Earth's finite bounty

Sorry about the link to a Huffington Post article (I know, I know), but Zoltan Istvan has some interesting things to say about how transhumanism can help relax global climate change by evolving humans so they no longer need to consume many natural resources.  "Some Futurists Aren't Worried About Global Warming or Overpopulation"

His ideas basically sum up the H+ philosophy of the future.  I am a novice to this philosophy, but the more I study, the more I believe that this optimistic future-view is important.

the singularity

when artificial intelligence surpasses human intelligence, will we still have the ability to "turn it (the machine) off" or will its superior intellect prevent that from happening?  how far will AI have to advance before it is the subject of ethics, for example will we ever have the responsibility to treat AI in an ethical manner?  does the singularity mean that AI will gain sentience, or just advanced intelligence?  can you have one without the other?  is there even such a thing yet as artificial intelligence, or is it just programmed intelligence? will its sentience be comparable to ours, or something beyond our scope of understanding? 

there is no "conservative"

"We live in revolutionary times and therefore everyone (and every society), willingly or unwillingly, is continually propelled forward. Today’s conservatives flaunt ideas and technologies dismissed as futuristic hardly five years ago."

the Only Real Trend is Fast Forward

a visionary new thrust

the Upwinger's Manifesto by FM-2030

"We are still too programmed by the oldworld psychology of failure, too hobbled by guilt and shame and self-doubt, too scarred by eons of suffering and privation - to fully appreciate the meaning of our New Age" 

intro to FM-2030 & more advanced

from Humanity+

Sir Arthur C. Clarke's 3 Laws of the Future

1. When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
2. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.
3. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

from World Future Society

"enjoy life while you can"

James Lovelock does not mince words.  Read the article here.

The British climate scientist argues that civilization is basically doomed, and everything we're doing about it (green/ethical living, carbon offsetting) is a joke.

It is a dim prediction of the future, but one we seriously need to consider.  Nuclear energy may be key.  But I disagree about Quorn, however; that faux chicken is not too bad.

 

the future of religion

"Religions, especially the hide-bound religions that fight for supremacy at terrible cost in human lives and suffering, are clearly negative influences"

Read the whole article here

Do we need to "kill God" in the Neitzschian sense before we can continue to evolve as a species?  Is there room in the future for the belief in God?  Is God necessary to our continuing survival?  Is there a difference between spirituality and religion besides semantics?  These are all important questions.