'Deus ex Machina'

Last month, a biotech concern, Synthetic Genomics, announced that it had
created a bacterial genome from scratch, kicking off a firestorm of
discussion about the development of artificial life. J. Craig Venter, a
pioneer in the human genome trade and head of Synthetic Genomics, hailed his
company's work as "the first self-replicating species we've had on the
planet whose parent is a computer."

Steve Jurvetson, a director of Synthetic Genomics, is part of a group of
very rich, very bright Singularity observers who end up somewhere in the
middle on the philosophy's merits -- optimistic about the growing powers of
technology but pessimistic about humankind's ability to reach a point where
those forces can actually be harnessed.

Mr. Jurvetson, a venture capitalist and managing director of the firm Draper
Fisher Jurvetson, says the advances of companies like Synthetic Genomics
give him confidence that we will witness great progress in areas like
biofuels and vaccines. Still, he fears that such technology could also be
used maliciously -- and he has a pantry filled with products like Spam and
honey in case his family has to hunker down during a viral outbreak or
attack.

"Thank God we have a swimming pool," he says, noting that it gives him a
large store of potentially potable water.

Mr. Orlowksi, the journalist, sees the Singularity as a grand, tech-nerd
dream in which engineers, inventors and innovators of every stripe create
the greatest of all reset buttons. He says the techies "seem to want a deus
ex machina to make everything right again."

They certainly don't want any outside interference, and are utterly
confident that they will realize the Singularity on their own terms and with
their own wits -- all of which fits with Silicon Valley's strong libertarian
traditions. Google and Microsoft employees trailed only members of the
military as the largest individual contributors to Ron Paul's 2008
presidential campaign.

The Valley's wizards also prefer to avoid any confrontation with Washington.

"Dealing with politics means having to compromise and convince people of
things and form alliances with people who don't always agree with you," Mr.
Orlowski says. "They're not wired for that."

Increasing Acceptance

Mr. Kurzweil is currently consulting for the Army on technology initiatives,
and says he routinely talks with government and business leaders. Bill
Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, appears in Mr. Kurzweil's books and often
on the back flaps with celebratory quotations.

Mr. Kurzweil and Mr. Page of Google created a renewable-energy plan for the
National Academy of Engineering, advising that solar power will one day soon
meet all of the world's energy needs.

Mr. Kurzweil's 31-year-old son, Ethan, says his father has always been ahead
of the curve. The family had the first flat-screen television and car phone
on the block, as well as a phone that could fax photos.

"We also had this thing where you put on a hat that had sensors and it would
create music to match your brain waves and help you meditate," Ethan says.
"People would come over and play with it."

Ethan previously worked for Linden Lab, the company behind the virtual world
Second Life. These days he's a venture capitalist at Bessemer Venture
Partners. A section of the bookshelves in his office has been reserved for
multiple copies of his father's works.

"A lot of what he has predicted has happened, and it's interesting to see
what he's been saying become more mainstream," says Ethan, who looks very
much like a younger version of his father. "He has a certain world view that
he feels strongly about that he thinks is absolutely coming to pass. The
data so far suggests it is. He's incredibly thorough with his research, and
I have confidence his critics haven't thought things through on the same
level."

Indeed, Ethan says, his father is almost, well, accepted.

"He is seen as less weird now," he says. "Much less weird."



Jeff Snyder, SysOp - Armageddon BBS  Visit us at endtimeprophecy.org port 23
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your Download Center 4 Mac BBS Software & Christian Files.  We Use Hermes II


--- Hermes Web Tosser 1.1