Alex M. Vikoulov's Blog, page 13
December 5, 2018
The Syntellect Hypothesis: A New Extension to the Gaia Theory
by Alex Vikoulov 
“The basic pattern of life is a network. Whenever you see life, you see networks. The whole planet, what we can term 'Gaia' is a network of processes involving feedback tubes. Humans are part of the larger whole, Gaia.” -Fritjof Capra
When studying Earth’s global biosphere, Lynn Margulis and James Lovelock recognized that it has certain qualities of a life form. Many of Earth’s life‐sustaining elements display phenomenal stability, dynamic equilibrium and self-regulation, known in biology as ‘homeostasis’. The temperature range of the climate; the oxygen content of the atmosphere; the chemistry and salinity of the ocean – all of these are biologically mediated. All have, for hundreds of millions of years, stayed within a range conducive to life. Lovelock and Margulis hypothesized that the totality of life is interacting with its environment in ways that regulate these global properties. They realized that Earth is, in a sense, a living organism. They named this creature Gaia after the ancient Greek Earth goddess.
Video: The Syntellect Hypothesis: Gaia 2.0 - Ecstadelic Media
We may finally have an extension to the original Gaia hypothesis. We humans could be instrumental to bringing about a massive “upgrade” of the planetary operating system to version Gaia 2.0. In my new book “The Syntellect Hypothesis: Five Paradigms of the Mind’s Evolution,” we use the term ‘Syntellect’, the most apt neologism I came across while reading “The Transformative Humanities: A Manifesto” (2012) by Mikhail Epstein. The ‘Syntellect’ (Greek syn, with, together + intellect) can be defined as the unified mind of civilization that integrates all individual natural and artificial minds through the mediation and accumulative effects of information networks.
Globally distributed intelligence where human brains are intimately integrated with artificial superbrains may be the safest way to approach the AI Singularity. Elon Musk says the key to preventing an AI apocalypse is to create an “AI-human symbiote.” Whether it will be accomplished via a neural lace, nanobot ingestibles, or any other future neural interfacing technology, is not really important. What’s important is connecting our brains directly to the Cloud as part of the “democratization of AI technology” and when a critical mass of brains are connected to the Cloud – when “we are the AI collectively” – that would effectively prevent AI getting out of hand. A full set of today's notorious global problems, including Anthropocene-related environmental challenges, pales in comparison to what can be solved at the level of the "awakened" Gaian Mind.
The conceptual similarities of the World-Wide Web and the human brain are astounding. The wiring of the Internet resembles a rudimentary brain and some of the interactions that take place on it are similar to the processes that we observe in the brain. Both networks are holonomic which means that information can reach any given node within the network by passing through only a small number of other nodes. This facilitates the global propagation of information within the network, and gives each and every node the functional potential to be directly connected to all others. The Integrated information Theory (IIT) allows for the emergence of an abstract superorganism that is composed of many individual organisms. “Whether or not the Internet today feels like something to itself is completely speculative. Still, it is certainly conceivable," says neuroscientist Christof Koch of Seattle-based Allen Institute for Brain Science.
Akin to many perennial traditions, the Syntellect idea holds promise for a cosmic level of consciousness and a state of deep synergy that encompasses humanity as a whole. This idea is appealing to many: Theists might view this state of holistic consciousness as a union with God. Transhumanists might see it as the creation, by humanity itself, of a meta-entity with God-like powers. Adherents of the Gaia theory might acknowledge that the “living Earth” offers to us a sense of belonging to a larger whole and a sense of higher purpose.
The Syntellect Hypothesis which is the main focus of my new book, as its title suggests, refers to a phase transition of a complex intelligent system to self-awareness of a living, conscious superorganism when intellectual synergy of its components reaches threshold complexity to become one supermind. This metamorphosis is associated with emergence of higher-order self-awareness and dimensionality of a new consciousness structure. As a bio-species merging with its advanced technology, human-machine civilization is now on the verge of the 'Syntellect Emergence' – becoming one Global Mind.
-by Alex Vikoulov
P.S. Adapted from my new book “The Syntellect Hypothesis: Five Paradigms of the Mind’s Evolution,” that can be ordered on amazon.com, other major online and brick-and-mortar bookstores, or directly from this website.
Order Now! *To buy the book on Amazon, please follow the link here.
Tags: Gaia Theory, Fritjof Capra, biosphere, Lynn Margulis, James Lovelock, homeostasis, Gaia hypothesis, Gaia, Syntellect Hypothesis, Five Paradigms of the Mind’s Evolution, Syntellect, Transformative Humanities, Mikhail Epstein, unified mind, informational networks, globally distributed intelligence, human brain, artificial brain, AI Singularity, AI apocalypse, AI-human symbiote, neural lace, nanobot ingestible, neural interfacing, democratization of AI technology, World-Wide Web, holonomic network, Integrated information Theory, superorganism, Christof Koch, cosmic consciousness, holistic consciousness, meta-entity, phase transition, supermind, metamorphosis, higher-order self-awareness, consciousness structure, human-machine civilization, Syntellect Emergence, Global Mind.
About the Author:
Alex Vikoulov is a futurist, neo-transcendentalist, transhumanist singularitarian, evolutionary extrapolist, cosmist, digital philosopher, founder of Ecstadelic Media, painter, media artist, essayist, co-author of "Is Reality a Simulation?" (2018), author of the new book "The Syntellect Hypothesis: Five Paradigms of the Mind's Evolution" (2019). Lives in Burlingame, California (San Francisco Bay Area).
“The basic pattern of life is a network. Whenever you see life, you see networks. The whole planet, what we can term 'Gaia' is a network of processes involving feedback tubes. Humans are part of the larger whole, Gaia.” -Fritjof Capra
When studying Earth’s global biosphere, Lynn Margulis and James Lovelock recognized that it has certain qualities of a life form. Many of Earth’s life‐sustaining elements display phenomenal stability, dynamic equilibrium and self-regulation, known in biology as ‘homeostasis’. The temperature range of the climate; the oxygen content of the atmosphere; the chemistry and salinity of the ocean – all of these are biologically mediated. All have, for hundreds of millions of years, stayed within a range conducive to life. Lovelock and Margulis hypothesized that the totality of life is interacting with its environment in ways that regulate these global properties. They realized that Earth is, in a sense, a living organism. They named this creature Gaia after the ancient Greek Earth goddess.
Video: The Syntellect Hypothesis: Gaia 2.0 - Ecstadelic Media
We may finally have an extension to the original Gaia hypothesis. We humans could be instrumental to bringing about a massive “upgrade” of the planetary operating system to version Gaia 2.0. In my new book “The Syntellect Hypothesis: Five Paradigms of the Mind’s Evolution,” we use the term ‘Syntellect’, the most apt neologism I came across while reading “The Transformative Humanities: A Manifesto” (2012) by Mikhail Epstein. The ‘Syntellect’ (Greek syn, with, together + intellect) can be defined as the unified mind of civilization that integrates all individual natural and artificial minds through the mediation and accumulative effects of information networks.
Globally distributed intelligence where human brains are intimately integrated with artificial superbrains may be the safest way to approach the AI Singularity. Elon Musk says the key to preventing an AI apocalypse is to create an “AI-human symbiote.” Whether it will be accomplished via a neural lace, nanobot ingestibles, or any other future neural interfacing technology, is not really important. What’s important is connecting our brains directly to the Cloud as part of the “democratization of AI technology” and when a critical mass of brains are connected to the Cloud – when “we are the AI collectively” – that would effectively prevent AI getting out of hand. A full set of today's notorious global problems, including Anthropocene-related environmental challenges, pales in comparison to what can be solved at the level of the "awakened" Gaian Mind.
The conceptual similarities of the World-Wide Web and the human brain are astounding. The wiring of the Internet resembles a rudimentary brain and some of the interactions that take place on it are similar to the processes that we observe in the brain. Both networks are holonomic which means that information can reach any given node within the network by passing through only a small number of other nodes. This facilitates the global propagation of information within the network, and gives each and every node the functional potential to be directly connected to all others. The Integrated information Theory (IIT) allows for the emergence of an abstract superorganism that is composed of many individual organisms. “Whether or not the Internet today feels like something to itself is completely speculative. Still, it is certainly conceivable," says neuroscientist Christof Koch of Seattle-based Allen Institute for Brain Science.
Akin to many perennial traditions, the Syntellect idea holds promise for a cosmic level of consciousness and a state of deep synergy that encompasses humanity as a whole. This idea is appealing to many: Theists might view this state of holistic consciousness as a union with God. Transhumanists might see it as the creation, by humanity itself, of a meta-entity with God-like powers. Adherents of the Gaia theory might acknowledge that the “living Earth” offers to us a sense of belonging to a larger whole and a sense of higher purpose.
The Syntellect Hypothesis which is the main focus of my new book, as its title suggests, refers to a phase transition of a complex intelligent system to self-awareness of a living, conscious superorganism when intellectual synergy of its components reaches threshold complexity to become one supermind. This metamorphosis is associated with emergence of higher-order self-awareness and dimensionality of a new consciousness structure. As a bio-species merging with its advanced technology, human-machine civilization is now on the verge of the 'Syntellect Emergence' – becoming one Global Mind.
-by Alex Vikoulov
P.S. Adapted from my new book “The Syntellect Hypothesis: Five Paradigms of the Mind’s Evolution,” that can be ordered on amazon.com, other major online and brick-and-mortar bookstores, or directly from this website.
Order Now! *To buy the book on Amazon, please follow the link here.
Tags: Gaia Theory, Fritjof Capra, biosphere, Lynn Margulis, James Lovelock, homeostasis, Gaia hypothesis, Gaia, Syntellect Hypothesis, Five Paradigms of the Mind’s Evolution, Syntellect, Transformative Humanities, Mikhail Epstein, unified mind, informational networks, globally distributed intelligence, human brain, artificial brain, AI Singularity, AI apocalypse, AI-human symbiote, neural lace, nanobot ingestible, neural interfacing, democratization of AI technology, World-Wide Web, holonomic network, Integrated information Theory, superorganism, Christof Koch, cosmic consciousness, holistic consciousness, meta-entity, phase transition, supermind, metamorphosis, higher-order self-awareness, consciousness structure, human-machine civilization, Syntellect Emergence, Global Mind.
About the Author:
Alex Vikoulov is a futurist, neo-transcendentalist, transhumanist singularitarian, evolutionary extrapolist, cosmist, digital philosopher, founder of Ecstadelic Media, painter, media artist, essayist, co-author of "Is Reality a Simulation?" (2018), author of the new book "The Syntellect Hypothesis: Five Paradigms of the Mind's Evolution" (2019). Lives in Burlingame, California (San Francisco Bay Area).
November 23, 2018
Transitioning towards the Transcendent Global Economy
by Alex Vikoulov 
"Capitalism does not permit an even flow of economic resources. With this system, a small privileged few are rich beyond conscience, and almost all others are doomed to be poor at some level. That's the way the system works. And since we know that the system will not change the rules, we are going to have to change the system." -Martin Luther King, Jr.
On May 6, 2010, the Dow Jones index opened lower than the previous day, falling slowly over the next few hours in response to the debt crisis in Greece. But at 2.42pm, the index started to fall rapidly. In less than five minutes, more than 600 points were wiped off the market. At its lowest point, the index was nearly 1,000 points below the previous day’s average, a difference of almost 10% of its total value, and the biggest single-day fall in the market’s history. By 3.07pm, in just 25 minutes, it recovered almost all of those 600 points, in the largest and fastest swing ever, what professional market participants would call a “black swan” event. I was trading on that roller coaster 'Flash Crash' historical day and saw it with my eyes -- the rapid decline and just as rapid rebound of the markets and my own portfolio. I remember watching commentator Jim Cramer on CNBC hysterically screaming from the bottom of his lungs: "This is unreal! This is not right! The system obviously broke down! The machines broke down!" What a wild ride that was! I'll tell you!
Although the “free markets” model has been our best economic invention up until now, most people would be genuinely surprised to find out that senile “classic” capitalism is now digging its own perfect grave. Wall Street, the apex of U.S. economic system, has entered a new algo-dominated era. Back in the day, while working at Prudential Financial in San Francisco, one of the global investment powerhouses, I saw the insides of that industry. The fraternity of bond jockeys, derivatives mavericks and stock pickers who've long personified the industry gave way to algorithms and artificial intelligence. These tools relieved money managers of routine tasks, but made the pool of remaining jobs increasingly scarce and insanely competitive. In large part, AI does what humans do, except much faster and more accurately, supplanting entire teams of investment specialists. Goldman Sachs, for example, employed around 600 people at their US cash equities trading desk in 2000. Today, this operation has been taken over by AI with the same trading desk employing only two people.
Sci-fi writers and Hollywood got it wrong. The superintelligent machines are not coming for our lives. They are coming for our jobs. With the looming threats of technological unemployment, the oligopolist control of AI technology -- with the bulk of global population essentially rendered irrelevant by technology -- we might face a future of unprecedented inequality than ever before. The current economic system distributes wealth in a very focused manner that prevents a vast majority of humans from being adequately rewarded by the technologically advanced civilization. These factors undoubtedly condemn today's system of suboptimal economics to the realm of classical models of history as a result of impending obsolescence. In brief, the current faltering economic model is suboptimal, hinders economic growth, and is not sustainable going forward.
Our today’s economy resembles a car on the road -- if your drive your roadster, you might want to slow down before a turn, and then naturally accelerate after the turn. It all looks kind of natural except that the slowing down in real economy is done at the expense of general public. It’s far from a fair game! ‘Quantitative Easing’ (QE) first benefits the large pockets of Wall Street capital-controlling elite, a handful of people “in the know”. Every stock market downturn, in a sense, is a rip-off of the investing public, and every consequent upturn first benefits the Wall Street elite, too. QE, known as large-scale asset purchases, is essentially when the Federal Reserve buys predetermined amounts of 'illiquid' government bonds or other financial assets for 'liquid' cash in order to stimulate the economy and increase liquidity. But what if our economy doesn’t need to slow down... ever… or at least do it in a controlled manner? And what if instead of losing jobs to automation, we'll create entire new industries? Instead of an old car on the road, the next economic model will resemble a brand-new flying car. When you need to pilot one, you have to take off, then gain altitude and accelerate in speed, then proceed steadily, and only before reaching your destination, you can decelerate and start descent. So, what might this new economic model look like? What will it mean for the future of work and entrepreneurship?
Read the rest of this story in my new book "The Syntellect Hypothesis: Five Paradigms of the Mind's Evolution" that you can order today on amazon.com or directly from this website.
-by Alex Vikoulov
Order Now! *To buy the book on Amazon, please follow the link here.
Tags: capitalism, economic resources, Martin Luther King, Jr., Dow Jones index, debt crisis, black swan, Flash Crash, Jim Cramer, CNBC, free markets, economic model, Wall Street, U.S. economic system, Prudential Financial, money managers, investment specialists, Goldman Sachs, equities trading desk, superintelligent machines, technological unemployment, oligopolist control, AI technology, technologically advanced civilization, Quantitative Easing, QE, Wall Street capital-controlling elite, Wall Street elite, Federal Reserve, flying car, future of work, entrepreneurship
*Image Credit: Shutterstock
About the Author:
Alex Vikoulov is a futurist, neo-transcendentalist, transhumanist singularitarian, evolutionary extrapolist, cosmist, idealist philosopher, founder of Ecstadelic Media, painter, media artist, essayist, co-author of "Is Reality a Simulation?" (2018), author of "The Syntellect Hypothesis: Five Paradigms of the Mind's Evolution" (2019). Lives in Burlingame, California (San Francisco Bay Area).
"Capitalism does not permit an even flow of economic resources. With this system, a small privileged few are rich beyond conscience, and almost all others are doomed to be poor at some level. That's the way the system works. And since we know that the system will not change the rules, we are going to have to change the system." -Martin Luther King, Jr.
On May 6, 2010, the Dow Jones index opened lower than the previous day, falling slowly over the next few hours in response to the debt crisis in Greece. But at 2.42pm, the index started to fall rapidly. In less than five minutes, more than 600 points were wiped off the market. At its lowest point, the index was nearly 1,000 points below the previous day’s average, a difference of almost 10% of its total value, and the biggest single-day fall in the market’s history. By 3.07pm, in just 25 minutes, it recovered almost all of those 600 points, in the largest and fastest swing ever, what professional market participants would call a “black swan” event. I was trading on that roller coaster 'Flash Crash' historical day and saw it with my eyes -- the rapid decline and just as rapid rebound of the markets and my own portfolio. I remember watching commentator Jim Cramer on CNBC hysterically screaming from the bottom of his lungs: "This is unreal! This is not right! The system obviously broke down! The machines broke down!" What a wild ride that was! I'll tell you!
Although the “free markets” model has been our best economic invention up until now, most people would be genuinely surprised to find out that senile “classic” capitalism is now digging its own perfect grave. Wall Street, the apex of U.S. economic system, has entered a new algo-dominated era. Back in the day, while working at Prudential Financial in San Francisco, one of the global investment powerhouses, I saw the insides of that industry. The fraternity of bond jockeys, derivatives mavericks and stock pickers who've long personified the industry gave way to algorithms and artificial intelligence. These tools relieved money managers of routine tasks, but made the pool of remaining jobs increasingly scarce and insanely competitive. In large part, AI does what humans do, except much faster and more accurately, supplanting entire teams of investment specialists. Goldman Sachs, for example, employed around 600 people at their US cash equities trading desk in 2000. Today, this operation has been taken over by AI with the same trading desk employing only two people.
Sci-fi writers and Hollywood got it wrong. The superintelligent machines are not coming for our lives. They are coming for our jobs. With the looming threats of technological unemployment, the oligopolist control of AI technology -- with the bulk of global population essentially rendered irrelevant by technology -- we might face a future of unprecedented inequality than ever before. The current economic system distributes wealth in a very focused manner that prevents a vast majority of humans from being adequately rewarded by the technologically advanced civilization. These factors undoubtedly condemn today's system of suboptimal economics to the realm of classical models of history as a result of impending obsolescence. In brief, the current faltering economic model is suboptimal, hinders economic growth, and is not sustainable going forward.
Our today’s economy resembles a car on the road -- if your drive your roadster, you might want to slow down before a turn, and then naturally accelerate after the turn. It all looks kind of natural except that the slowing down in real economy is done at the expense of general public. It’s far from a fair game! ‘Quantitative Easing’ (QE) first benefits the large pockets of Wall Street capital-controlling elite, a handful of people “in the know”. Every stock market downturn, in a sense, is a rip-off of the investing public, and every consequent upturn first benefits the Wall Street elite, too. QE, known as large-scale asset purchases, is essentially when the Federal Reserve buys predetermined amounts of 'illiquid' government bonds or other financial assets for 'liquid' cash in order to stimulate the economy and increase liquidity. But what if our economy doesn’t need to slow down... ever… or at least do it in a controlled manner? And what if instead of losing jobs to automation, we'll create entire new industries? Instead of an old car on the road, the next economic model will resemble a brand-new flying car. When you need to pilot one, you have to take off, then gain altitude and accelerate in speed, then proceed steadily, and only before reaching your destination, you can decelerate and start descent. So, what might this new economic model look like? What will it mean for the future of work and entrepreneurship?
Read the rest of this story in my new book "The Syntellect Hypothesis: Five Paradigms of the Mind's Evolution" that you can order today on amazon.com or directly from this website.
-by Alex Vikoulov
Order Now! *To buy the book on Amazon, please follow the link here.
Tags: capitalism, economic resources, Martin Luther King, Jr., Dow Jones index, debt crisis, black swan, Flash Crash, Jim Cramer, CNBC, free markets, economic model, Wall Street, U.S. economic system, Prudential Financial, money managers, investment specialists, Goldman Sachs, equities trading desk, superintelligent machines, technological unemployment, oligopolist control, AI technology, technologically advanced civilization, Quantitative Easing, QE, Wall Street capital-controlling elite, Wall Street elite, Federal Reserve, flying car, future of work, entrepreneurship
*Image Credit: Shutterstock
About the Author:
Alex Vikoulov is a futurist, neo-transcendentalist, transhumanist singularitarian, evolutionary extrapolist, cosmist, idealist philosopher, founder of Ecstadelic Media, painter, media artist, essayist, co-author of "Is Reality a Simulation?" (2018), author of "The Syntellect Hypothesis: Five Paradigms of the Mind's Evolution" (2019). Lives in Burlingame, California (San Francisco Bay Area).
