Global warming is fearmongering brainwashing FUD

[Brian Atkins]

John Hall wrote:
> 
> > So what if you're wrong is what I'm asking 'gene. Let's face
> > it, everyone and their friend around here has their own
> > estimates of likelyhoods and timelines of various
> > technologies. Some people think global warming is what we
> > should spend all our time and money on worrying about. What I'm asking
> > is: knowing all we know, what is the least riskiest plan to
> > the future?
> 
> Anti-trade and anti-technologists shutting down the engines of wealth
> and productivity.

When I say "the future" I mean some kind of higher-tech future than we
have now. Preferrably Singularity-esque future. So I want to have my
cake and eat it too.

> 
> The idea that someone is going to toast the planet with a runaway bad
> nanotech device is interesting for fiction, but I'm not going to worry
> about it.  I'm not going to worry about it precisely because if it is
> possible it will probably be inevitable.

Well that kind of attitude is unfortunate. The two viewpoints are the
exact same reaction most people have when initially confronted with
where technology is going, and how fast it is going there. They either
deny it will happen, or deny that there is anything to be done to
influence it. Or in your case, both viewpoints right after each other :-)

> 
> Risk-assessment always breaks down when looking at catastrophic events.
> You can't multiple infinite damage times minute probability and get
> anything you can ACT on.

Well there are some unique possibilities here. For instance what if we
can develop a Friendly AI before we have nanotech? It can then help us
get past the nanotech stage without us having to tread so dangerously.
AI is the first technology that can be given a conscience.
-- 
Brian Atkins
Director, Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence
http://www.singinst.org/