Suzanne Gildert on Thinking about the hardware of thinking: Can disruptive technologies help us achieve uploading?, Teleplace, 28th November 2010

Suzanne Gildert gave a talk in Teleplace on “Thinking about the hardware of thinking: Can disruptive technologies help us achieve uploading?” on November 28, 2010, at 10am PST (1pm EST, 6pm UK, 7pm continental EU).

This was a revised version of Suzanne’s talk at TransVision 2010, also inspired by her article on “Building more intelligent machines: Can ‘co-design’ help?” (PDF). See also Suzanne’s previous Teleplace talk on “Quantum Computing: Separating Hope from Hype“.

For those who could not attend we have recorded everything (talk, Q/A and discussion) on video. There are 2 different videos on blip.tv:

VIDEO 1 – 600×400 resolution, 1 hour 4 min
VIDEO A – 600×400 resolution, 1 hour 4 min, taken (mostly) from a fixed point of view by Antoine van de Ven

NOTES: To download the source .mp4 video files from blip.tv, open the “Files and Links” box.

Thinking about the hardware of thinking: Can disruptive technologies help us achieve uploading?

S. Gildert, Teleplace, 28th November 2010

We are surrounded by devices that rely on general purpose silicon processors, which are mostly very similar in terms of their design. But is this the only possibility? As we begin to run larger and more brain-like emulations, will our current methods of simulating neural networks be enough, even in principle? Why does the brain, with 100 billion neurons, consume less than 30W of power, whilst our attempts to simulate tens of thousands of neurons (for example in the blue brain project) consumes tens of KW? As we wish to run computations faster and more efficiently, we might we need to consider if the design of the hardware that we all take for granted is optimal. In this presentation I will discuss the recent return to a focus upon co-design – that is, designing specialized software algorithms running on specialized hardware, and how this approach may help us create much more powerful applications in the future. As an example, I will discuss some possible ways of running AI algorithms on novel forms of computer hardware, such as superconducting quantum computing processors. These behave entirely differently to our current silicon chips, and help to emphasize just how important disruptive technologies may be to our attempts to build intelligent machines.

This talk is part of the ASIM Expert Series (see carboncopies.org). See also Suzanne’s post and the Event on Facebook.

Dr. Suzanne Gildert is currently working as an Experimental Physicist at D-Wave Systems, Inc. She is involved in the design and testing of large scale superconducting processors for Quantum Computing Applications. Suzanne obtained her PhD and MSci degree from The University of Birmingham UK, focusing on the areas of experimental quantum device physics and superconductivity.

teleXLR8 is a telepresence community for cultural acceleration. We produce online events, featuring first class content and speakers, with the best system for e-learning and collaboration in an online 3D environment: Teleplace. Join teleXLR8 to participate in online talks, seminars, round tables, workshops, debates, full conferences, e-learning courses, and social events… with full immersion telepresence, but without leaving home.

Suzanne Gildert on Thinking about the hardware of thinking: Can disruptive technologies help us achieve uploading?, Teleplace, 28th November 2010, 10am PST

UPDATE: See Suzanne Gildert on Thinking about the hardware of thinking: Can disruptive technologies help us achieve uploading?, Teleplace, 28th November 2010, with pictures and videos.

Suzanne Gildert will give a talk in Teleplace on “Thinking about the hardware of thinking: Can disruptive technologies help us achieve uploading?” on November 28, 2010, at 10am PST (1pm EST, 6pm UK, 7pm continental EU).

This is a revised version of Suzanne’s talk at TransVision 2010, also inspired by her article on “Building more intelligent machines: Can ‘co-design’ help?” (PDF). See also Suzanne’s previous Teleplace talk on “Quantum Computing: Separating Hope from Hype“.

Turing Church Online Workshop 1, Teleplace, Saturday November 20

The Turing Church Online Workshop 1, on Saturday November 20 2010 in Teleplace, explored transhumanist spirituality and “Religion 2.0” as a coordination-oriented summit of persons, groups and organizations active in this area.

Panelists (in the pictures):

• Ben Goertzel (Cosmist Manifesto)
• Giulio Prisco (Turing Church)
• Mike Perry (Society for Universal Immortalism)
• Lincoln Cannon (Mormon Transhumanist Association)
• Martine Rothblatt (Terasem)

Many other “interested observers” of transhumanist spirituality and “Religion 2.0” partcipated in the workshop, including the writers Robert Geraci and Remi Sussan.

About 20 participants attended the workshop and contributed to the discussion with very interesting questions and comments.

For those who could not attend we have recorded everything (talks, Q/A and discussion) on video. There are 3 different videos on blip.tv:

VIDEO 1 – Part 1, 600×400 resolution, 43 min, speaker Giulio Prisco, recorded by Fred and Linda Chamberlain
VIDEO 2 – Part 2, 600×400 resolution, 1 hour 28 min, speakers Mike Perry and Ben Goertzel
VIDEO 3 – Part 3, 600×400 resolution, 1 hour 7 min, speakers Lincoln Cannon and Martine Rothblatt

NOTES: To download the source .mp4 video files from blip.tv, open the “Files and Links” box.

Topics and issues discussed:

• To discover parallels and similarities between different organizations and to agree on common interests, agendas, strategies, outreach plans etc.
• To discuss whether it makes sense to establish a umbrella organization, or to consider one of the existing organizations as such.
• To develop the idea of scientific resurrection: our descendants and mind children will develop “magic science and technology” in the sense of Clarke’s third law, and may be able to do grand spacetime engineering and even resurrect the dead by “copying them to the future“. Of course this a hope and not a certainty, but I am persuaded that this concept is scientifically founded and could become the “missing link” between transhumanists and religious and spiritual communities.
• And of course, how to make our our beautiful ideas available, understandable and appealing to billions of seekers.

The workshop made evident that the participants, persons and groups, share very similar, overlapping and compatible ideas. It is also evident that there are different approaches to transhumanist spirituality, each with its own focus and priorities. Some participants observed that, since all of the spiritual transhumanist groups represented at the workshop are inclusive, it makes sense joining all. The idea of establishing a umbrella organizations for spiritually inclined transhumanists was discussed. An alternative is one of the existing groups, or perhaps Humanity+ (subject to their interest of course) as umbrella organization. The MTA and Terasem reported significant growth.

The Turing Church Online Workshop 1 was held in teleXLR8, a telepresence community for cultural acceleration. We produce online events, featuring first class content and speakers, with the best system for e-learning and collaboration in an online 3D environment: Teleplace. Join teleXLR8 to participate in online talks, seminars, round tables, workshops, debates, full conferences, e-learning courses, and social events… with full immersion telepresence, but without leaving home.

Luke Robert Mason on Coding Consciousness: Transhuman Aesthetics in Performance, Teleplace, 17th November 2010

Luke Robert Mason presented an artist’s work-in-progress talk in Teleplace on “Coding Consciousness: Transhuman Aesthetics in Performance” on Wednesday 17th November 2010 at 10.45 am PST (1.45pm EST, 6.45pm UK, 7.45pm CET).

This was a mixed event in brickspace and cyberspace, with a 2-way link between the two spaces. Event listings on Facebook: PHYSICALLY – Milburn House, Warwick University, 18:30. VIRTUALLY – TelePlace 18.45. Luke gave a great talk and interactive performance on transhumanist themes such as mind uploading from an artistic and aesthetic perspective.

Besides the participants in Milburn House, about 20 participants attended the talk in Teleplace and contributed to the discussion with very interesting questions and comments. The sound system had been professionally set up and remote participants have been able to listen not only to the main speaker, but also to the questions and comments of other participants in Milburn House. For those who could not attend we have recorded everything (talk, Q/A and discussion) on video. There are 2 different videos on blip.tv:

VIDEO 1 – 600×400 resolution, 1 hour 18 min
VIDEO A – 600×400 resolution, 1 hour 22 min, taken (mostly) from a fixed point of view by Phillip Galinsky

NOTES: To download the source .mp4 video files from blip.tv, open the “Files and Links” box.

Abstract: I aim to practically explore and challenge the performance of identity as mediated by current and potential technological advance. We have reached a ‘second modernity’ where we are able to enter the digital realm and simultaneously augment our own reality, allowing us to process and explore multiple identities through the ‘coding’ of our conscious experience onto digital avatars, such as those in Second Life. However, this serves to challenge the politics of our bio-representation.

I want to explore, through creative performance techniques, the possibility of being able to ‘upload’ our consciousness. Ann Weinstone comments, on artificial life, “[c]ode is coming to function as the transcendental, unifying, and ideal substance of life-for the non-referential, the unmediated-while at the same time, it retains attributes, or the trace if you will, of writing, replacing the body with a less mortal letter. ” We already see ourselves in the 20th Century as alpha- numerical data (i.e. DNA) with our bio-metrics becoming our bio-identity.

‘Coding Consciousness’ represents both the great challenge and great limitation of technology. My aim is to look at how performance can transcend these current technological limitations and utter suggestions as to the creative application of life without boundaries – creating a mind free to transcend positional limits by embodying technology.”

Luke Robert Mason is a University of Warwick, Theatre and Performance Studies Undergraduate Student and Live Artist. He will share some of his current research with the aim to provoke debate. There will be an extensive Q&A session following the talk and he is eager to capture participant’s views and opinions.

teleXLR8 is a telepresence community for cultural acceleration. We produce online events, featuring first class content and speakers, with the best system for e-learning and collaboration in an online 3D environment: Teleplace. Join teleXLR8 to participate in online talks, seminars, round tables, workshops, debates, full conferences, e-learning courses, and social events… with full immersion telepresence, but without leaving home.

Turing Church Online Workshop 1, Teleplace, Saturday November 20, 9am-1pm PST

UPDATE: Turing Church Online Workshop 1, Teleplace, Saturday November 20, with workshop report, pictures and videos.

Turing Church Online Workshop 1, in Teleplace, Saturday November 20, 9am-1pm PST (noon-4pm EST, 5pm-9pm UK, 6pm-10pm EU). The workshop will explore transhumanist spirituality and “Religion 2.0” and it will be a coordination-oriented summit of groups and organizations active in this area.

Format:
Online-only workshop in Teleplace. Those who already have Teleplace accounts for teleXLR8 can just show up at the workshop. There are a limited number of seats available for others, please contact Giulio Prisco if you wish to attend.

Panelists:

• Lincoln Cannon (Mormon Transhumanist Association)
• Ben Goertzel (Cosmist Manifesto)
• Mike Perry (Society for Universal Immortalism)
• Giulio Prisco (Turing Church)
• Martine Rothblatt (Terasem)

Agenda:

• Talks by the panelists in the first 2 hours.
• Discussion between the panelists in the last 2 hours, with the participation of the audience.

Objectives:

• To discover parallels and similarities between different organizations and to agree on common interests, agendas, strategies, outreach plans etc.
• To discuss whether it makes sense to establish a umbrella organization, or to consider one of the existing organizations as such.
• To develop the idea of scientific resurrection: our descendants and mind children will develop “magic science and technology” in the sense of Clarke’s third law, and may be able to do grand spacetime engineering and even resurrect the dead by “copying them to the future“. Of course this a hope and not a certainty, but I am persuaded that this concept is scientifically founded and could become the “missing link” between transhumanists and religious and spiritual communities.
• And of course, how to make our our beautiful ideas available, understandable and appealing to billions of seekers.

Luke Robert Mason on Coding Consciousness: Transhuman Aesthetics in Performance, Teleplace, 17th November 2010 at 10.45 am PST

UPDATE: see Luke Robert Mason on Coding Consciousness: Transhuman Aesthetics in Performance, Teleplace, 17th November 2010, with pictures and full video coverage.

Luke Robert Mason will present an artist’s work-in-progress talk in Teleplace on “Coding Consciousness: Transhuman Aesthetics in Performance” on Wednesday 17th November 2010 at 10.45 am PST (1.45pm EST, 6.45pm UK, 7.45pm CET). Those who already have Teleplace accounts for teleXLR8 can just show up at the talk. There are a limited number of seats available for others, please contact Giulio Prisco if you wish to attend.

This is a mixed event – Facebook: PHYSICALLY – Milburn House, Warwick Uni, 18:30. VIRTUALLY – TelePlace 18.45.

Luke Robert Mason is a University of Warwick, Theatre and Performance Studies Undergraduate Student and Live Artist. He will share some of his current research with the aim to provoke debate. There will be an extensive Q&A session following the talk and he is eager to capture participant’s views and opinions.