2013-02-09

The Ultimate Triumph Over the Replicators

Note: This article is more easily understood if you first look at the cartoon posted here.

We seem cursed by having both empathy and reluctance to act upon that empathy.
The universe has set a puzzle for humanity.
Our starting condition is mindless replication — first genetic and then memetic.
The solution is to resist the mindless with the mind.
Alas, the mind is itself infected with replicants — harmful memes.
But only the mind can see through the insane logic of replication.

Even a virus can replicate; it takes no intelligence to do so.
But to not replicate takes intelligence and understanding.
However, that intelligence must itself not be corrupted.
The ancient sages, who warned against the tricks of mind, were partially right.
They were, however, wrong if they said that mind is the problem.

The mind is not the problem.
The problem appears in the software of the mind.
The software follows the insane logic of selfish replication.

We can solve the puzzle.
We must resist the insane logic of replication.
We have the intelligence to erase suffering.

2013-02-08

The Keyboard of Tomorrow

Every computer keyboard should have three knobs, marked 0 to 10, labeled “Anger,” “Porn” and “Propaganda.” These would let people adjust their view of the web to suit their personality.