LDS Freedom Forum

Is anybody else noticing that scifi ideas seem to be turning into scifacts at an unprecedented rate? Neuralink is probably just the next logical step from smartphones and VR, and will doubtlessly outstrip anything VR could ever provide. The potential for evil is enormous, yet despite recognizing this fact, I STILL find the possibilities fascinating. I consider it a relief that it will probably not be accessible by the masses in my time, since I just hit 50; however, that is no guarantee as I thought the same thing about tablets and smartphones.
I could also point out other fascinating dangers like genetic enhancements, quantum computing, etc...
Anyone else experiencing such conflicting thoughts, or am I the only nerd here?

It's totally predictable that sci-fi ideas will become reality at an increasing rate. As technology improves, that technology will be used to gain knowledge more quickly. And that increased knowledge will be used to develop new technology that allows knowledge to be gained even more quickly. In 1950 it was believed that it would take 50 years for medical knowledge to double. In 1980 the belief was that it would take seven years. In 2010 the estimate was 3.5 years. Next year, because of how easily we can collect and analyze data, medical knowledge is anticipated to double about every 90 days. That means in three months we'll know twice as much as at the start, four times as much in six months, eight times as much in nine months, and 16 times as much in one year.

Technology is already used for evil and this will also increase exponentially until God decides enough is enough and stops mankind from following this destructive path.

I remember attending a software technology conference about 15 years ago, and the keynote speaker made the claim that technology was both here and being developed that would be used more and more to enhance human capabilites, via implants, etc. And one of his main points was that those who don't partake of these enhancements will be left behind, creating a class of underlings that won't be able to compete with those who do.

I think first generation neurallink (still a couple years away) is little more than a glorified mouse cursor/keyboard. It's nowhere close to providing a VR experience.

Currently they can attach to a few random motor neurons and your brain can train itself to twiddle them to output mouse/key. The hard work of figuring out and perfecting the interface is accomplished by your own brain.

To do VR they have to
1)interface with visual cortex instead of motor
2) probably need unbelievable numbers of electrodes
3)create the input to your brain instead of reading output
4)figuring out and perfecting the interface becomes an external software problem because your brain already has a pretty firm opinion on how vision is supposed to work
5)sure, perhaps your powerful adaptable brain could figure out and perfect the interface itself but it's certainly not going to happen without you noticing. If they want to fool you they have to do the heavy work of creating the interface that your brain is already used to, and I believe that it won't be exactly the same for each person.

In the future I'm sure the dangers will grow, but at present I think there's nothing to get excited about.

brianj wrote: ↑July 22nd, 2019, 7:33 pm It's totally predictable that sci-fi ideas will become reality at an increasing rate. As technology improves, that technology will be used to gain knowledge more quickly. And that increased knowledge will be used to develop new technology that allows knowledge to be gained even more quickly. In 1950 it was believed that it would take 50 years for medical knowledge to double. In 1980 the belief was that it would take seven years. In 2010 the estimate was 3.5 years. Next year, because of how easily we can collect and analyze data, medical knowledge is anticipated to double about every 90 days. That means in three months we'll know twice as much as at the start, four times as much in six months, eight times as much in nine months, and 16 times as much in one year.

Technology is already used for evil and this will also increase exponentially until God decides enough is enough and stops mankind from following this destructive path.

Medical knowledge has increased that much in the past few years? Yet there haven’t been any major medical breakthroughs for many years. We still have cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, ALS, the flu and the common cold. We still have people in wheelchairs, birth defects and Malaria, etc. etc. Sure, there have been some advances in each of these areas, but double, triple, quadruple the knowledge? I’m just not seeing it.

RocknRoll wrote: ↑July 23rd, 2019, 12:48 pm

brianj wrote: ↑July 22nd, 2019, 7:33 pm It's totally predictable that sci-fi ideas will become reality at an increasing rate. As technology improves, that technology will be used to gain knowledge more quickly. And that increased knowledge will be used to develop new technology that allows knowledge to be gained even more quickly. In 1950 it was believed that it would take 50 years for medical knowledge to double. In 1980 the belief was that it would take seven years. In 2010 the estimate was 3.5 years. Next year, because of how easily we can collect and analyze data, medical knowledge is anticipated to double about every 90 days. That means in three months we'll know twice as much as at the start, four times as much in six months, eight times as much in nine months, and 16 times as much in one year.

Technology is already used for evil and this will also increase exponentially until God decides enough is enough and stops mankind from following this destructive path.

Medical knowledge has increased that much in the past few years? Yet there haven’t been any major medical breakthroughs for many years. We still have cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, ALS, the flu and the common cold. We still have people in wheelchairs, birth defects and Malaria, etc. etc. Sure, there have been some advances in each of these areas, but double, triple, quadruple the knowledge? I’m just not seeing it.

I thought the same thing, one only has to look at antibiotics.....

RocknRoll wrote: ↑July 23rd, 2019, 12:48 pm

brianj wrote: ↑July 22nd, 2019, 7:33 pm It's totally predictable that sci-fi ideas will become reality at an increasing rate. As technology improves, that technology will be used to gain knowledge more quickly. And that increased knowledge will be used to develop new technology that allows knowledge to be gained even more quickly. In 1950 it was believed that it would take 50 years for medical knowledge to double. In 1980 the belief was that it would take seven years. In 2010 the estimate was 3.5 years. Next year, because of how easily we can collect and analyze data, medical knowledge is anticipated to double about every 90 days. That means in three months we'll know twice as much as at the start, four times as much in six months, eight times as much in nine months, and 16 times as much in one year.

Technology is already used for evil and this will also increase exponentially until God decides enough is enough and stops mankind from following this destructive path.

Medical knowledge has increased that much in the past few years? Yet there haven’t been any major medical breakthroughs for many years. We still have cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, ALS, the flu and the common cold. We still have people in wheelchairs, birth defects and Malaria, etc. etc. Sure, there have been some advances in each of these areas, but double, triple, quadruple the knowledge? I’m just not seeing it.

Maybe the medical industry is not trying to cure those things?

harakim wrote: ↑July 28th, 2019, 10:47 am

RocknRoll wrote: ↑July 23rd, 2019, 12:48 pm

brianj wrote: ↑July 22nd, 2019, 7:33 pm It's totally predictable that sci-fi ideas will become reality at an increasing rate. As technology improves, that technology will be used to gain knowledge more quickly. And that increased knowledge will be used to develop new technology that allows knowledge to be gained even more quickly. In 1950 it was believed that it would take 50 years for medical knowledge to double. In 1980 the belief was that it would take seven years. In 2010 the estimate was 3.5 years. Next year, because of how easily we can collect and analyze data, medical knowledge is anticipated to double about every 90 days. That means in three months we'll know twice as much as at the start, four times as much in six months, eight times as much in nine months, and 16 times as much in one year.

Technology is already used for evil and this will also increase exponentially until God decides enough is enough and stops mankind from following this destructive path.

Medical knowledge has increased that much in the past few years? Yet there haven’t been any major medical breakthroughs for many years. We still have cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, ALS, the flu and the common cold. We still have people in wheelchairs, birth defects and Malaria, etc. etc. Sure, there have been some advances in each of these areas, but double, triple, quadruple the knowledge? I’m just not seeing it.

Maybe the medical industry is not trying to cure those things?

So, are you saying they have the knowledge to cure those things, but they just don’t want to? Do you have some inside information on this, or is it just a hunch? If you have some information, I’d be interested in hearing.

I hate virtual reality. I really hate it. And the brain scans that identify what portion of the brain is active when you are thinking have been around plenty long enough to log everything to the point of knowing what someone is thinking based solely on their brainwaves.

RocknRoll wrote: ↑July 29th, 2019, 9:29 am

harakim wrote: ↑July 28th, 2019, 10:47 am

RocknRoll wrote: ↑July 23rd, 2019, 12:48 pm

brianj wrote: ↑July 22nd, 2019, 7:33 pm It's totally predictable that sci-fi ideas will become reality at an increasing rate. As technology improves, that technology will be used to gain knowledge more quickly. And that increased knowledge will be used to develop new technology that allows knowledge to be gained even more quickly. In 1950 it was believed that it would take 50 years for medical knowledge to double. In 1980 the belief was that it would take seven years. In 2010 the estimate was 3.5 years. Next year, because of how easily we can collect and analyze data, medical knowledge is anticipated to double about every 90 days. That means in three months we'll know twice as much as at the start, four times as much in six months, eight times as much in nine months, and 16 times as much in one year.

Technology is already used for evil and this will also increase exponentially until God decides enough is enough and stops mankind from following this destructive path.

Medical knowledge has increased that much in the past few years? Yet there haven’t been any major medical breakthroughs for many years. We still have cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, ALS, the flu and the common cold. We still have people in wheelchairs, birth defects and Malaria, etc. etc. Sure, there have been some advances in each of these areas, but double, triple, quadruple the knowledge? I’m just not seeing it.

Maybe the medical industry is not trying to cure those things?

So, are you saying they have the knowledge to cure those things, but they just don’t want to? Do you have some inside information on this, or is it just a hunch? If you have some information, I’d be interested in hearing.

I definitely don't have information. Sorry to disappoint. I'm just saying if I was in charge of health care over the last 100 years, we'd know some things. Right now it's like "Oh yeah, no that changed with new research." What about the old research? How do you know it won't change again?

I'm saying it's possible they are making lots of advances in health care and we don't see healing doubling every 3 months or whatever because the data is not being collected to heal. Not really saying one way or the other, although it's pretty obvious where I stand.