David Simpson's Blog, page 6

2045--The Point of No Return

2045. It's not just the date that Ray Kurzweil has pegged for the singularity; it is also the date by which we will know whether or not our species will survive past this century, becoming immortal and transcending our biology, or if we will be on the verge of extinction, having committed a planetary ecocide, on our way to killing off more than 99% of the planet's life by the end of the twenty-first century, including ourselves. 





Am I being an alarmist? It's okay if you say that I am. It's not like that isn't the same argument used against the entire National Academy of Science, or the thousands of articles published in the last decade in the two most prestigious science journals in existence: Science and Nature. 




Here are the facts: Just today, December 14th, Dr. Igo Semiletov of the Russian National Academy of Sciences, announced that "Dramatic and unprecedented plumes of methane -- a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide -- have been seen bubbling to the surface of the Arctic Ocean by scientists undertaking an extensive survey of the region." Although the amount of methane is far worse than the worst case scenario projections of the past, scientists have feared for years that the the massive amounts of methane trapped in the permafrosts of both Canada and Russia would escape once the ice under which they are trapped melts, kicking in the final and most destructive mechanism of runaway global warming -- and here it is. Dr. Semiletov describes plumes of methane that were "1 km or more wide and the emissions went directly into the atmosphere -- the concentration was 100 times higher than normal."




Why should this concern you? Can't you just move inland, away from coastal flooding, somewhere up north where the temperature might not be so bad, and spend your millions you made in the oil industry lounging on the new tropical beaches of Alaska? 

No. 

Why?

Because you'll suffocate first. 




That's right. It won't be the heat, or the flooding, or the storms that will get you -- you're going to run out of breathable air. 




Our oceans are dying and in a manner that is unprecedented in the history of human civilization, and nearly unprecedented in all of the biological history of the planet (save for five other major extinction events that occurred hundreds of millions of year apart.) In July of 2010, a study out of Dalhousie University published in Nature, revealed that, since 1950, 40% of the world's phytoplankton had vanished. Phytoplankton are at the bottom of the entire planet's food chain, and because they are a microscopic plant species, they photosynthesize and produce over 50% of the air you breathe. That's right. While you are reading this, every other breath you take is thanks to phytoplankton. That's nearly three times what the entire amazon rainforest produces.




The culprit? Scientists don't know for sure yet, but it's a good bet that it is the increasing acidity in the ocean, which is being caused by too much Co2 in the atmosphere. The oceans are the world's best carbon sink, but they are being overwhelmed by the amounts of Co2 humans are producing, and the phytoplankton, tiny and much more vulnerable to environmental factors than a healthy human is living in a smog-laden city, can't survive it. 




And if they don't survive, you don't survive. 




So it is very unlikely the planet's respiratory system will endure until 2045. While the UN climate conference in Durban was concerned with keeping overall warming below 2 degrees, they are unlikely to even meet this target, and it appears that the runaway freight train is already barreling out of the station. At some point, with methane now being spewed into the atmosphere at a far faster rate than previously, with Arctic sea ice at its lowest levels since the dawn of our species, and with Greenland's melt speeding up and unleashing fresh water into the oceans to interfere even further with phytoplankton's delicate and precarious ecosystem, it appears that the Law of Accelerating Detriments -- that is the exponential decline of the environment caused by 18th century fossil fuel technologies, is in for a photo finish with Kurzweil's Law of Accelerating Returns.



You may be skeptical about Kurzweil, but the fact is, if he's wrong, we're all dead. It won't just be because we will die as individuals -- it will be because the entire species will require the fantastic technology that he predicts to be right around the corner to have any chance against the formidable foe that is stalking our existence. Without strong A.I., without nanotechnology capable of repairing our environment, and without the possibility of respirocytes (tiny robotic red blood cells that can dramatically reduce our need for oxygen), we will realize how vulnerable we really are, all alone in the vast blackness, on this tiny, pale blue dot.




Don't be afraid. This wasn't meant to scare you. It's not fear mongering. It's motivation. We're not finished yet. The greed of those in power, the people running six of the largest seven corporations in the world, all of which are fossil fuel companies, is endangering all of us. But the innovations of those working in science and technology, guided by the goodness that is in the vast majority of us, still has a chance. 




Transhumanism is not a selfish occupation. In fact, it is up to the transhumanists to save the world. 

Thank you. Killian Meehan! (Reader appreciation day 15)

Today's thank you goes out to Killian Meehan! Besides being a fellow Irishmen, Killian is also just a really swell guy. Killian bought autographed paperback copies of both Post-Human and Trans-Human from my website and corresponded with me while the books were in transit. Killian is avidly interested in the transhumanist community and related to me that there were people in Ireland who were interested in my books, which, for me, was really awesome to hear. I can't tell you how cool it is to connect with people from all over the world through my stories, and how much of an honor it is when they lay down their hard earned money to enter my imagination. Killian, thank you so much for your support, and I hope to be giving you another installment of the Post-Human saga in 2012!

Thank you. Curtis Benjamin! (Reader appreciation day 14)

Today's thank you goes out to Curtis Benjamin! Curtis deserves a special thank you because he took the bullet and bought paperback copies of my books, something that is too expensive, in my view. With shipping costs at as much as 8$ for a paperback, and the cover cost usually hovering around 13$, that's a heck of an investment to read a book by a new writer. Curtis, you are awesome for taking the plunge and ordering paperback copies of my books! Do you think you'll ever switch to an e-reader? If not, there is some good news. I'm going to be doing my best to take more control over my paperback pricing in the future, and I hope to make my paperbacks a little more affordable in future editions. Nevertheless, Curtis, thank you so much for putting your wallet where your reading interest is! I owe you one! Or two... or three..... you get the picture!

Thank you. Melanie Klein! (Reader appreciation day 13)

Today's thank you goes out to Melanie Klein! Melanie is one of those rare people in the world who, no matter what, no matter how much time passes by, always chooses to take the positive tact in everything she does. I've known her for over a year and I've never seen her be negative in any way to anyone. Perhaps this is why, every time I make a decision about my career or bring out a new book, Melanie is the first person to encourage me. I've enjoyed my correspondence with her, talking about her son's future career, and also having her as a reader. Melanie, what would I do without you? You're one of the people that makes my life such a joy. Thank you!

Thanks Again! Jeremiah Wood!

My friend, Jeremiah Wood, found this quotation and sent it along to me and I felt like it was worth sharing: 

("What an astonishing thing a book is. It's a flat object made from a tree with flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles. But one glance at it and you're inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for thousands of years. Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs. Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic." - Carl Sagan)

The Jeremiah followed this up by writing: 

(Thanks for speaking clearly and silently inside my head, directly to me, through your work. I just bought God Killers from the Kindle Store last night and look forward to reading it!)

Jeremiah has already been one of my "thank you's" for the day, but this is a prime example of the awesomeness I've found in connecting with readers. I agree with Carl Sagan and his description explains why I am a novelist. I have still not found an art form that allows the artist and the viewer to communicate as much as a novel does. Movies are wonderful and so are graphic novels and they are two forms of story-telling I want to explore more, but novels are the way to communicate the most, without limits of time or page layouts. It is the way to communicate across time, across place, and connect to people like Jeremiah that I have never met in real life. 

This is why I am thanking my readers. Every time someone reads my book and responds to it, it is an amazing connection. Thank you.

Thank you. Trady Kim! (Reader appreciation day 12)

Today's thank you goes out to Trady Kim! Trady, believe it or not, actually bought four paperback copies of Post-Human, just so that he could support me. He gave the copies to local school libraries, for no other reason than just because he's a heck of a nice guy. I know people have actually read my books because they found them in those libraries, and it was an incredibly nice gesture on his part. Thank you, Trady Kim, for doing that for me and for having my back, my friend. You rock!

Thank you. Kim Solez! (Reader appreciation day 11)

Today's thank you goes out to Dr. Kim Solez! I met Dr. Solez through his writing partner, Nikki Olson, and I'm sure glad that I did. Dr. Solez is one of the few people out there in academia with an intense interest, not only in the singularity and technological progress, but also in bringing the singularity into our academics. Dr. Solez ordered paperback copies of both Post-Human and Trans-Human and even spent part of Canada Day with his copy of Post-Human, which made an appearance in one of his Facebook photos. It's wonderful to reach the attention of such an accomplished figure in the singularity and transhumanist community. Thank you so much for your support, Dr. Solez!

Thank you. Nikki Olson! (Reader appreciation day 10)

Today's thank you goes out to Nikki Olson! I met Nikki after reading one of her articles on the Singularity Weblog and I wrote to her to let her know about Post-Human and Trans-Human. She was writing her own, non-fiction book about the singularity and I thought she might find my writing interesting. It sparked up a friendship that has been extremely rewarding for me. She's one of the most knowledgeable people about the singularity and future technology out there, and certainly the most knowledgeable person that I personally know, so having her to talk to has been invaluable. On top of that, she introduced me to her writing partner, Dr. Kim Solez, and they both purchased paperback editions of my book, which was very kind of them. Nikki has also mentioned my book in her writing, which is much appreciated exposure. I have a feeling that this is just the beginning of what will be a long and rewarding friendship, and so, Nikki, thank you so much for your support, for telling people about my writing, and for basically being awesome!

Thank you. Nikki Olson! (Reader appreciation day 10)

Today's thank you goes out to Nikki Olson! I met Nikki after reading one of her articles on the Singularity Weblog and I wrote to her to let her know about Post-Human and Trans-Human. She was writing her own, non-fiction book about the singularity and I thought she might find my writing interesting. It sparked up a friendship that has been extremely rewarding for me. She's one of the most knowledgeable people about the singularity and future technology out there, and certainly the most knowledgeable person that I personally know, so having her to talk to has been invaluable. On top of that, she introduced me to her writing partner, Dr. Kim Solez, and they both purchased paperback editions of my book, which was very kind of them. Nikki has also mentioned my book in her writing, which is much appreciated exposure. I have a feeling that this is just the beginning of what will be a long and rewarding friendship, and so, Nikki, thank you so much for your support, for telling people about my writing, and for basically being awesome!

New Blog!

It was 8pm last Thursday when I relaunched my catalogue of books as self-published e-books for just 99 cents and it was a great week that surpassed my expectations. Here are some numbers to consider:

I gave 2 paperback copies of Post-Human away on goodreads.com and had 409 requests in the 5 day span, and 250 requests on the final day alone!

My website maxed out on the number of free Kindle Post-Human downloads permitted (200) and I had to find a new service to meet the demand.

Post-Human is now listed as the #1 Favourite Self-Published Science Fiction book on goodreads.com, currently beating out 124 other books.

Post-Human, amazingly, is actually outselling its sequel, Trans-Human on Amazon.com, despite the fact that people can find Post-Human for free on my website, on goodreads.com, and on my blog.

229 people marked Post-Human as "to read" in the last five days on goodreads.com.

All in all, not a bad start. I'm hoping to keep the good times rolling for as long as I can, and this past week, along with Amanda Hocking's story from a week earlier, has inspired me to keep writing as much as I can to meet this new, substantial audience that was apparently out there all along, and that I just needed to abandon my publisher to find.

One of the major things every serious novelist needs is an awesome blog, so here it is! Relaunched as well and ready to go. Please come check it out! There is a lot here and it will be updated often. Thank you to everyone, as usual, for your support, which without, I would be nothing.