C.J. Moseley's Blog, page 197
March 22, 2013
Great news for USVsemergentfutures:Ocean-faring Robot Cashes…
emergentfutures:
Ocean-faring Robot Cashes in on Offshore Oil and Gas
Liquid Robotics raised $45 million to build out its fleet of self-propelled marine robots.
Full Story: MIT
More →
Do they mention any landing you can SWIM away from? No, they do…
March 21, 2013
Report from the Code face
Variant 1 of the new website... Adding a little punk to the steam[/caption]I've got some new features planned for the new site, hopefully including some regular blogging features and some better reblogging and twitter follow ups. I trained as a physicist and in multimedia technology, so unlike a lot of authors with websites I actually can roll my sleeves up and herd cyberpixies with the best of them. I'm planning on adding a 'Science for Science-Fiction Writers' and 'html for ebook authors' regular feature - but we'll see how well I manage to keep up with that regime when I'm up to my ears in 'Tricky Fourth Novel' hell.
I'm also still staring at my video editing software almost daily trying to work out how to proceed with my book promo video for 'An0ma1y' - which along with its sisters for the rest of the trilogy I'm going to get finished before I reveal them all as part of the new look (and feel) site.
Currently my next Novel the Steampunk extravaganza "Iron Master" is languishing untouched since I drew some broad strokes about some of the characters and stories I want to tell, but I'm hoping to get back in the writing saddle sometime after Easter and get a rough draft put together which I'll share some of here. This back-burner is because I'm currently concentrating on putting together a role-playing game on this site (sign in and you can look at the work in progress status on that too!), mainly because I want to run a new game set in the Iron Master universe to help flesh it out for me, before I sink into the real writing. The game (called Terminal Thirteen [T13]) is based on the original game that I ran the Paradox War story in in 1994 - it has evolved a little since then, and is now probably the only roleplaying game capable of running ANY genre without any extra books. And due to some sort of brain aneurysm I'm planning on giving it away free here (I might sell a Kindle version or even...)
Which brings me to my next problem, I want to get the Paradox War into print and more ebook reader formats. More formats means more readers and more exposure which translates into more sales, which is after all, all any indie writer really cares about, once you get beyond the artistic merit arguments and lack of censorship (well of anything other than paypal [!] of all people). But at the moment I'm not sure how I should proceed with that. I've looked at Smashwords (I know, but lots of ebook formats), but their policies towards non-American authors do not fill me with delight, I've thought about selling through Goodreads, but right now that's not actually an option; Amazon are shockingly bad at sharing formats across platforms but they do do print (sort of again very American centric way of doing it), I'm guessing that due to lack of alternatives I'm going to go Lulu.com - anyone got any horror stories to put me off that choice too (or does someone outside of the states want to leap to Smashwords' / Amazon's defence or have a better alternative). Basically I'm looking for advice here people, anyone got any?
March 20, 2013
Photo humour: Window Error Message
More →
Transhumanism
Inevitable result of technology or…
Transhumanism
Inevitable result of technology or techno-pipe-dream? Read what its all about ….
More →
What Is Transhumanism?
Transhumanism or H+ is a movement which spans the entirety of our world which works with the possibility and desirability of technologies which help us become more than our natural selves. This is to say, technologies which eliminate or slow aging, and augmentation of intellectual, physical, and psychological capabilities etc. The movement studies the benefits and dangers of new technologies that could at some point help overcome human limitations, as well as discuss the ethics behind the technologies.
While a large portion of transhumanists and transhumanist theories seek to improve quality of life through decreasing disease, disability, malnutrition etc. across the globe, transhumanism is distinctive in its want to improve human bodies on the individual level.
As the human brain, the central nervous system is considered the main proponent of humanhood, most transhumanist ideas pertain to the augmentation of the brain. These ideas can range from such things as improving mental capability in those who suffer from CNS impeding disorders, to the uploading of consciousness to an artificial, non-biological system. Other ideas put forward include genetic engineering of hereditary traits that augment mental capabilities, augment physical endurance, reducing susceptibility to disease or addictions, or to reduce the occurrence of miopia.
Technologies of interest range from nanotech, biotech, infotech, to cognitive science, artificial intelligence, cyonics, simulated reality, chemical brain preservation, and the list goes on and on. It goes almost without saying that such theories and ideas come with tough opposition. Some of the arguments against transhumanism are as follow:
Infeasability (Futurehype argument): This relies on the idea that many predictions about future technological capabilities have been vastly overestimated, and that this will indeed happen again. The technologies that many futurists and transhumanists want to develop and support are thought to never be feasible.
Hubris (Playing God argument): This is an argument that is a favourite of the Vatican, as it stated that, “Changing the genetic identity of man as a human person through the production of an infrahuman being is radically immoral”. This implies that it is highly inappropriate for humans to substitute themselves for a god.
Existential risks (Terminator argument): This argument states that in developing advanced nanotechnolgies such as self-replicating robots, and AI intelligence, humans would likely generate their own extinction. Once we create something that replicates and has its own intelligence, we soon lose control of it and it could overrun the ecosystem here on Earth.There are many more aguments put forth against transhumanist ideas; too many to cover here. In summary, transhumanists support the advancement of many technologies which are thus far on the fringe of science, and they also exist as a pannel of advisors on the ethics of the technologies.
For extra reading I shall point you here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Image via http://pavelpodolyak.blogspot.co.nz
