Vulcan Viper
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Everything posted by Vulcan Viper
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What if some inventions were never made? Come to GeekSpeak on Saturday at noon SLT and let’s ask what the world would look like if certain inventions were never made, or certain events never happened. What if no one invented the wheel, or writing? What if there was no industrial revolution? No steam engine? No internal combustion engine? Were some things invented too early or too late to be used? Were some good inventions rejected because they were not fashionable? Can you think of any inventions that were really needed but were never made? Or perhaps you think that inventions always happen if they are needed. What inventions do we need now? Come and discuss how different the world could be. Bring your history books, and your friends! When: GeekSpeak is held every Saturday at 12:00 pm Pacific (SLT) Where: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/149/129/51
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Would you like to see a living mammoth? Or a living dodo? A passenger pigeon, a Tasmanian tiger, a pterodactyl? What reasons do we have for bringing back species? Would these species be useful in our present ecosystems? Would you like to farm them for food? Or keep them as pets? Do we owe resurrection to species that have been made extinct by humans? Is simple curiosity a good enough reason? Where would these species live if we brought them back? Is there room in the wild for them? Would they have to be kept in zoos? Should we bring back extinct human species? Or is that a step too far? Come to GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday and discuss all the species we may soon be able to see. And any new species that we may be able to make. Pink elephants? Giant chickens laying giant eggs? Bring your friends and their DNA! When: GeekSpeak is held every Saturday at 12:00 pm Pacific (SLT) Where: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/149/129/51
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Will we win the Space Race? Does it matter? On Friday 2nd September, the Artemis 1 moon rocket will launch towards the moon. If it fails, the moon race will probably be won by China. Either way, humanity is, hopefully, heading for a future where people live and work on the moon. The trip will last 42 days, and the spacecraft will have a high-definition video on board. Come to GeekSpeak this Saturday at noon SLT and celebrate this historic moment with us and discuss where we will be going on the moon, and why. Will we look up one day and realize that someone is also looking down? Bring your space buddies! When: GeekSpeak is held every Saturday at 12:00 pm Pacific (SLT) Where: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/149/129/51
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How do we save our planet? There are so many things that threaten Earth or life on Earth or human life on Earth. What should be done about them all? And what should we, as individuals, do about all the threats? Climate change threatens all life. Plastic pollution threatens all marine life and maybe all life. Habitat destruction threatens thousands of species. Pandemics and the dishonesty of Big Pharma threaten human life. Then there is the threat of an asteroid hit, of nuclear war, of deliberate biological attack. What should we be doing? Is there any hope? Or maybe you don’t think there is any serious danger? Or perhaps the only answer is to change the way our societies are run? Come and join us in GeekSpeak on Saturday at noon SLT to discuss the danger we are in. Bring anyone who is worried about it. When: GeekSpeak is held every Saturday at 12:00 pm Pacific (SLT) Where: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/149/129/51
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Is AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) the last invention we will ever make? Maybe just a few short years from now AGI will be announced. A superintelligent AI that thinks like a human and can solve problems. And of course write new AGI programs. How would such an AI affect humanity? Would we ever need to invent anything again? Would we ever again need to think of solutions to problems? Could we leave everything to the AGI? Or maybe you think such an AI would be dangerous. Perhaps we would need one more invention, the way to destroy it. Should we open that Pandora’s box? Do we need an AGI? Can we manage our own future without it? Would such an AGI necessarily be self-aware? Or would we be ruled by a mindless program that could not be controlled? Chance favours the prepared mind so come along to GeekSpeak on Saturday at noon SLT to discuss this upcoming technology shock. Bring your friends! When: GeekSpeak is held every Saturday at 12:00 pm Pacific (SLT) Where: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/149/129/51
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What are the Best and the Worst inventions/discoveries ever made? If you were to draw up a list of all the important milestones in the history of our species, what would be at the top of that list? Would you put fire at the top? Or writing, painkillers, the invention of shoes? And what would be on the worst inventions list? The nuclear bomb, sugar refining, Twitter? Join us in GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday and let’s talk about the really big milestones and gravestones. There may be some very unexpected answers … so bring all your brains, and your friends! When: GeekSpeak is held every Saturday at 12:00 pm Pacific (SLT) Where: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/149/129/51
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Can we still pick low-hanging fruit in science? Science seems to require so much money and so many people nowadays. But are there still fields where ordinary people, amateurs, can discover things? In the past a lot of discoveries were made by amateurs, sometimes people like Mary Anning who were not allowed to be professionals. But even now discoveries are made in astronomy, archaeology, biology and other fields by amateurs. Amateurs like Clara Lazen or Thomas Bopp. Perhaps there are fields that exclude amateurs, like materials science. But who knows? Join us on Saturday at noon SLT to discover what you could potentially discover. Put on a lab coat and safety goggles and bring your microscopes. When: GeekSpeak is held every Saturday at 12:00 pm Pacific (SLT) Where: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/149/129/51
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The James Webb Space Telescope! What will it show us? This week NASA showed us the first images from the JWST. There will be plenty more to come. What will we discover? What answers will the telescope give us? Will it find life on other planets, perhaps advanced civilisations? Will it tell us how the universe began? And when it gives us answers will it also give us new questions? What questions about the universe do you want answers to? Can we ever know what the universe really looks like? Will the JWST change our view of our place in the cosmos? Does it make you proud to be human? Or is the sheer size and complexity of the universe frightening? Join us at GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday to discuss the JWST and its pictures. Bring your fellow geeks! When: GeekSpeak is held every Saturday at 12:00 pm Pacific (SLT) Where: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/149/129/51
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Let the robots on the loose! This month the space era will truly start with mass transport to space. We will probably send zillions of robots and millions of humans into space. But should we be sending humans at all? It is very expensive and very dangerous. Should space belong only to robots? Or should we share space out between us? Will the moon be robot territory since it is not likely that humans can live there? And Mars could be for humans? Or will we stay safe at home and let our machines explore the universe and have all the fun? Does that destroy the very reason for wanting to explore space? Join us on Saturday at noon SLT at GeekSpeak and let’s discuss how to explore the universe. Bring all your space friends, and robots! When: GeekSpeak is held every Saturday at 12:00 pm Pacific (SLT) Where: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/149/129/51
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What drives Creativity? What makes people creative? And what does creativity do for society? Could we manage without it? Can AI be creative? Do you think of yourself as a creative person? Do you want to explore how creative you actually are? (Hint: much more than you think!) How can we become more creative? Does being creative make you happy? Or perhaps you think it can make people sad? Or unpleasant? A lot of great artists have been very nasty people. Join us in GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday to talk about the ups and downs of creativity. Bring a brush, or a cooking pan or a camera, and let us know what your creative ideas are. When: GeekSpeak is held every Saturday at 12:00 pm Pacific (SLT) Where: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/149/129/51
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Let’s talk astronomy! This week we will talk about stargazing. For thousands of years people have looked up at the stars, imagined pictures in the night sky, tried to understand how the universe worked, what planets are and how and why they move. How would we think about the universe and our place in it if we lived on a planet where you could not see the stars? Do you stargaze? Join our star party at noon SLT on Saturday to talk about the stars and how we can enjoy the night sky. This is a field where amateurs can still do real science. And it is so much fun. Bring your friends. And a telescope! When: GeekSpeak is held every Saturday at 12:00 pm Pacific (SLT) Where: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/149/129/51
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Can we get rid of oil? Should we? We have all heard about the problems of oil: climate change, pollution, wars. So perhaps we should all stop using it? Or do you think that we should continue to use it while we have it because there is nothing that can take its place? What can replace oil? Solar power, nuclear power, wind or water power? Will attempting to live without oil increase poverty? Is that too high a price to pay? If we do get rid of oil what will the world look like politically? Which countries will be dominant in the new world? Will the new political arrangement be an improvement? How long will it take to get rid of oil? Ten years, fifty years? And what waits for us on the other side? Come to GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday to discuss the end of the most dangerous time in the history of Earth. Let’s celebrate together. Bring your friends! When: GeekSpeak is held every Saturday at 12:00 pm Pacific (SLT) Where: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/149/129/51
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Should we answer the WOW! signal? In 1977 a signal from space was detected, a signal that might have come from aliens. It is now known as the WOW! Signal. There are rumours that a second WOW! signal was received recently from the same area. Should we answer it? It might be dangerous to let aliens know we are here. Perhaps we should hide. On the other hand, they probably can detect our presence anyway and not answering could be considered rude. And it would be amazing to contact aliens. Will they come here? Where will they land? The White House lawn? Montana? The middle of the sea? Are there protocols for ‘first contact’? Join us at GeekSpeak on Saturday at noon SLT to discuss our plans for meeting aliens. Because they are probably out there, somewhere. Bring a star map. When: GeekSpeak is held every Saturday at 12:00 pm Pacific (SLT) Where: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/149/129/51
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How do we fight misinformation? Misinformation is the problem of our era. All the time people post untruths for political, ideological, or financial reasons, or just for fun. Millions of people believe things that are not true. The situation will get worse as technology improves and deepfakes become common. The worst examples of false information come from North Korea and Russia but there are plenty from the West as well. How can we trust anything? How do we fight it? Could AI help, perhaps by checking everything posted? But why would we trust AI? Or the people who program AI? Are there other solutions? Will there ever be a time when people can rely on information? Was there ever such a time? Come to GeekSpeak on Saturday at noon SLT to ask if we are lost. Bring your factsheets and your friends! When: GeekSpeak is held every Saturday at 12:00 pm Pacific (SLT) Where: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/149/129/51
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What if we could all understand each other? Will we all speak just one language in the future? Will that one language co-exist with thousands of local languages? Or will it be the only language we know? Or will we understand each other because we have AI devices, either external or internal, that can translate anything? Will that revolutionize the world? Suddenly you can have a deep discussion about Shakespeare with your Iranian neighbor or watch a football game with your Norwegian friends. People will even be able to invent their own languages. Will this AI bring peace to the world or will it bring more problems? What happens if the AI devices suddenly stop working? Babel AI? Come to GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday to discuss the world of words. Bring a dictionary and your friends! When: GeekSpeak is held every Saturday at 12:00 pm Pacific (SLT) Where: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/149/129/51
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What will the first Space Factory look like? Believe it or not, the first space factory will be launched this year. It will be the start of a huge industry. What will be made first in space? 3d printed kidneys? Metal alloys that can be perfectly mixed in an environment without gravity? Data centers? How about space hotels for the new space tourism industry? When will ordinary people start to go into space? Do you expect to go, either as a tourist or as a factory worker? If you are really lucky, you may get a job as a window cleaner. What will space manufacturing look like? Come to GeekSpeak on Saturday at noon SLT to discuss your future job. Bring all the astronauts you know! When: GeekSpeak is held every Saturday at 12:00 pm Pacific (SLT) Where: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/149/129/51
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Will China fall apart? China has so many problems that it is possible that a big change is around the corner. What form will it take? Regime change, civil war, the country splitting into different regions? When we hear about the social control in China, the vicious lockdowns, we may want to ask why China is so different from the rest of the world. What is really happening there? How can we find out? Come to GeekSpeak on Saturday at noon SLT and let’s talk about why China might fall in the next few years. What will happen to the rest of the world if it does? Will it slow down human progress or speed it up? Let’s talk China. Bring all your Chinese friends! When: GeekSpeak is held every Saturday at 12:00 pm Pacific (SLT) Where: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/149/129/51
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What if we were all Vulcans? A few weeks ago we discussed what life would be like if we were all Ferengi. This week let’s try to imagine what the world would be like if we were all Vulcans. All emotions suppressed, ruled by logic and reason only. Vulcans seem to be ideally suited to science, with all questions being decided on the basis of evidence and logic. Would science progress faster if we were Vulcans? With fewer sidetracks and dead ends? Would we over-engineer the planet perhaps? Would we still sing songs and make music or art? Would we play games? Would we be happy? Can a Vulcan ever be really happy? Come to GeekSpeak this Saturday at noon SLT and live like a Vulcan for a while. Since the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, bring all your friends! When: GeekSpeak is held every Saturday at 12:00 pm Pacific (SLT) Where: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/149/129/51
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Is extreme Inequality of Wealth dangerous? The battle between rich and poor will never end. Why are we not rich? What can we do about it? Do we mind that there are rich people in the world? Why do people hate the rich? Billionaires are becoming more powerful all the time. What happens if they take over all social media, all broadcasting, all military establishments? Politicians can be rich but, in democratic societies, they can be voted out. Billionaires can’t be. Should the rich be forced to pay 100% tax when they die? What would happen then? Come to GeekSpeak on Saturday at noon SLT to discuss inequality and what to do about it. Bring all your friends, rich and poor! When: GeekSpeak is held every Saturday at 12:00 pm Pacific (SLT) Where: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/149/129/51
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Is the Age of Abundance coming? There is a theory that in the coming years many essential items in the world economy will become (almost) free. Free food, clothes, housing, medicine, energy, education. Maybe even free transport, free computers, free holidays, free cosmetic surgery. An age of plenty is coming for everyone. Will that happen? How will it happen? Will increasing technology and increasing knowledge mean that the cost of keeping 20 billion humans alive and happy will become marginal? Do you find it hard to believe in the Age of Abundance in a world where people still starve to death? What will it be like to live in such a world, if it does happen? Come to GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday and discuss our hopefully very near future. Bring all your stuff! When: GeekSpeak is held every Saturday at 12:00 pm Pacific (SLT) Where: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/149/129/51
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Will we all be Perfect in the future? With DNA editing we can improve the way our bodies function. With robotic enhancements we will be able to do things no human can do. Where will all these new powers take us? Is it possible to be perfect? Or will there always be trade-offs? Should some enhancements be against the law? Who will decide for children? Will humanity split into different species? The rich will be enhanced and the poor will remain normal perhaps? Will we see eugenics wars? Join us in GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday to explore what it will mean to be more than human. Bring all your humans. And robots are welcome. When: GeekSpeak is held every Saturday at 12:00 pm Pacific (SLT) Where: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/149/129/51
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How much Free Speech do you want? Would a completely open world where all speech is allowed function properly? It is tempting to think that if we allow everyone to say anything then those who trade in insults and abuse would sink to the bottom of the social ladder and people who give thoughtful, true information would rise to the top. But we do not see that happening now on social media. Why not? And what would make it happen? Where would you draw the line where free speech is concerned? Are insults OK? Or calls for violence? Or calls to overthrow a dictator? Maybe you think there should not be a line at all? Leave Twitter for a while and join us in GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday to chat about free speech, with your friends! When: GeekSpeak is held every Saturday at 12:00 pm Pacific (SLT) Where: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/149/129/51
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What is our purpose? Eat, Drink and be Merry? What is your purpose in life? Is it enough to eat and drink and enjoy as much of life as you can? Or do we all need a higher purpose? Do we need a purpose that is just for us? Does having your own purpose make you happier? Is it worth trying to find one? Will we still be looking for a purpose even if all our wishes on earth are met? Can you find a purpose in the future of our species? In the colonisation of other planets perhaps? Or in the end of disease or war? Do duties and obligations provide a purpose? Come and join us in GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday to discuss what drives us and where we are going. Bring all your friends, and a map! When: GeekSpeak is held every Saturday at 12:00 pm Pacific (SLT) Where: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/149/129/51
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Extreme Capitalism! A few weeks ago we talked about a world without money, this week we will go to the opposite extreme and talk about a world where people are charged for absolutely everything. Let’s imagine that the Ferengi from Star Trek landed on Earth and bought the world presidency. Would that lead to a fairer world? Everything would have a price. You would have to pay for a chair in a bar or restaurant. You can visit your friends if you pay them for every minute. Standing in a bus shelter costs money and all bridges are taxed. Country walks cost so much per mile and you can charge the neighbors for admiring your garden. How would we be changed by such a world? Would it be simpler than the mixed social setup we have now? Come and discuss the world of money in GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday. Bring all your friends with money! When: GeekSpeak is held every Saturday at 12:00 pm Pacific (SLT) Where: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/149/129/51
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What will the Post-war World look like? There is a war raging now that will change the world stage, maybe forever. What will happen to world politics and the world economy in the future? Will the world convert quickly to solar power? Or will we start fracking? Or rely on nuclear power? Or dig for coal? What about oil prices? Will the war accelerate the trend to electric vehicles? Will the Cold War start again? Will the war put an end to our efforts to stop global warming? Will we still be able to live as we do now? And what will happen to the Space industry? Will we have to stop our journey into the universe? Come to GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday and discuss the changes that will reshape the world. Bring your friends! When: GeekSpeak is held every Saturday at 12:00 pm Pacific (SLT) Where: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/149/129/51
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