We don't really need to understand a human brain. We just need something that functions pretty well at learning things itself, and is open-ended in its growth. We know roughly how the human brain works, but a lot of it is stuff like "How do I manage my heart? What kind of emotions / relationships should I have?"

There's also the practical aspect that in creating something of human like intelligence, you don't need human brain style complexity. Most of the human brain is wasted on ancient animal nonsense that we have no reason to want to replicate.

look at how challenged most people are in two dimensions (cars). Wouldn't want that to be anywhere near, over or under me in three dimensions.

Two reasons: 1) take-off; 2) landing.

At some point (hopefully), people will figure out that flying cars won't exist (as successful production vehicles) for the simple reason that they suck at both driving and flying.

I'm not sure people would really want flying cars. I have a Pilot's licence and a driver's licence. Driving (except in high traffic) is a fairly cruisy exercise. you can do it with fairly little brain power. Flying on the other hand takes significant concentration. The most concentration is required in high traffic…

I'm sure a person can love their feet too. I love mine.

Cue Pat Robertson saying it's Muslim's fault for turning their backs on Christ.

Totally agree on the human brain! It's time to junk that stumbled into, buggy, just barely optimized loaf of meat for better hardware!

Sound's like an American Libertarian's wet dream.

3) Libertarianism!

i needed his glasses to make a fire!

step 1) audition and get on the show. step 2) find a fat guy. name him piggy and smash him dead with a boulder.

I'm glad to see this aspect of the issue discussed as well. The 'inspiration' for a new way of seeing the world - and monitizing it - is very real in the economy. The only issue that remains is, just how many of us can continually be 'inspired' to that level of achievement? How much room does the real economy have…

You just need one person to think where before you needed hundreds. Physical automation didn't remove physical labour, it just meant you only need one mechanic instead of a hundred factory workers. Likewise you will have one developer instead of a hundred clerks.

I work for a small software company. I figured out quite some time ago, the only real purpose of any kind of automation - software or hardware - is to replace a human being with a thing. While the care and feeding of software or hardware can be high, in the end it's never as high as the cost of a person. And…

It's funny to me too, because Kurtswelians so often cite how different today is from 1950, completely overlooking that the future predicted by those in 1950 is ludicrously more advanced than our world today. They are the spiritual heirs to the futurists of the 50s. They are just as wrong.