GeekSpeak subject for Saturday 20th August at noon SLT: How far can we bend Nature?

 

One of the newest tricks we humans can do is to change the DNA of plants, bacteria and animals.  Reprogrammed bacteria can do useful things for us.  Nitrogen fixing bacteria can be made to live in our crops so they don’t need nitrogen fertilizer.  Bacteria can be made that will eat plastic, perhaps. Plant or animal material can be made to grow into chairs or buildings.  Would you sit in a chair grown from tooth material?

We may be looking at a future that is grown, rather than manufactured.  What does this mean for us?  Will there be no metal machinery?  Can we grow a car?  Or ride on a reprogrammed cheetah?

Are there limits to the changes that can be made now that we can alter DNA? Or is the sky the limit?  Come and join us in GeekSpeak on Saturday at noon SLT.  Bring some test tubes and your fellow geeks!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

 

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GeekSpeak – Is AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) the last invention we will ever make? Join the discussion Saturday, August 13th at 12pm SLT

 

Maybe just a few short years from now AGI will be announced.  A superintelligent AI that thinks like a human and can solve problems.  And of course, write new AGI programs. How would such an AI affect humanity?  Would we ever need to invent anything again?  Would we ever again need to think of solutions to problems?  Could we leave everything to the AGI?

Or maybe you think such an AI would be dangerous.  Perhaps we would need one more invention, the way to destroy it.  Should we open that Pandora’s box?

Do we need an AGI?  Can we manage our own future without it?  Would such an AGI necessarily be self-aware?  Or would we be ruled by a mindless program that could not be controlled?

Chance favours the prepared mind so come along to GeekSpeak on Saturday at noon SLT to discuss this upcoming technology shock.  Bring your friends!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak subject for Saturday 30th July at noon SLT: Crackpot ideas!

 

Throughout the ages many crackpot ideas have actually come true.  Human flight, the moon  landing, the idea that the moon causes tides, the existence of gorillas, the movement of the continents.  Let’s discuss these ideas.  What made people think they were crackpot?  What moved them to mock the inventors and intellectuals that had these ideas?

What are the current crackpot ideas that could turn out to be true?  Sentient AI?  Moon travel (again)?  Faster than light travel? Teleportation?  Does science benefit from ‘crackpot’ ideas? Have all the best scientists been a bit crackpot?

Join us in GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday to discuss weird past and future ideas.  Bring your friends!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak subject for Saturday 23rd July at noon SLT: Can we still pick low-hanging fruit in science?

 

Science seems to require so much money and so many people nowadays.  But are there still fields where ordinary people, amateurs, can discover things?  In the past a lot of discoveries were made by amateurs, sometimes people like Mary Anning who were not allowed to be professionals.

But even now discoveries are made in astronomy, archaeology, biology and other fields by amateurs.  Amateurs like Clara Lazen or Thomas Bopp. 

Perhaps there are fields that exclude amateurs, like materials science.  But who knows?  Join us on Saturday at noon SLT to discover what you could potentially discover.  Put on a lab coat and safety goggles and bring your microscopes.

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak – What if we were all Vulcans? Join the discussion on Saturday, May 30th at 12pm SLT

 

A few weeks ago we discussed what life would be like if we were all Ferengi.  This week let’s try to imagine what the world would be like if we were all Vulcans.  All emotions are suppressed, ruled by logic and reason only.

Vulcans seem to be ideally suited to science, with all questions being decided on the basis of evidence and logic.  Would science progress faster if we were Vulcans?  With fewer sidetracks and dead ends?  Would we over-engineer the planet perhaps?

Would we still sing songs and make music or art?  Would we play games?  Would we be happy?  Can a Vulcan ever be really happy?

Come to GeekSpeak this Saturday at noon SLT and live like a Vulcan for a while.  Since the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, bring all your friends!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak – Will we all be Perfect in the future? Join the discussion Saturday, April 9th at 12pm SLT

With DNA editing we can improve the way our bodies function.  With robotic enhancements, we will be able to do things no human can do.  Where will all these new powers take us?

Is it possible to be perfect?  Or will there always be trade-offs?  Should some enhancements be against the law?  Who will decide for the children? 

Will humanity split into different species?  The rich will be enhanced and the poor will remain normal perhaps?  Will we see eugenics wars?

Join us in GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday to explore what it will mean to be more than human.  Bring all your humans.  And robots are welcome.

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects. 

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GeekSpeak – How much Free Speech do you want? Join the discussion Saturday April 2nd at 12 pm SLT

Would a completely open world where all speech is allowed function properly?  It is tempting to think that if we allow everyone to say anything then those who trade in insults and abuse would sink to the bottom of the social ladder and people who give thoughtful, true information would rise to the top.  But we do not see that happening now on social media.  Why not?  And what would make it happen?

Where would you draw the line where free speech is concerned?  Are insults OK?  Or calls for violence?  Or calls to overthrow a dictator?  Maybe you think there should not be a line at all?

Leave twitter for a while and join us in GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday to chat about free speech, with your friends!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak – What is our purpose? Eat, Drink and be Merry? Join the discussion March 26th at 12pm slt

What is your purpose in life?  Is it enough to eat and drink and enjoy as much of life as you can?  Or do we all need a higher purpose?  Do we need a purpose that is just for us?

Does having your own purpose make you happier?  Is it worth trying to find one?  Will we still be looking for a purpose even if all our wishes on earth are met?

Can you find a purpose in the future of our species? In the colonization of other planets perhaps?  Or in the end of disease or war?  Do duties and obligations provide a purpose?

Come and join us in GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday to discuss what drives us and where we are going.  Bring all your friends, and a map!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak – Extreme Capitalism! Join the discussion Saturday March 19th at 12pm SLT

 

A few weeks ago we talked about a world without money, this week we will go to the opposite extreme and talk about a world where people are charged for absolutely everything.  Let’s imagine that the Ferengi from Star Trek landed on Earth and bought the world presidency.  Would that lead to a fairer world?

Everything would have a price.  You would have to pay for a chair in a bar or restaurant.  You can visit your friends if you pay them for every minute.  Standing in a bus shelter costs money and all bridges are taxed.  Country walks cost so much per mile and you can charge the neighbors for admiring your garden.

How would we be changed by such a world?  Would it be simpler than the mixed social setup we have now?  Come and discuss the world of money in GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday.   Bring all your friends with money!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak – What will the Post-war World look like? Saturday, March 12th at 12pm SLT

 

There is a war raging now that will change the world stage, maybe forever.  What will happen to world politics and the world economy in the future?

Will the world convert quickly to solar power?  Or will we start fracking?  Or rely on nuclear power?  Or dig for coal? What about oil prices?  Will the war accelerate the trend to electric vehicles?

Will the Cold War start again?  Will the war put an end to our efforts to stop global warming?  Will we still be able to live as we do now?

And what will happen to the Space industry?  Will we have to stop our journey into the universe?

Come to GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday and discuss the changes that will reshape the world. Bring your friends!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak subject for Saturday 5th March at noon SLT: How much of the world is hidden from our senses?

 

We tend to think these days that we can observe and measure everything but there is a lot going on out there that we are not aware of.  There are birds that react to differences in air temperature and others that can detect magnetic fields.  There are animals that can see infrared or ultraviolet.  Plants can detect and respond to chemicals given off by other plants.

There are ecosystems deep in the ocean or underground that we know nothing about.  There are processes in deep space that are too slow for us to sense.  And some living processes, like birdsong, are too fast for us.

Join us in GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday and re-learn how to see the world.  Let’s imagine how it might look if we had more and better senses.  Bring all your eyes and ears!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak subject for Saturday 5th February at noon SLT: Does an empire really work?

There are some terrible empires on this planet, like North Korea and Turkmenistan.  There are also more moderate empires, like the West.  But in both cases, people want more freedom. 

How much freedom should people have?  If we all have complete freedom, is that not anarchy?  Where is the ‘sweet spot’?  What is the difference between being a slave and being free? 

What is needed to bring bad empires down and good empires up?  Could we live without empires?

Come and join us in GeekSpeak this Saturday at noon SLT, if your chain is long enough to get here.  Bring all your free or unfree friends.

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak – Will the future be a Utopia or a Dystopia? Join the discussion Saturday, Dec 18th @ 12pm SLT

 

2021 is almost over and good riddance!  2 more weeks and we can breathe again!

Or can we?  What will 2022 bring?  Perhaps it will be a key year in the human journey.  It may be the beginning of the end, with climate disasters, more pandemics, the end of democracy.  Or it may be the start of the next phase of humanity, with friendly AI, nanotech, gene editing, and new sources of energy.

Join us at noon SLT on Saturday and tell us where you think we are going and what has been changed by the-year-that-will-never-be-mentioned-again.  Bring your friends and a helmet!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak - Living in a Space Station! Join the discussion on December 11th at 12pm slt

 

What is it really like to live in the International Space Station?  Do you envy the people who go there? 

You have to stay for about 6 months, living with people you don’t really know and maybe don’t like.  And there is no escape! 

Sometimes you have to shelter from space debris or solar storms and you are separated from sudden death by a very thin wall.  Living without gravity can be dangerous and hygiene is difficult.  And not a chance in hell of getting a Big Mac.

Would you go if you could?  Or would you rather wait for a bigger and safer station, with decent bathrooms?

Join us at noon SLT on Saturday to discuss life at 500 km.  Bring a parachute!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak – Will we all be living in a simulation soon? Join the discussion on Saturday, November 20th @ 12pm SLT

18 years after Second Life began metaverses are the new hot thing again.  Facebook, which now calls itself Meta, is making a virtual world with the same properties as Second Life.  Is it possible that millions of people will go and live in there?  Will they feel they have become their avatars?

Or will the metaverse that we really want be an augmented real world?  The maker of Pokemon Go wants his newest augmented creation to exist in real life and help people to get together in this world.

Which of these futures do you think will succeed?

Or perhaps you think that we are living in a simulation right now?  In that case, what is the reality?

Come and discuss simulations.  Bring your avatar!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday at 1pm SLT in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak – Will AI be the great equalizer of this decade?-Come join the discussion Saturday November 13th at noon SLT

 

We are within months of very strong AI being released to the public.  If you want to blow your mind, see this example: Leta, GPT-3 AI - Episode 25 - Best of: Vol I (Creativity, facts, Elon Musk’s gifted school) - GPT3  Soon there will be an update with an estimated IQ of 500.  What will it mean if everyone on the planet has this ‘friend’ downloaded into their phone or, better still, implanted into their brain?  We would all be intellectually equal, and very clever.

Will it make us better people?  Or will we be worse people, very intelligent but no more compassionate than now?

What does it mean to be a digital human?  If we all have an AI in our heads will our old brains still matter after a while?

Should an AI in a robotic body be allowed to vote?  Should the old humans, without an implanted AI, be allowed to vote?

The future is now.  Come and see and discuss.  Bring your friends!  AIs welcome!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday at 1pm SLT in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

 

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GeekSpeak – Underground living! Join the discussion Oct 30th at 12pm SLT

The largest cities on Earth are probably partly underground now.  But in the future it could be that we will all need to live underground.  The surface may become uninhabitable for various reasons, such as global warming, nuclear war or the destruction caused by volcanoes.

Or perhaps it will just make sense to move underground.  The temperature is stable and the surface can be used for farming or recreation.  It could become fashionable for houses to be built underground.  And an underground city would encourage tourists.

Would it be possible for everyone on the planet, say 10 billion people, to live underground?  How would we grow plants?  Would we be able to keep animals?  Would we be able to live without sunlight? Would you enjoy living underground?

Come and discuss underground cities with us.  Bring a spade, and some strong friends!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class at 1pm SLT every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak – Art and Astronomy- Join the discussion Saturday, October 9th at 12pm SLT

 

There are many strange places in space, and we are beginning to send artists into it.  Last month 4 artists went into space, in the coming year, there will be 2 movies shot in space and 8 artists making a moon flyby. 

What new forms of art will we see in space?  And how will the weirdness in space affect art?  Will we see moving sculptures set in zero gravity?  Or stars rearranged to make the Mona Lisa?  Or the biggest cocktail in the universe made from a giant alcohol cloud?  How about landscape paintings set on a planet where the rain is molten glass?

Will art change as we go into space?  Come fly with us on a deep-space journey to, well, deep space!  No need for a spacesuit.  But bring your camera and your imagination.

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday at 1 pm in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak – Will we all be Cyborgs? Join the discussion on Saturday, September 25th at 12pm SLT

Is it inevitable that people will want to upgrade themselves as technology progresses and possibilities open?  If you lose an arm you will want a mechanical arm. A tech arm could be a lot better in terms of speed, agility, strength. 

Or will you want to regrow body parts?  New teeth grown for old, or a new human arm grown for an arm lost?

Which would you choose?  Robot parts or regrown human parts?  Which body parts will we never be able to replace?  Will our future selves become more and more artificial?  What is a ‘real human’ anyway?

Come and discuss your future selves and bring your friends!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday at 1pm in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for future subjects.

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GeekSpeak – Is there New Hope for our Climate? Join the discussion Sept. 18th at 12pm SLT

 

Last month a report from a thinktank called RethinkX suggested that certain disruptive technologies will mean that we produce less carbon without even meaning to.  Perhaps these technologies mean that we will not destroy our planet after all.

Let’s talk about these disruptive technologies.  What are they and why are they so disruptive? 

Let’s discuss the speed with which the world changes when disruption hits.  Horses were obsolete 15 years after the first car.  Radio and TV were adopted even more quickly.  Future disruptions could move at light speed.  If you ever wonder why the world changes so fast, hold your hat for the next 15 years. 

Come and discuss  the ways we do things now before they are gone forever.  Bring your friends and a CD, if you can remember what that was.

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday at 1pm SLT in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/143/127/51

 

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