X-Message-Number: 29636
From: 
Date: Wed, 4 Jul 2007 10:49:17 EDT
Subject: Re: "The Future Aint What it Used to Be!" 

In a message dated 7/4/2007 4:01:17 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
 writes:
 
Mark Plus wrote:


The  current issue has an article by Mordechai Ben-Ari titled, "The End of  
Science Revisited: The Case for Incrementalism in the Future of Science."  
I've scanned it, and you can download the Adobe file from this  link:

http://www.box.net/shared/ty7bxa0
(Rudi writing)
 
While I don't always agree with Mark Plus, he has  referenced a rather 
compelling article here.  
 
So, allow me to contribute a small piece to the thread  of whiny "where's my 
jet car?" protests and related handwringing because  the future is coming 
along way to goddam slow for many of us in the  "technoutopian" class.
 
Jesus...the above is a pretty great, if run on and too  long, sentence!  
 
Seriously,while  I am regretfully hyperaware of the  "angst" many of us in 
cryonics have about slow breakthroughs, it is probably  important for us to 
continue to take the long view and maintain a reasonable  level of optimism.
 
For those of us who pride ourselves on rationality and  realistic assessments 
of reality, there may be a countervailing personal benefit  to doing 
something that would have to be described as "keeping the  faith."
 
(No, this is not the kind of "Faith" that Sam Harris say's  we need to 
end...I am not advocating believing anything without reasonable  evidence.)
 
But I do think we as human beings tend to be happier when  we ARE able to 
focus on the multiple ways life is getting better.
 
And, there is a great concept I have often referred to as  the "USEFUL MYTH." 
 

(To my knowledge, this verbiage is original  with me...but it probably is 
not.  Nearly every time I think I have created  an original or semi-profound 

idea, I later find that someone not only thought of  it FIRST...they articulated
and wrote it BETTER than I ever HAD or probably  COULD!   I remember how 

profoundly this affected me reading the early  work in "Extropy" magazine, in 
which 
Max More's writing was seminal, crisp, and  articulated ideas I thought were 
original with me.  But he wrote them much  more clearly.  That is why I sell 

cryonics insurance and retirement  plans and Max is a professional philosopher.)
 
Most people have the "useful myth" of religion or  superstition to help keep 
them in a reasonably good frame of mind.  
 
Those of us who for better or worse have had enough  Anthropology and Science 
education who are now forced to deal with the harsh  likelihood (reality?) 
that we exist in a Universe that does not give two figs  for us NEED some kind 
of equivalent "Useful myth."
 
And, for many of us fans of Kurzweil and Drexler, the  "useful myth" has been 
that the whiz bang nanotech of the near term future will  start making life a 
LOT better for everyone.  
 
(Never mind the pretty obvious fact that the "whiz bang"  technology I am 

writing this on, a fast computer connected at broadband speeds  to a astonishing
world wide web, and it is a good tool...and yet it brings me  huge amounts of 
frustration and annoyance.  I spent most of my business day  yesterday dealing 
with my fucker of a computer, trying to make it do what it is  supposed to 
do.  Never mind the jet pack...Where the hell is my  "productivity dividend?")
 
 
And now Mark Plus comes along and refers us to a well  written, decently 
researched article that takes away at least part of the  glitter on this 
"accelerating future."  
 
Well, Mark, and "Skeptic" magazine, as Stephen Colbert  would say, "We don't 
care about your rational and scientific analysis!   What do we FEEL about 
this?"

And I FEEL...or at least I desperately WANT  to feel... that life is INDEED 
getting better for most of us.  And that the  blessings of technology and 

prosperity will continue to expand our lives and  capabilities, and make our 
future 
life experience something close to never  ending bliss.
 
Here endeth my particular faith, a faith I readily and  rationally 
acknowledge may be a "Useful Myth."
 
Happy 4th...celebrate Liberty.
 
Rudi

Rudi Richard Hoffman CFP CLU  ChFC

Board Member Financial Planning Association fpafla.org
Board  Member Salvation Army salvationarmy.org
Member Alcor Life Extension  Foundation alcor.org
Certified Financial Planner(TM) CFP Board of Standards  
Member Libertarian Party libertarianparty.org
Member National Rifle  Association nra.org
Member World Transhumanist Association  http://transhumanism.org/
World's Leading Cryonics Insurance Provider  rudihoffman.com



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