Just listened to #115:Pesce-Bios and Logos

[scaredstraight]

One element of what Pesce spoke of really caught my ear (well, much caught and interested me.) But, the portion where he spoke of nanotechnology (while it hasn't panned out as well as many had predicted) when he spoke of being able to manipulate and change things. He compared it to 'magic.'

The concept of technology working as (or being perceived as) magic, reminds me of a TV show called 'Babylon 5.' I wasn't a big fan or follower of this program, but I am aware of a group of characters within the show that interested me known as Technomages. These were beings that were adept at the use of technology to such an extent that it appeared as magic. The very concept of this doesn't seem too far fetched.

I am leaning more and more toward the concept of blending or integration of biology and technology as the true singularity. Though I hate the idea of total integration, and may occasionally cringe at the over broadly used term of a technical singularity, I have come to believe that technology certainly has a place in the convergence.

Anyone else get any enlightenment or make any connections from this lecture?

[cereus]

Yes I also was greatly inspired by this one, and think it is one of the best pod casts in many months. I liked the way he divided evolution in to three stages. I think the thing about memes is of great importance both in our history and in the future. The talk was fore me both inspiring and thought provoking and I need to ingest it some more and have another listen.

:)

[psygnisfive]

The concept of technology working as (or being perceived as) magic, reminds me of a TV show called 'Babylon 5.' I wasn't a big fan or follower of this program, but I am aware of a group of characters within the show that interested me known as Technomages. These were beings that were adept at the use of technology to such an extent that it appeared as magic. The very concept of this doesn't seem too far fetched.

<3 Babylon 5.

I am leaning more and more toward the concept of blending or integration of biology and technology as the true singularity. Though I hate the idea of total integration, and may occasionally cringe at the over broadly used term of a technical singularity, I have come to believe that technology certainly has a place in the convergence.

As a singularitarian I'd like to comment that I don't see a fundamental distinction between biology and technology, I see merely a substrate difference. Biology utilizes large numbers of small machines, technology uses small numbers of large machines, but the things being sought are ultimately the same. Especially when it comes to what I think is the most important issue: Mind. Mind as it is runs on a computer, it's just a computer of a hundred billion relatively simple microprocessors, as opposed to a single (or redundant) computer with a small number of complex microprocessor.

Anyone else get any enlightenment or make any connections from this lecture?

I didn't get anything new out of it, except maybe a description of McKenna's "time wave" theory, which to me seems somewhat flawed from the way Pesce describes it.

[Canadabis]

if your into the idea of integrating biology and technology, check out inventor/ecological designer John Todd's work on Living Machines.

Here's a link, http://www.oceanarks.org/ecodesign/

His book From Eco-Cities to Living Machines, is highly suggestive of ecological design being a form of nanotechnology (in my mind), at least for water purification, and waste management, and growing food!

Anyway, thought you might enjoy this perspective.
I listened to this guy lecture out in AZ in 2006 and was absolutely blown away with the implications of combining ecologies to create a 'living machine' for human benefit.

If you're into Buckminster Fuller you'll love it.

Best.