Childish
December 8th, 2009
As we get older we (appropriately) learn more both about what we can do, and what we can’t. When very young, most of us had very little idea of what we couldn’t do, and that meant very few bounds on our dreams. Eventually you grow up and develop much more reasonable dreams, such as leading a successful career, marrying a great spouse, living in a nice house, and seeing the world.
To me it seems that one meaning of “transhumanist” is just someone who’s began to see just how much we can do, now or in the future. Looking back after so many papers and books and engineering proposals, I realized that those once-childish dreams of youth are with us once more. Here’s a recapitulation for those who have already let the strength of the arguments overcome categorical disbelief for such radically positive outcomes. I’m not saying that the following are guaranteed, even if we survive, only that they are delightfully possible.
- Everyone can be rich, or at least the equivalent of rich by today’s standards. CHECK
- Everyone can have enough toys, food, and medical care, and we’ll see the end of (most) scarcity and war. CHECK
- We’ll never have to spend our time in boring classrooms. CHECK
- We’ll explore the universe. CHECK
- We’ll see the end of aging, and nobody will be forced to get sick or die anymore. CHECK
- We can spend the entirety of our time on favorite hobbies and activities, should we so choose. We can keep playing with our friends for as long as we like. CHECK
- Nobody has to be sad or unhappy ever again. CHECK
Tags: Beauty, Childhood, Good Stuff, Immortality, Love, Transhumanism, Utopia