Giving rights to artificial intelligences

Author David Brin considers the issue of how Artificial Intelligences should be treated. A topic straight out of science fiction that really does deserve some attention before we actually have to deal with it.

The Real Reason to Ensure AI Rights

I've spoken elsewhere of one great irony -- that there is nothing new about this endeavor. That every human generation embarks upon a similar exercise -- creating new entities that start out less intelligent and virtually helpless, but gradually transform into beings that are stronger, more capable, and sometimes more brilliant than their parents can imagine.

The difference between this older style of parenthood and the New Creation is not only that we are attempting to do all of the design de novo, with very little help from nature or evolution, but also that the pace is speeding up. It may even accelerate, once semi-intelligent computers assist in fashioning new and better successors.

See the full article at Contrary Brin or Tomorrow Happens.

[Image Lifeboat.com]

Opposition to the Single Payer System

Environmental Roadie and Assistant Guitar Lawyer Sean Carman offers his views on health care reform domestic airport security. [Via The Huffington Post]

Why I Oppose the Single-Payer System
for Domestic Airport Security

Let me explain. There are any number of ways to ensure that passengers are prevented from bringing weapons or explosives onto domestic flights. Some advocate a "single-payer" system, in which a single entity, say, the United States government, becomes the sole source of funding for airport security. Under this plan, it would be the GOVERNMENT that organizes the provision of security services at all American airports.

That's right. GOVERNMENT employees would write the regulations dictating what items can be brought into the cabins of passenger aircraft. GOVERNMENT employees would operate the security checkpoints at America's airports. When someone walked through airport security, the person watching the metal detector to see if it registered an alarm to indicate the presence of metal in that person's pants would be a GOVERNMENT employee.

As you might begin to see, Sean isn't really talking about airport security at all. Go see what he is up to at The Huffington Post.

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More Health Care Reform Thoughts

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Glenn Beck's Operation
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Spinal Tap Performance

I had another thought, or maybe non-thought, on health care reform. See them at Nothing's Simple.

Sense on Health Care Reform

In the spirit of Mark Clifton's essay, I give you the Daily Show Panel on Health Care Reform:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Healther Skelter - Obama Death Panel Debate
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Spinal Tap Performance

And there must be reform. Our current system, for all that it does well, is not sustainable, and is increasingly motivated by corporate profit. Among other things, the insurance industry has created a self-interested bureaucracy that is growing like a cancer.

Perhaps a disclaimer is in order: I an employed by a medical school, and arguably benefit when the health care industry make a good profit.

[Update]
My son asked me my opinion on health care reform after watching that Daily Show episode. And in explaining my views to him it occurred to me that medicine has a well established code of ethics, the first of which is "Do No Harm." Insurance coverage is increasing becoming a key part of health care, but the insurance industry is not bound by the same code of ethics. I think a successful reform should mandate that insurance companies operate within similar ethical guidelines.

[update: typo ... grrr]

Ride 'Em Cowboy!

A picture is worth a thousand words.



Lots more pictures at Camels With Hammers.



Video here, or see the tweets.



If you missed what this is all about, see this post at Phyrangula.



My favorite, a picture from Islanddave.






For the record, I am an agnostic, and I applaud the Secular Student Alliance in their efforts to shine the light of reason on creationist silliness.

The Tangled Bank

Carl Zimmer has been dropping hints about his forthcoming book; The Tangled Bank [Amazon].

It's coming out in time for {insert mid-winter celebration of you choice here}, so I'm going to be dropping some hints too.

Carl Zimmer is a great science writer; you can find a selection of his articles on his web site or blog.