knell of the sodajerk

March 13, 2010 2:59 AM

Verne revisited. Issac guesses.
posted by Mblue (15 comments total)

This is very good - thanks.
posted by koeselitz at 3:21 AM on March 13, 2010

robots that do look like human beens
posted by koeselitz at 3:22 AM on March 13, 2010

The endpoint is clearly something like The Matrix. Expect I envision the control staying with human minds. Why bother keeping any part of your body other than the brain? It's all a bunch of pumps and filters and mechanical pieces anyway, which would be better as robust replaceable parts. The question is, do we end up as brains encased in a robotic vehicle, or does the boundary get pushed further into our brains? Probably it does, since when the machines get advanced enough, they should be able to work on the molecular level - preserving the brain function at a high level but reconstructing its component parts at the cellular level with robotic equivalents. And maybe eventually we get to move out of our brains altogether and exist as data structures of some kind, with equivalent processing power. I have no idea if we would still be conscious.
posted by snoktruix at 3:57 AM on March 13, 2010

The most interesting thing to me was when he said that there would be problems with new technology. As an example, he asks wouldn't it be nice if modern cities were all built with cars in mind? In my experience, cities designed before cars are more pleasant - planning for cars have caused all sorts of problems like urban sprawl, pollution, etc. Some cities are now placing restrictions on where cars can go, making more pedestrian-friendly areas. Sometimes the adoption of technology is too vigorous.
posted by Philosopher Dirtbike at 3:58 AM on March 13, 2010

Sometimes the adoption of technology is too vigorous.

See example: Brasilia.
posted by The Whelk at 4:02 AM on March 13, 2010

Another good example would be the changes Robert Moses brought about in New York City. There's a guy who was thinking ahead, but ended up just making things worse.
posted by snoktruix at 5:31 AM on March 13, 2010

I kept waiting for the punchline, that the captions had been transcribed by machine. Turns out it was just a non-native English speaker from Spain. Anyway, I love Asimov, and this was good.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 6:38 AM on March 13, 2010

He's overthinking a plate of human beens.
posted by AsYouKnow Bob at 8:59 AM on March 13, 2010

Neat, I've never heard Isaac's voice before.
posted by DU at 9:27 AM on March 13, 2010

Superfluous Asimov anecdote, allegedly true

In her golden years, his mother took a course on writing. The teacher asked her one day if she was by chance related to Isaac.

"He's my son."

"Ah, well," said the teacher. "No wonder you write so well."

"Excuse me, no wonder he writes so well."
posted by IndigoJones at 10:06 AM on March 13, 2010

aaaannd, auto-tune in 3...2...1...
posted by sexyrobot at 10:23 AM on March 13, 2010

The endpoint is clearly something like The Matrix. Expect I envision the control staying with human minds. Why bother keeping any part of your body other than the brain? It's all a bunch of pumps and filters and mechanical pieces anyway...

You don't need to replace what you can regrow. It's likely we'll have biological/medical transcendence of our mortality sooner than we'll have computational transcendence of our bodies and their sensoria.

Of course, if/when that comes, there's no reason the idndivitual won't have a choice.
Assuming THE MACHINES aren't "in control" or anything.
posted by clarknova at 12:43 PM on March 13, 2010

Those subtitles are freaky!
posted by Michael Roberts at 6:49 PM on March 13, 2010

Previously.
posted by neuron at 1:39 PM on March 14, 2010

Has anyone read I, Asimov? I recently bought a copy but haven't delved into it yet? Great title, of course.
posted by neuron at 1:41 PM on March 14, 2010