Ray Kurzweil
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==Transferable expertise== | ==Transferable expertise== | ||
| − | Kurzweil has an unfortunate tendency to think that being brilliant at computer science means every other specialty can be [[engineers and woo|treated as a special case of computer science]]. He thinks that the genome contains all the information needed to grow a brain, therefore it is a problem of [[wikipedia:Kolmogorov complexity|Kolmogorov complexity]] and computer science, therefore we will be able to simulate one on computers within twenty years of 2010.<ref>Kurzweil, Ray. [http://www.kurzweilai.net/ray-kurzweil-responds-to-ray-kurzweil-does-not-understand-the-brain "Ray Kurzweil Responds to 'Ray Kurzweil does not understand the brain'."] ''Kurzweil Accelerating Intelligence'' blog, 2010-08-20.</ref> Experts on the evolution of brains think Kurzweil does not understand biology and thinks the genome works like a blueprint, whereas most qualified biologists think the right analogy is a recipe that takes as a starting assumption ''the rest of life on Earth''.<ref>[[PZ Myers]]. [http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/08/ray_kurzweil_does_not_understa.php "Ray Kurzweil does not understand the brain."] ''Pharyngula'', 2010-08-17.</ref> In the case of the human brain, it literally cannot physically develop correctly except in the presence of a human ''culture''.<ref>Really: if you're not brought up by humans, bits of your brain don't grow right. ''e.g.'' if you're brought up by wolves, you'll never learn a language. Kurzweil may be technically, though not usefully, approximately correct about the genome containing almost all the information needed to grow a fresh newborn's brain.</ref> This leads to a certain exasperation on the part of those who actually know what they're talking about.<ref>[[PZ Myers]]. [http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/08/kurzweil_still_doesnt_understa.php "Kurzweil still doesn't understand the brain."] ''Pharyngula'', 2010-08-21.</ref> | + | Kurzweil has an unfortunate tendency to think that being brilliant at computer science means every other specialty can be [[engineers and woo|treated as a special case of computer science]]. He thinks that the genome contains all the information needed to grow a brain, therefore it is a problem of [[wikipedia:Kolmogorov complexity|Kolmogorov complexity]] and computer science, therefore we will be able to simulate one on computers within twenty years of 2010.<ref>Kurzweil, Ray. [http://www.kurzweilai.net/ray-kurzweil-responds-to-ray-kurzweil-does-not-understand-the-brain "Ray Kurzweil Responds to 'Ray Kurzweil does not understand the brain'."] ''Kurzweil Accelerating Intelligence'' blog, 2010-08-20.</ref> Experts on the evolution of brains think Kurzweil does not understand biology and thinks the genome works like a blueprint, whereas most qualified biologists think the right analogy is a recipe that takes as a starting assumption the informational content of ''the rest of life on Earth''.<ref>[[PZ Myers]]. [http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/08/ray_kurzweil_does_not_understa.php "Ray Kurzweil does not understand the brain."] ''Pharyngula'', 2010-08-17.</ref> In the case of the human brain, it literally cannot physically develop correctly except in the presence of a human ''culture''.<ref>Really: if you're not brought up by humans, bits of your brain don't grow right. ''e.g.'' if you're brought up by wolves, you'll never learn a language. Kurzweil may be technically, though not usefully, approximately correct about the genome containing almost all the information needed to grow a fresh newborn's brain.</ref> This leads to a certain exasperation on the part of those who actually know what they're talking about.<ref>[[PZ Myers]]. [http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/08/kurzweil_still_doesnt_understa.php "Kurzweil still doesn't understand the brain."] ''Pharyngula'', 2010-08-21.</ref> |
==Singularity University== | ==Singularity University== | ||
Revision as of 10:06, 21 March 2011
Ray Kurzweil is a well-known futurist and advocate of the transhumanist belief cluster with a truly overwhelming fear of death. He makes predictions about what science and humanity will achieve in the next ten, twenty, or hundred years, and the press lap it up.
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The good stuff
Kurzweil is, in fact, a genius. He was a major pioneer in the fields of optical character recognition and computer-assisted reading (Stevie Wonder is a personal friend of his) as well as digital music synthesis (his K250 keyboard was the first to use recorded samples for tone generation). [1]
Transferable expertise
Kurzweil has an unfortunate tendency to think that being brilliant at computer science means every other specialty can be treated as a special case of computer science. He thinks that the genome contains all the information needed to grow a brain, therefore it is a problem of Kolmogorov complexity and computer science, therefore we will be able to simulate one on computers within twenty years of 2010.[2] Experts on the evolution of brains think Kurzweil does not understand biology and thinks the genome works like a blueprint, whereas most qualified biologists think the right analogy is a recipe that takes as a starting assumption the informational content of the rest of life on Earth.[3] In the case of the human brain, it literally cannot physically develop correctly except in the presence of a human culture.[4] This leads to a certain exasperation on the part of those who actually know what they're talking about.[5]
Singularity University
Kurzweil is keen to share his knowledge and insight. You, yes you the corporate executive, can spend $15,000 of company money on a 9-day Executive Training Session, or a 10-week graduate studies course for $25,000, to learn all about exponentially advancing technologies.[6]
Nanotechnology
In line with most misconceptions about nanotechnology, Kurzweil thinks nanobots of the "industrial robot scaled down a billion times" kind are achievable,[7] rather than requiring violations of physics.[8] He then actively propagates this misconception.
Nutritional woo
He is very fond of nutritional supplements (he takes 200 vitamin pills a day)[9] and alkaline water[10] and getting scientifically untested longevity treatments. When his followers start an argument with "look, Kurzweil's a smart guy, right?" see if they will acknowledge his propensity for untested alt-med woo as being prima facie evidence that his undoubted intelligence in no way means he isn't capable of being utterly wrong.
He also sells nutritional supplements for longevity[11] which are as good as any others, i.e. 0% solid verified science and 100% wishful thinking. So is he a charlatan or a fool?
Thankfully, even singularitarians are starting to show signs of embarrassment at Kurzweil's undeniable left turn into obvious pseudoscience.[12]
Footnotes
- ↑ Kurzweil Music Systems, originally based in Massachusetts, was sold to a Korean company now owned by Hyundai in 1990; Kurzweil was brought back as chief strategist in 2007.
- ↑ Kurzweil, Ray. "Ray Kurzweil Responds to 'Ray Kurzweil does not understand the brain'." Kurzweil Accelerating Intelligence blog, 2010-08-20.
- ↑ PZ Myers. "Ray Kurzweil does not understand the brain." Pharyngula, 2010-08-17.
- ↑ Really: if you're not brought up by humans, bits of your brain don't grow right. e.g. if you're brought up by wolves, you'll never learn a language. Kurzweil may be technically, though not usefully, approximately correct about the genome containing almost all the information needed to grow a fresh newborn's brain.
- ↑ PZ Myers. "Kurzweil still doesn't understand the brain." Pharyngula, 2010-08-21.
- ↑ http://spectrum.ieee.org/computing/software/ray-kurzweils-slippery-futurism/0
- ↑ http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2005/02/66585
- ↑ Rupturing The Nanotech Rapture: Biological nanobots could repair and improve the human body, but they'll be more bio than bot Richard A.L. Jones, IEEE Spectrum, June 2008
- ↑ Gary Wolf. "Futurist Ray Kurzweil Pulls Out All the Stops (and Pills) to Live to Witness the Singularity." Wired 16 4, April 2008.
- ↑ This reads like a parody of the concept of woo.
- ↑ http://www.rayandterry.com/index.asp
- ↑ It's not all about Ray: There's more to Singularity studies than Kurzweil (George Dvorsky, Sentient Developments blog, 2010-08-23)