Too weird for Maine or not marketed? (12/30/2014) The last post from the website.

Too weird for Maine or not marketed? 12/30/2014 0 Comments   Why such a gap in blogs? Aside from the all-inclusive graduate studies (and soon to be doctoral studies), I have been searching for new job positions in my area where I can make the most difference (and be paid for at least some of what I know). I have a long reading list and notes to take....and... I am not so sure of the need for this website. It is close to renewal time, and since traffic has been close to none (and I may be the only one reading this blog), I may just port all of my blogs over to Blogger.com and stop this website. There seems to be only one section I am interested in at the moment (Skeptical Maine), and I can move that page over to my main website (which has stopped being affiliated with this site). So why? Is this site too weird for this state? Truly, I have not promoted this website, and yes, the subject matter seems too sci-fi for people. I look weird talking about it. No one has the money within my reach to fund any of the breakthroughs that Google emails me about in transhumanist science. We can all watch and comment and only dream for now. This website is not doing anything but commenting. I cannot fund anything at the moment, and I cannot write from personal use of these technologies (save for cheap products like wristbands and apps). I also realize that there are many outlets online for the cutting edge info-- just set up a Google alert for "synthetic biology" or "transhumanism", and you will find what I sift through daily. California seems to be the hub of American transhumanism with Silicon Valley being the epicenter. Maine has a few great labs (Jackson Labs comes to mind), but MIT in Cambridge is the closest to cutting-edge. I have a good and safe seat for watching mistakes happen, but I am far too removed from the buzz of new tech. In other words, I currently cannot help you. I can make suggestions like I have done, but you can always get them elsewhere. By next month Humanity + Maine will cease to be unless it becomes relevant unexpectedly. It is not a popularity contest, it is my good use of time. This is not how to best use it for now. May we all learn and experience what new science and tech can better us in the future! Good luck!

Machines are taking our jobs... part 1 (6/10/2014)

Machines are taking our jobs... part 1 06/10/2014 0 Comments   Who has heard the subject of this blog said before? I did't want to address this before because to me, this was just another ignorant sentence from a misinformed person. That was until I heard this very thing being discussed on the BBC at 4:30 this morning. I found myself with something to say, and now I have something to write-- bringing me back to the land of blog. Here is a link to a similar story that I heard: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27125728 There is no question that everything is becoming more "smart" and automated-- our world is being analysed and optimized to keep us out of harm's way. We can debate if this is right or wrong, but it is certainly not stopping, but only increasing in speed. The more machines are used for the hard labor and potentially dangerous tasks, the more human lives are spared. This doesn't note that some humans want to do physically demanding labor and dangerous jobs, but then again, these people have not realized the potential of the human mind. And here is my point: Muscle abundance is overrated. The human brain is what makes us better than machines. Many people constantly equate power with muscle and physical prowess, and not mental agility and creativity. This is why youth is so coveted. Is this right? Everyone should stay in shape for health's sake, but our brain controls everything and consistently improves in greater leaps than any body building can promote. What will last? Sure, there is alzheimer's and dementia that can eventually eat away at our mind (if not treated, which science is working on), but staying in an overly muscular shape requires many different factors, and it can all change when one of those factors changes. In other words, we hold onto our mental strength longer than our physical strength-- so we should optimize both by setting priorities. What this means is to start signing up for those free online MOOCs (online classes). Read those books and participate in online forums about subjects you find fascinating.  Work on perfecting (meaning: making efficient) an exercise program for building strength and remaining tone. Make it a habit, but think of it as keeping a vehicle in functional order (your body is a vehicle for your brain). Health before healthcare-- you do not have time for health issues. What do the machines have over us? Maintenance on machines is not as severe and difficult as it is with humans. We cannot interchange parts so easy, and there is a certain point when getting repaired becomes futile. Unfortunately, we are not there yet in the research and science to give us super longevity and interchangeable parts. That is not to say that these issues are not being worked on. We are aligning with our machines and we remain with the upper hand, because we have the complex mind, the creative mind, and the exponentially growing mind. Our biology is still amazing compared to super computers and other complex systems. If a position becomes automated, it was not worth the mental power for a human to do it. We are slowly removing the mostly physical jobs and focusing more on the mental ones. This is a prioritization of what makes us special in the universe. Of course, then there are the projects on AI (artificial intelligence). A machine/program has been toted as passing the Turing test recently: http://io9.com/a-chatbot-has-passed-the-turing-test-for-the-first-ti-1587834715. Will we eventually design our superiors? Part 2 is coming next...

Authentic Leadership: part 1 (4/21/2014)

Authentic Leadership: part 1 04/21/2014 0 Comments   Be who you were meant to be... Know thyself and through that, affect others. Do not waste another day walking in another's shoes...      It all sounds easy, but self realization and mindfulness is anything but easy. You are an amalgamation of culture and learning bestowed upon you-- but what is really you? What do you really want? You don't know, so you follow money or the lead of family or mentor. Meanwhile, you are slowly finding that you do not belong, but that seems to be the crux of life. It is not. You are removing layers to discover who you are-- only in a very slow way. This is what happens to us. We are born into situations and we make the best with what is around (jobs, career, marriage, legacy...etc.). Good for us...But now is a different era. We need to know ourselves sooner. We need to do that work sooner. We need drive and discipline to make this biological vessel work for us, not cage us in. We need to be authentic. This is not for an instance, but for our life. When we are authentic, we lead in this way. We are already leading ourselves-- others will take note of those who seem to be "clued in" to the world and themselves. Authentic leaders are self-aware, transparent, and have an internalized moral perspective. Their actions are for the greater good, but also to help on their own path towards authenticity. You know who these people are...they seem more real...plugged in and always motivated. You need to become this. The clock is ticking. Yes, we humans even made the clock that we feel servant to (at least in this American society). We are in charge of our lives, but we have given up that control. Do you enjoy your life and work? What would you change? Are you surrounded by "real" people? If not...if you feel you are on a path of darkness because you either do not foreshadow what is ahead or you are sick and tired of the same path, then CHANGE! It will be like breaking up with someone (your old ways) and it will hurt. It will be exciting but different. You will run from it, but it will meet you over and over again. The sooner you accept, the sooner you can connect (fitting words for a Transhumanist site). Everything above may sound like generalizations to you. There is science behind all of this, and I have more than enough scholarly journals to make a profound case. I will in the next part. For now, you may wonder about my picture above... I chose this photo, because this gig, played 2 years ago at a festival, was one of the most "real" concerts I ever gave. I was not feigning interest in the music and I was not acting for show. This has not happened to this degree since then-- I have run away from it to pursue what I "think" is how I should fit into this society. It has not worked. Change is coming to this website and my life. Patience has been my virtue, but I implore all of you that read this to not wait to make change. The longing eats away at you until you feel you are only going through the motions of living. Fill that void now and become mindful of who you really are. There are enough publications on the matter.  Authenticity.

And then I shrugged... (4/8/2014)

And then I shrugged... 04/08/2014 0 Comments    This has been on my mind for the past two months, and now I feel it is time to explode in this space...if you don't mind.     I was asked about an article that mentioned that the American education system was ruining children's creativity. This is what I briefly wrote.        It does appear that the public school education system is limiting the creative potential of children. It is forcing teachers to become dictators and disciplinarians. Everyone is in fear of losing their position, and as such they take an abbreviated role less as a teacher and more as a conduit for the "system". This, at least, has been what I have seen and heard from teachers in the past two months of subbing. They had no answers except to shrug and laugh. "O Brave new world that has such people in it" (Huxley, 1946, p.148).        Of course this means war...it has to! This society needs help. The youth of tomorrow are disconnected and it is hard to make them care. Is this what America is becoming. The buy-cheap era has made us indifferent to quality. We never have to wait for what we want and we no longer appreciate it when we get it. Materialism has consumed us, and its shallowness provides no comfort. What can we do? I  for one am not going to give up without a fight, because the quality of human life is in the balance. “I am convinced that creativity is a priori to the integrity of the universe and that life is regenerative and conformity meaningless” (Fuller, 1970, p.5).      Our society values creativity yet we medicate it away in our children. Children that do not get to have a creative childhood will make up the deficit later in life (this may be my opinion, but is worthy of a study). Look at the increase in adult cartoons and video games over the past decade-- what was once something to pass the time has become the bane of existence for teens and older (I know many in their 30's as self-proclaimed addicts). I am glad that the human need for creativity has pushed science and technology forward, but we could be closer to reversing aging now if a majority was not tuned out. I am sorry for these generalizations, but they make a point that this society has been marketed to be lazy, wanting and worthless. Food chains serve food devoid of nutrition, and they tell us how fun it is to eat it. We grow up eating poorly and then try to rely on a healthcare system that is in shambles and cannot maintain the population (I was in public health for a semester). We die by the hand of a moral-less system that is dog eat dog and demeaning. The term "loser" is American--across the ocean they use "unfortunate" to describe those who are poor or who made mistakes. Our system is a game that only rewards those that win. Creativity can help you win, but most of our schools will not help!        Here is a Ted talk that describes much of this:                      http://www.ted.com/talks/alain_de_botton_a_kinder_gentler_philosophy_of_success Are we evolving into Huxley's "Brave New World"? Promote mindfulness and creativity in our children. Show them the scientific method and critical thinking. Have them look for "awe" moments everyday. Have them care and wonder about the world. Have them want to figure it out. Show them what others have found out. Build bridges and connect individuals. Show them that we are all one as a race. Discuss the problems we all face. Teach them how to be self-sufficient and authentic. Watch and see them care about others, knowing that helping someone else also helps them. Complete the circle of life and find meaning in everything. Look up at the stars and realize you are part of them. Every household is a school. Fill in the deficit at home. References: Fuller, R. Buckminster, Jerome Agel, and Quentin Fiore. I Seem to Be a Verb. New York: Bantam, 1970. Print. Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Harper & Bros., 1946. Print. "Live in the moment Breathe in a new beginning Wisdom revealed As I unlearn to learn Life's biggest battles Often are fought alone My spirit brings me home"                     John Petrucci "Breaking All Illusions"

Spread the word (3/2/2014)

Spread the word 03/02/2014 0 Comments         It has been a few weeks since a post, and I am back to reality (or at least writing about it). Currently there is trouble in Ukraine, and America might be soon tangled up in a new "Cold War" with Russia. I at least do not want this to happen-- America has forgotten the "nuclear" strength of our brothers across continents. I listen to a podcast discussing this, but I have not fully researched it. http://www.dancarlin.com/disp.php/csarchive While it is good to know the facts, my interest lies in furthering the cause of transhumanism-- human longevity and science literacy. I am transitioning into a greater teaching position within my home base city. I hope to open a few eyes to the state of the world and why we need science more than ever.       Social media has not been so useful to me as of late. It feels like a bid for followers, and my intentions are to help without any need of compensation. Humanity+ Maine is not a non-profit yet, and although I could use money to pay for the yearly operating costs and travel to conventions, I am not asking for it. I may soon begin a campaign of skepticism and denouncement of pseudo-science through Facebook and Twitter-- anything to provide a light through the darkness of fear-mongering. Which brings me to an issue...why not spread the word? Why not debunk and challenge those that are misinformed and spreading rumors? Are we afraid that we will hurt their feelings?         We are dealing with a world that doesn't know what to believe. Science is a process-- think of it as a verb-- moving and changing. New evidence changes things-- that is a fact of life-- change. For those that want to hold onto something that doesn't change, they are like rocks in the bottom of a river, slowly eroding as an endless supply of water washes over them. They cannot stop the river, and it will eventually win. On the top of the river is a leaf that is floating along with the river that changes with it. Didn't Bruce Lee once said, "Be like water my friend"? We need to adapt and keep up with changes. Those that do not, I can understand their wish to go away (die). I cannot understand laziness though, especially when people are alive and able. It should be innately human to want to help others, and it should be innately human to be skeptical and searching for evidence. What happened to stop this? Have we let marketers convince us that it is wrong to question? Why have many of us stopped wondering and accepted the norm (which is living in the dark)?     I am hoping that those reading this are those that do question life and want to find out more about it. We can never stop being on this journey until we are stopped. Get others interested in science and be a trailblazer where you think we have not looked. It never ends, and we need more numbers in this lifelong trek. Thank you.

Fiction? Part 1 (1/21/2014)

Fiction? Part 1

01/21/2014

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Here are a few ideas that are purely fictional-- they have not happened, and may never happen. Rather than merely state ideas and explain their science, a narrative is better to be told, to convey context and imagine possibility.

Pain as payment


In the future, pain will be the new life sentence. Pain will be the judgement over time-- time is precious, and machines can do the work that humans once did more efficiently and precise. The human mind is still confounding after all of these years of study-- countless recreations and computer controlled simulations. Human minds now are interfaces for the brain surrogates that are "almost there" in performance. Emotions have validity-- they are useful in ways we never thought possible-- we have discovered a form of emergence through their use as a controller as it were. The resulting emotions from a precisely measured amount of pain can provide power and direction for hundreds of automated units. Yes, pain can be measured now-- very precisely. In fact, the mapping has become a universal standard for crime prevention. The state no longer wants your time-- you will pay another way.

The system has been put in place to be financially "freeing" of a prison system that has cost society deeply. Was it Alexander the Great that taught us that time is all we have-- more precious than platinum (which is cheap now that it is mined in space) and always fleeting? We have extended human life considerably, but we needed to consider the role of a human with a useless body in this age of machines. The enigma that is the brain still remains useful, and much so, that it can automate many machines without any inconvenience to the host. We started it while they slept, like a computer crunching numbers in a collective at night with massive power that can be devoted to a greater purpose. When the time came for greater innovations, a day nap or "upload break" was required. Eventually this became what humans do as work. Nourishment, always precise and satiating, was provided and social time refreshed the mind for more work (which took 2/3 of a human's life-time). It would be at least a decade or two before machines were capable of fabricating human brain systems-- at least half of that before fetus brains could be harvested for 100% labor (and for the nastiest of offenders, "head on a stick" was not only a bad myth. 

      Yes, through all of these years, human morality or ethics, in some form, has remained. The AI that accepts humans as head-fulls of biological computing power, also allows them to continue living as servants, and as a test for natural evolution. Can the brain get that much better? It is even stylish to forgo the beauty of past eras for a more easy access to the work network-- meaning that noses and ears are sometimes optional-- the 5 senses have gone digital and require no wasted brain processing. The diversity of smells then became limitless-- music became a full-body experience (those who still play just fancy the motions for nostalgia). 

    But what about this pain as payment? The spectrum of pain increased at such a rate after notable researchers found a correlation between lasting pain and performance/recidivism. The pain of a sprain is not like a paper cut, and neither is a bee sting like the passing of a gallstone. That is pain severity, but also there is proximity and extent. Once a machine was made to enact the severity it only took months before it made its actions have lasting effect. This became a judges book of sentences. Some say that it took years away from human lives-- those studies are being calculated, so long as they are important (all data is collected and saved in cells; whether it is useful is meaningless). Eventually this pain punishment became a currency. After a universal currency like Bitcoin proved that a real world counterpart was not needed, the value of numbers soon deteriorated (like human worth). Pain became an easy way to pay. A device on the wrist made the transaction-- "painless"? Well, not so-- it did hurt, and more depending upon the services rendered, but the results brought pleasure to the brain. Haven't we all heard that pleasure and pain are related? Ice cream tastes good to humans, but is it not more refreshing on a hot day? The machines benefit from the big spenders, and like anything, the humans become accustomed to the sensations. Those that overindulge are naturally dealt with, and with little mess. The heart usually cannot take such continuous stimulation. Humans do it to themselves, and machines know this-- so they keep them around as a cast study. For those that live virtuous, a long life awaits of information and and semi-usefulness. Humans wanted efficiency and they got it.

BTW-- the above was not derived from any source other than my own. All rights reserved. 

Predictors (12/27/2013)

Predictors

12/27/2013

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Now that the disclaimer made in the previous post is done with, we can move on...

I claim to be a futurist because I look to the future and I ponder what it will bring. I of course use several predictors to form my guesses, and this has constituted quite a bit of research. My track record is clean since I have never publicly made any predictions. I may even prefer to only write a "ficticious" parable about what may come (and no blame can be placed on me). Sometimes these works of fiction become religions/cults...

I want to address something first though: Predictions make for great ideas, but never stake your life on anything-- even if you are filthy rich and seemingly have nothing to lose (you always have your life to lose). Here is a story, which is purported as being historically accurate, about a great and well-known person. (I found this online, of course).

 Alexander the Great lived over 2300 years ago.
The last wishes of Alexander the Great
On his death bed, Alexander summoned his generals and told them his three ultimate wishes:
1. The best doctors should carry his coffin;
2. The wealth he has accumulated (money, gold, precious stones) should be scattered along the procession to the cemetery, and
3. His hands should be let loose, hanging outside the coffin for all to see.
One of his generals who was surprised by these unusual requests asked Alexander to explain.
Here is what Alexander the Great had to say:
1. I want the best doctors to carry my coffin to demonstrate that, in the face of death, even the best doctors in the world have no power to heal
2. I want the road to be covered with my treasure so that everybody sees that material wealth acquired on earth, stays on earth
3. I want my hands to swing in the wind, so that people understand that we come to this world empty handed and we leave this world empty handed after the most precious treasure of all is exhausted, and that is TIME.

None of this above may be true, but it is a good story with a moral. This is what all predictions are, or should be-- many do not have morals and SHOULD!

I see Ray Kurzweil's name everywhere, and yes, we pay homage to his writings on this site on the page of external links. We respect him for what he has done and the achievements of people he woks with. His predictions are always making news:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/10/business/ray-kurzweil-future-of-human-life/
and his wealth is helping him to see the process of new science all of the time. Many argue that his wealth will make him the recipient of the best treatments, and that his knowledge will be to his own benefit-- is that not how being wealthy works? I am one that believes that a great mind will be worth more than money (an old myth I cling to). All I can offer is biological, so I have to make things count. If anything can be learned from the above story, we ALL need to make our TIME count. Ray Kurzweil is fighting for more time like everyone else who ever took their mortality into careful consideration. His predictions are a grasp for the prospect of having more time generated. We are all for one in life unfortunately, and this is why he looks like a lunatic popping pills and proclaiming life-enhancement discoveries. He can only measure success by how much time he gives himself: human condition.

Some may have read the title of this post and thought I would go into detail about the predictors that lead to predictions-- I am sorry but that is for another post. I have found that blog lengthiness leads to lack of attention and misinterpretation-- maybe I am only predicting this? This post describes two great predictors and how in over 2000 years, nothing has changed for the ultimate human longing for more TIME on this planet. That in itself should be a good predictor!

Until next post.