The Impact of Unimaginably Smart People: What Would Change?

[Meatbot]

And would you do it if you had the chance? How soon would the Theory of Everything be discovered once this became possible? Days perhaps? What would the impact be if you had thousands of people who were 1 million times smarter than they were yesterday?

 

[singleton]

And would you do it if you had the chance?

I would not. I like who and what I am (mistakes and all). I am not interested in the transhumanist efforts.

How soon would the Theory of Everything be discovered once this became possible? Days perhaps?

I am a skeptic and do not believe a complete TOE will ever be produced.

What would the impact be if you had thousands of people who were 1 million times smarter than they were yesterday?

They would make mistakes with an exponentially far greater set of repercussions above and beyond a factor of 1 million

 

[chroot]

In a sense, we're already able to "hook our brains up" to computers to increase our intelligence -- or, at least, our productivity. We're not using neural links or implanting machines in our crania, but we use our eyes and fingers to interact with computers and expand our mental capacity every single day.

Sociologists have long studied the phenomenon by which modern people off-load their memories (phone numbers, email addresses, sports trivia, etc.) to electronic devices. As these devices become increasingly interconnected and achieve larger capacities, it's inevitable that people will become more and more strongly dependent upon them for even basic tasks like contacting their families or knowing how to get to the airport.

- Warren

 

[al-mahed]

In a sense, we're already able to "hook our brains up" to computers to increase our intelligence -- or, at least, our productivity. We're not using neural links or implanting machines in our crania, but we use our eyes and fingers to interact with computers and expand our mental capacity every single day.

Sociologists have long studied the phenomenon by which modern people off-load their memories (phone numbers, email addresses, sports trivia, etc.) to electronic devices. As these devices become increasingly interconnected and achieve larger capacities, it's inevitable that people will become more and more strongly dependent upon them for even basic tasks like contacting their families or knowing how to get to the airport.

- Warren

somehow we may become more dumb

 

[octelcogopod]

I wouldn't say dumber.. The fact is that memorizing such things is not really necessary for survival, especially not when we have machines to do it for us.
In another sense of what Warren said, we can focus on important things like developing software and hardware instead of spending time memorizing what isn't important.

We may become 'dumb' in the area of remembering phone numbers or remembering our airline number, but #1 machines don't remember the wrong numbers and #2 we can spend time doing other things rather than worry about our brain remembering the wrong numbers.

 

[W3pcq]

It will suck when you need to become a cyborg just to compete with other people for jobs.
I have heard that it will one day be possible to use computers to enhance physical ability. I hope they don't allow it in the Olympics or professional sports.

One scary thing about relying on computers to do our everyday tasks is that we will become dependent and that could set the stage for possible disaster. What if EM pulse weapons could be used to mess up our circuits. Perhaps a gamma ray burst or solar flare could mess up our systems leaving us unable to run our lives in the event of disaster.

 

[W3pcq]

Hopefully we will use fiber optic processors.

 

[marmalade]

I believe whatever question the human mind can pose will,one day be possible in one way or another.If not you could not have thought of the question in the first place.

 

[Quatl]

And would you do it if you had the chance? How soon would the Theory of Everything be discovered once this became possible? Days perhaps? What would the impact be if you had thousands of people who were 1 million times smarter than they were yesterday?

Yes you did it when you posted this question. I do it everyday. Just because the signaling channel is slow, you think you are not "connected" in the only meaningful sense of the word?

Now if there was a faster channel available, that would be very helpful. This is not a new phenomena, clay tablets, cut marks in wood, paper ... all of these magnifiy(ed) our intelligence in very real ways.

I find the concept of "1 million times smarter" to be questionable. What is it that you think it means precisely?

 

[Google_Spider]

No I won't do it at all. Isn't it nice that we can do many things without being programmed to do so ?

 

[W3pcq]

There are already people today that have devices planted in their brains which directly interface the brain with a computer. So far I have only heard of applications where a person was able to talk, move robotic arms. Actually they had a monkey with a brain computer interface who could use a robotic arm through the power of thought and computer. Another application that is easy to do is to have an interface which can read, and decipher your brian waves. A computer would be capable of calculating your emotions, your movements, probably not exactly what your thinking, then again maybe in time, but more like just how your thinking. That information could be recorded in the computers hard drive, and certain predictions could be made on a long term or short terms scale. I would be weary about eventual forced implanting at birth in the future. I kind of doubt it would happen here, at least now, but in other countries like china, korea, etc, I could see it happening no prob. Could be used as a method of public classification, monitoring, etc. The big problem will be when, if, they are able to implant devices that create synthetic brain waves and interface them with the brain. I seams to me that it must be possible. An entire nation of mind controlled robots is what you would get. Sounds like a conspiracy theory, but I am not claiming of any conspirering going on, just the idea that in the future it could happen.