[MD] Transhumanism

[Krimel]

[John]
Krimel the baby-butt-wiper,

[Krimel]
What point are you trying to make with this?

[John]
Well I see that Biblical ignorance in scientific circles is at least as
ubiquitous as scientific understanding in religious circles - as a reader of
the bible, I'm sure you're aware that what his talk should have been called
is "rebuilding babel".  The translations of the babel event in the bible
describe man's efforts to encapsulate the human experience from before the
flood, in the very manner your presenter describes and it was God who
supposedly confounded the whole project by changing the rules of language.

[Krimel]
Look up the dude's presentation for yourself. He may have misused the
biblical metaphor a bit but his point is well taken and his project is
bringing knowledge to a great many people in the third world to whom it
would be otherwise inaccessible. I might also point out that Biblical
ignorance is far greater in religious circles than you might think.

[John]
But as an aside, I just picked up a pretty cool book at a yard sale ( a
couple of pretty cool books, actually) and it had an article by Howard Bloom
about a survey of newspaper editors across the country in 2000, which
revealed that half of them thought that humans coexisted with dinosaurs.
 Howard pointed out the appalling job science has done in the areas of
public relations, but no wonder when our chief pundits to the community
evidently got their scientific education from watching the Flintstones.

[Krimel]
It is not like you have to look very far to find ignorance about science,
religion or anything else. That is not nearly as disappointing as the number
of people like yourself who see it as a virtue. Seriously, what is the
virtue of ignorance? Why are you so quick to dismiss intellectuals while
obviously pretending to be one on this forum? Really, John I don't get it.

[John]
So now that you've seen a presentation on meditation at an actual scientific
seminar (woo hoo!) Krimel, you give examination of the navel a little more
cred?

[Krimel]
I think the points that were made have been made in any number of scientific
studies on a variety of religious practices. Meditation, prayer positive
thinking and ritual practices confer a great many health benefits. 

[John]
Or are we gonna have to wait for it to be advocated by Nova?

[Krimel]
That, as you have pointed out would require the economic wherewithal to
purchase a flat screen. Better for you, I suspect, to keep watching the
shadows on your cave wall.

[John]
The only thing smarter than an intellectual, is a RICH intellectual, eh
Krim?  And the only thing smarter than that is appearing on Nova.  The
ultimate social confering of Quality.

But I gotta grudgingly concede...  Chuck E. Cheese... That is brilliant.

[Krimel]
It might add more credibility to your case, whatever that is, if instead of
bad mouthing intellectuals you could point out just a few of the advantages
to ignorance and stupidity besides letting you off the hook for not owning a
TV.

[John]
Right.  CEOs of big companies are citizens too.  I guess we all are, when it
comes down to it.  What else is there?  Illegal immigrant scientists?

[Krimel]
I merely pointed out the theme of the conference was citizen involvement in
science as a response to Platt's ludicrous claim that it was a bunch of
liberals looking to fleece the taxpayers. In fact most of the CEO's who
talked were involved with small companies and if anything they were fishing
for venture capital. One guy for example had developed an electronic box
that could detect nerve impulses in the severed legs of cockroaches. The
impulses can be recorded to an iPhone ap and studied by high school and
middle schools students. In fact the whole point of his project, Backyard
Science was to encourage hands on science activities as a part of science
education. He has also developed a pilot device that uses electrical
stimulation of roach antennae to allow you to remotely control and drive
your own cockroach. 

[John]
It's happened already!  I gotta cousin who swears his magic 8 ball is a real
consciousness communicating with him, however when I ask it whether its
really thinking or not it just returns: Results are Doubtful.

Is that logically confirmation or disproval?

[Krimel]
It is one thing to mock things based on even a simple understanding of what
you are talking about but this folksy wood owl wisdom falls kind of flat
when you are so obviously clueless. There certainly is a lot to debate in
the field of AI but most of the debate that matters is among people who
actually know something about it. In your case it sounds kinda like a nod is
as good as a wink to a blind horse and Magic 8 balls are about the best you
can hope for.