Tom Smith presents an amusing post here, with his critique of the futurist prognostications of super-synth inventor, and extropist, Ray Kurzweil. But he really has his head up his ass.
First, let’s address the topic of the post: His contention that there will be no bio-implanted human-to-machine interfaces in a 50-to-100 year timeframe is absurd. This technology is already developing – most notably in the field of animated prosthetics (bionics, if you will). And the idea that the individual wouldn’t have several layers of firewalls and filters, so that he/she has absolute discretion over his/her exposure to the greater world, is absurd.
But, on to my main motivation for this post – the specifics which prove how off-the-button this idiot is:
If that were in the cards, I think we would have already developed a cure for back pain,
That happened in 1874, idiot. It’s called heroin. But the government won’t let you have it.
lo-cal ice cream that tastes good,
an automatic way to both write and grade exams,
Why would you want to “grade” an exam you were writing? And why would you want a machine to write it for you?
a cure for baldness,
The Bosley technique has been quite successful
and television worth watching.
Well, idiot: Last night, I tuned to my local PBS station, and watched a marvelous two-hour history of Broadway musicals, narrated by the enchanting Julie Andrews. Then I watched the opening episode of Frontier House (perhaps the best “reality” show that’s ever been aired). And I finished my evening with episode 6 of Ken Burns’ Jazz. Tonight, I’m watching TCM: First, I watched Key Largo. And now I’m watching To Have and Have Not (Hoagy himself is worth the whole price of admission). And between them was Robert Osborne’s intelligent, stimulating interview show: Private Screenings: Lauren Bacall.
Nothing on TV worth watching? Take your head out of your ass, and buy a TiVo.
Update: What a nice nightcap: They just played the rarely-seen WB animated short, Bacall to Arms. “Nothing to watch on TV?” I don’t think so.
Hat Tip: InstaPundit