17. Technology directed towards m-wave stimulation devices.
18. Slow linking of people in M (mental) space. M space perimeter increases as more individuals assimilate into M space. Within M space individuals retain m (personal) space. Objects in M space are constructed by assimilees. As more individuals assimilate into M space, they contribute to the concretization of object thought form. Distance in M space is measured by the time required to construct the particular relocating thought. First level M space is communal, containing the union and intersections of m spaces. Sublevel M spaces are constructed for various reasons. Each sublevel removed from the first level requires a larger and larger amount of focal energy to sustain. M space existees fluctuate back and forth from M space to R (real) space. Places exist in R space for M space existee's bodies while in M space. Slowly M space existees separate from their material body. The shedding of physiological constructions to pure mind increases dramatically the fluidity and velocity of thought.36
Tom Friedman: Artist's Statement, 2000
36. “According to new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, amputation of the hand results in distorted visuospatial perception of… the space within reach of our hands -- where actions such as grasping and touching occur -- is known as the "action space." Research has shown that visual information in this area is organized in hand-centered coordinates -- in other words, the representation of objects in the human brain depends on their spatial position with respect to the hand… The findings suggest that losing a hand may shrink the action space on the amputated side, leading to permanent distortions in spatial perception.” Eurekalert! [via io9]
"If we are truly capturing a particular person's mental processes, then the reinstantiated mind will need a body, since so much of our thinking is directed towards physical needs and desires...37 by the time we have the tools to capture and recreate a human brain with all it subtleties, we will have plenty of options for twenty-first-century bodies for both nonbiological humans and biological humans who avail themselves of extensions to our intelligence. The human body 2.0 will include virtual bodies in completely realistic virtual environments, nanotechnology-based physical bodies, and more."
37. "'One only understands the things that one domesticates,' said the fox. 'Men have no more time to understand anything. They buy friendship, and so we have no friends any more. If you want a friend domesticate me... ''Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince.
"You don't understand," said Higgins. "What the posthumans created was - when you see it up close, inside, in virtuality, not like this" - she waved dismissively - "hardware, its more wonderful than anything in nature. What your seeing here is like brains. Grey matter, whorls, fissures, big fucking deal. What I've seen is thoughts. Art and science."
"Mair wonderful then the real world? Greater than God or Nature?"
"Yes!" Said Higgins explosively. Then, perhaps sensing the stiffening in Carlyle's muscles, she retracted: "A greater insight into the reality then we have anyway."
"Hah!" said Carlyle. "Tossers. I mean that. That's whit the Raptured were when ye get right down tae it. Nerds. Wankers. This is aw" - it was her turn to wave dismissively - "pornography. Because If it wisnae, how come they burned out so fast? How come they arenae around any mair? Wanked theirsels tae death if you ask me."38
"You couldn't be more wrong," said Higgins. "They loved the universe far more then we can. There are infinitely many modes of existence of which we can't conceive: not space-time, not thought, not mind, or matter. They began to conceive them before they left. They went below the Planck length, and away. Into the fine grain of the world. And there they still are, and far beyond it. The whole of space-time is now riddled with their minds. Or rather, with minds far less then theirs but far greater than ours. It is these minds that enforce the CPC and make FLT travel possible and time-travel paradoxes impossible."
Ken MacLeod, Newton's Wake, 183.
38. On the other hand it is possible that human control over the machines may be retained. In that case the average man may have control over certain private machines of his own, such as his car or his personal computer, but control over large systems of machines will be in the hands of a tiny elite - just as it is today, but with two differences. Due to improved techniques the elite will have greater control over the masses; and because human work will no longer be necessary the masses will be superfluous, a useless burden on the system. If the elite is ruthless they may simply decide to exterminate the mass of humanity. If they are humane they may use propaganda or other psychological or biological techniques to reduce the birth rate until the mass of humanity becomes extinct, leaving the world to the elite. Or, if the elite consists of soft-hearted liberals, they may decide to play the role of good shepherds to the rest of the human race. They will see to it that everyone’s physical needs are satisfied, that all children are raised under psychologically hygienic conditions, that everyone has a wholesome hobby to keep him busy, and that anyone who may become dissatisfied undergoes “treatment” to cure his “problem.” Of course, life will be so purposeless that people will have to be biologically or psychologically engineered either to remove their need for the power process or make them “sublimate” their drive for power into some harmless hobby. These engineered human beings may be happy in such a society, but they will most certainly not be free. They will have been reduced to the status of domestic animals." Theodore Kaczynski’s Unabomber Manifesto
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