so: Australian astronomers say finding planets outside the solar system that can sustain life should be made a top priority. Dr Charley Lineweaver and PhD student...
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Invest now, give later?
The power of exponential growth seems to make a compelling case for effective altruists to delay their donations. An average 5% return on investment (ROI) would turn one dollar into ten in 50 years...
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Is the future communist?
A common folk explanation for the triumph of capitalism over communism goes along these lines: Communism has some lovely notions about sharing wealth between people in proportion to their needs and...
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