Can you imagine living a life, as a human, together with a one hundred million intelligent aliens right here on Earth? Peace and harmony and everything. How cool would that be? It certainly would raise multicultural issues to a far higher level.
Ray Kurzweil discusses in his inspiring book "The Singularity Is Near" the possibility of upgrading our own intelligence. Literally from humans to superhuman. In fact, he states it as the natural continuum of the billion year exponential development from the big bang where it all started.
Computers and IT are already deeply integrated into our society and we have the first virtual reality application, the mobile phone, in daily use. Next with the help of nano- and biotechnology we will begin to push the human intellectual power to new levels.
Kurzweil bases his analysis on solid facts. From my background as an engineer I can not help but to agree. It will be very interesting times ahead of us. And, the accelerating development is all seen around us already so visible.
Therefore, I could not help but to wonder what all we could do with this new technology. And, being the animal lover I am, I begun to think a world of utter multiculturalism, a world where every animal could have as high intelligence as we or even higher. Why only limit the intelligence upgrade to humans? As Kurzweil postulates it is the choosing of the individual that will eventually determinate individual entity's intellectual level. If one chooses to stay as such and not to "upgrade", it'll be like being a pet to a higher intelligence. What a lovely destiny. Being the pet to your own super dog. Very funny, at least.
Personally, I would love the chance to have a nice chat with my cats, or with dolphins in the sea, or even with my girlfriend's Chinese fire lizards. Though, I am not too sure about king cobra nor spiders. But curious still, I have to admit.
Further, imagine what huge innovation potential would this introduce to us. I have now idea how many new inventions these aliens could contribute to our society. But sure I expect it would significantly upgrade our creativity. Think for example how good mathematicians ants could be? Or how beautiful music could some of the birds compose? And more, would then humanity compromise of all the intellect we have, would these aliens become a part of the humanity?
Of course these are pretty wild ideas. But then again so is the trend of accelerating development and where it is taking us. On the basis of Kurzweil's projections this all is possible during our life time.
So what can we do?
Buckle up Dorothy, because Kansas is going bye bye.
Ray Kurzweil discusses in his inspiring book "The Singularity Is Near" the possibility of upgrading our own intelligence. Literally from humans to superhuman. In fact, he states it as the natural continuum of the billion year exponential development from the big bang where it all started.
Computers and IT are already deeply integrated into our society and we have the first virtual reality application, the mobile phone, in daily use. Next with the help of nano- and biotechnology we will begin to push the human intellectual power to new levels.
Kurzweil bases his analysis on solid facts. From my background as an engineer I can not help but to agree. It will be very interesting times ahead of us. And, the accelerating development is all seen around us already so visible.
Therefore, I could not help but to wonder what all we could do with this new technology. And, being the animal lover I am, I begun to think a world of utter multiculturalism, a world where every animal could have as high intelligence as we or even higher. Why only limit the intelligence upgrade to humans? As Kurzweil postulates it is the choosing of the individual that will eventually determinate individual entity's intellectual level. If one chooses to stay as such and not to "upgrade", it'll be like being a pet to a higher intelligence. What a lovely destiny. Being the pet to your own super dog. Very funny, at least.
Personally, I would love the chance to have a nice chat with my cats, or with dolphins in the sea, or even with my girlfriend's Chinese fire lizards. Though, I am not too sure about king cobra nor spiders. But curious still, I have to admit.
Further, imagine what huge innovation potential would this introduce to us. I have now idea how many new inventions these aliens could contribute to our society. But sure I expect it would significantly upgrade our creativity. Think for example how good mathematicians ants could be? Or how beautiful music could some of the birds compose? And more, would then humanity compromise of all the intellect we have, would these aliens become a part of the humanity?
Of course these are pretty wild ideas. But then again so is the trend of accelerating development and where it is taking us. On the basis of Kurzweil's projections this all is possible during our life time.
So what can we do?
Buckle up Dorothy, because Kansas is going bye bye.