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From: vlsi_lib@netcom.com (Gerard Malecki)
Subject: Re: Computers--next stage in Evolution Hmm....
Message-ID: <vlsi_libD9K6wn.1Fz@netcom.com>
Organization: VLSI Libraries Incorporated
References: <chrisk.801265830@gomez> <vlsi_libD93Dw7.E6n@netcom.com> <chrisk.802045497@gomez>
Date: Fri, 2 Jun 1995 18:48:23 GMT
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In article <chrisk.802045497@gomez> chrisk@gomez.stortek.com (Chris Kostanick) writes:
>vlsi_lib@netcom.com (Gerard Malecki) writes:
>[snip]
>>>What happens when they are smarter than we are, and
>>>more subtle?
>>>
>>Big deal. They would be sent off to landfills.
>
>>Shankar Ramakrishnan
>>shankar@vlibs.com
>
>Suppose they send us off to the land fill. The assumption was that
>they are smarter than we are and more subtle. Can you be sure we
>will do the maneuvering and not them?
>

Chris, obviously you haven't heard of history repeating itself..

Anyway, smarter and subtle may not mean anything unless computers
become also *physically* and *socially* evolved. The smartest computers 
may be smarter than Stephen Hawking but would be no better than him in
carrying out physical activities (no offence towards him).

By physical and social evolution, I mean:
1. The ability to be socially stable.
2. The abilty to reproduce (which would involve setting up factories 
   to manufacture the parts they are made of).
3. The ability to thwart human conspiracies (which could be as simple
   as turning off the power grid all over the US).
4. The capacity for physical regeneration in case of physical attack
   (which at the moment only biological systems seem to possess).

It would be a looong time before computers reach this stage of complexity.
And even then I doubt it very much if they would antagonize humans
for they would still be dependent on humans for a variety of things.

In the meantime, I advise you to stop watching Terminator 2 over and over
again.

Shankar
