The Universal Machine

credit www.greendisk.com

That's not just an outdated computer. Its not just an archaic mesh of plastic and transistors. It is a universal machine. Transhumanists aren't promoting computer science and artificial intelligence because it's cool, we do so because computers are the most significant and astounding invention in the history of mankind, and we believe they will change the course of history.

As I said above, its a Universal Machine- which is very significant. Some theoretical difficulties aside, there is pretty much nothing you CAN'T do with a computer. The only limiting factor in computer science is our knowledge of HOW to go about doing something.

In bare essence, a computer is simply the restricted flow of electrons through microscopic wiring. That's it- nothing more or less. Yet, from this simple eb and flow of energy, something greater manifests: Computation.

Its amazing if you really think about it. What is so special about a clump of wiring and plastic such that simulations, solutions and (someday) consciousness should come forth from it? The existence of computers is, to me, just as astounding as that of life and organic consciousness.

And now, in the 21st century, we are on the cusp of yet another powerful breakthrough: Quantum Computing.

In a traditional computer, composed of "bits," each physical bit exists in one of two states: On or Off. 1 or 0.
This limits our ability to fully integrate computers into our daily lives, because, even as transistors get smaller and smaller, we still require that each computer consist of billions of individual transistors.

No matter how small a physical object is, if you multiply said object a couple billion times over you tend to end up with a significant amount of matter.

Enter the Qubit.

Qubits are single atoms(bits) suspended in a quantum state, in which they can represent a number of values simultaneously(instead of just a one or a zero), and they represent a major leap forward in our abilities to both increase computing power and integrate small computers into every aspect of our lives.

A quantum computer the size of a grain of sand could be exponentially more powerful than today's most advanced computers, and anyone with a brain BIGGER than a grain of sand should realize that there are profound implications in such a development.

Scientists are already hard at work developing the hardware(and are getting very close to sustainable success), so the problem becomes how to store and create software which operates on a system of a few qubits rather than a billion transistors.

Perhaps computer hacking skills are a little more important than bow hunting skills after all.

Source SPACE.com: All about our solar system, outer space and exploration

The Age of Spiritual Machines

What will the turning point be? When will humanity as a race acknowledge that it has created artificial sentient beings? This is a question I am not prepared to answer, but which I ask with great enthusiasm.

Original image located at http://invensis.net/blog/industry-news/artificial-intelligence-future-inbound-call-center

At some point, likely in the near future, software will catch up to hardware. Our most advanced computers today are very powerful, but humanity lacks the ability to create software programs which take full advantage of physical computing capacity.

As awareness of and interest in the field of Artificial Intelligence grows, more and more advanced methods of creating thinking programs are being developed and becoming (relatively) common knowledge.

In order to bring about an Artificial Intelligence revolution, computer scientists don't need to be able to build a god-like super-human intelligence. We need only to create a hardware/software combination slightly more powerful than the human brain, and teach it how to program.

Once we can accomplish this, the gloves are off.

The AI can be unleashed and allowed to design an AI more intelligent than itself, which will also be able to create an even better one, ad infinitum.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

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No one really knows. After we succesfully create the first slightly super-human AI, the process of self-improvement within the world of virtual intelligence will be both beyond our control and beyond our understanding.

The best thing we can do is augment ourselves, communicate with our creation, and hope for a merger of man and machine.

This will be the end of man, and the beginning of the Age of Spiritual Machines.

For more information on Artificial Intelligence, and to become involved in the field yourself, I recommend visiting Udacity and taking their free online computer science courses, which culminate in developing an Artificial Intelligence program for a self driving vehicle.

Russia now has a Transhumanist party. The video above is both inspiring and insightful.

The Hunt for Alien Life Just Got Serious

A Dyson Sphere under construction

If you had $200,000, what would you do with it? According to Paul Gilster of Centauri Dreams, a scientist named Geoff Marcy has just received a $200,000 dollar grant to search for extraterrestrial life, and he's putting it to good use.

Marcy isn't just searching for any old slimy alien civilization, he's searching for an advanced race. More specifically, a Kardashev Type II civilization, by searching for Dyson Spheres.


Marcy plans to observe thousands of stars for tell-tale signs in the light signals we could expect to receive from them. Certain permutations would indicate a Dyson Sphere under construction. In addition, he will also be using the funding to monitor the prime candidates for laser communication. That's right- if there are phasers set to kill, we'll know about it.

Marcy's techniques are unique because they specifically would help to identify alien races potentially advanced enough to communicate with us across vast distances of space.

"Technological civilizations may communicate with their space probes located throughout the galaxy by using laser beams, either in visible light or infrared light. Laser light is detectable from other civilizations because the power is concentrated into a narrow beam and the light is all at one specific color or frequency. The lasers outshine the host star at the color of the laser." -Geoff Marcy

Contact with an advanced alien race would no doubt create new possibilities for the expedient technological advancement of humanity.

Now that's a good way to spend two hundred large.

The Beginning of the End

Is anyone else obsessive over the idea of "the end?"

I know most of you are, or else such pop-culture phenomenon as the Zombie Apocalypse, Doomsday Prepping and Economic Collapse wouldn't be as prevalent as they are.

I am here to help you discover and embrace a new kind of end: The end of suffering, of need, of death, of stupidity. I am here to help you welcome the end of humanity.

If you read the philosophy page, here, you will know that Transhumanists don't advocate the forced, um, "Transcendence," of those who wish to stay human. That doesn't mean that we aren't aware of attrition. Even the most ardently traditional "humanists" will have children who wish to become something more. As the years go by, Transhumans will continue to live, while generations of remaining humans will die off or choose to augment themselves- eventually, Homo Superior will be the only form of humanity left on the planet(living alongside artificially intelligent creations.)

As this is a young blog, I must admit that you will not find all of the information you seek here at this time. I therefore encourage you to visit the following website for more updates and to become more intimate with the coming reality: Humanity Plus Magazine.

Be aware, be knowledgable, and CONTRIBUTE.

The most powerful thing an individual can possess in the coming years is knowledge. Those of you who haven't discovered the beauty of physics, mathematics, and computer science should begin reading books written to enlighten the layperson.

I personally recommend Brian Greene's book, The Elegant Universe, and A Brief History of Time, by Stephen Hawking.

If you'd wish to start learning immediately about soon-to-be technology, Ray Kurzweil(the most prevalent figure in transhumanism today) wrote the must-read book The Singularity is Near, and released a movie called Transcendent Man, which is at this time available for instant streaming on Netflix.

It is important to inform yourself.

A brazilian company recently placed an order for a hundred "robot kiosks" to rove around malls, helping customers buy products and find information. Swarm intelligence in the form of robotic bees is currently being researched and developed. Eager "Biohackers" are implanting magnets into their fingertips in order to enhance themselves and be able to sense magnetic fields.

The time when new developments and discoveries happen faster than can be comprehended by the unaided human brain is fast approaching.

Prepare yourself to live forever.

Welcome to the Future of Humanity

I want to thank you for coming to Become Transhuman.

Since you are here, it is likely that you already are or are soon to become a member of a small, but steadily growing, group of like-minded individuals. Individuals who see a greater purpose for humanity, who pursue a tangible goal of transforming the world within our lifetimes.

As a community, we transhumanists are unique in that we are not just trying to change humanity, but to leave it behind all together.

Nanotechnology, Brain-Computer Interfaces, Artificial Intelligence, Immortality, Post-Scarcity.

These are the things we pursue as a movement.

Our hope is not to develop a plan for what a posthuman world should be, but to enable a posthuman world to create itself.

I am creating this blog because- as a Theoretical Mathematics and Theoretical Physics dropout- I am limited in the ways I can directly influence the movement. While I would like to continue school, I am also hoping to be able to create awareness and bring together more people with a common vision.

There are no limits as to what I believe Become Transhuman as a website can accomplish, just as I believe there are no limits to humanity as a intelligently evolved race.

If this site gains a following, if it can generate revenues and someday recieve donations, then it could become more than a blog: It could become a force. A force which takes the driving force of today(money) and uses it to enable the world of tomorrow.

Again, thank you for visiting, and please leave feedback while enjoying the transformation of this site and of our society.