After reading (and writing) a lot of science fiction, I had a
surprisingly time reading the history book by Charles Stross Accelerando.
Originally written in sections from 2000-2005, the book has already proven
remarkably prescient with the spread of the global Internet and
collapse of old social norms. Although we will not know for a while, I
already come to suspect that Accelerando may very well be the most
prophetic book yet written on the future history of the 21st century.
Almost all science fiction, even the difficult variety, tend to consider
future in which humans are essentially still in charge. We can have robots
spaceship, AI and all kinds of future technologies, but humans still
dominate society. This has held true all the way from * to * Star Trek * The
Scope *.
Charles Stross takes a completely different approach. He looks Moore
Act - the basic rule that computing power has doubled every 24 months since
1960, and decides to keep the track all the way to the hypothetical
not known as a "technological singularity" when computers are catching
humans
and are better able to make improvements to their own operating systems.
Beyond this point, your typical, biological humans over-the-mill as you
and I become mere observers following our Exceed digital spawn
us in every way imaginable.
The resulting novel is divided into three parts, each covering early, mid
and
end of the 21st century, respectively, and after three generations of a
single family (major spoilers follow).
A rapidly changing world
The first part of the novel portrays a little change our world
own, but with the Internet increasingly influence all the time. in the
second decade of the 21st century, the titles include - * "slightly
intelligent voice mail virus masquerading as an IRS auditor has caused havoc
throughout America, filling about eighty billion in
confiscatory withholding taxes on a numbered Swiss bank account '* and * a
virus is different bank accounts busy people diversion, sending ten
percent of their assets to the previous victim, then position
everyone in the address book of the current brand: a self-propelled pyramid
plan into action. Oddly, nobody complains much ... "*
The first protagonist, Manfred Macx is an "altruistic enterprise." His
profession is "essentially coming up with crazy ideas, but achievable, and
giving them to people who make a fortune with them. In return, Manfred
should never pay anything, allowing him to live the network beyond the
tyranny of money or governments.
He is contacted by this turn out brain scans of recently downloaded
California spiny lobster asylum seekers to human influence (it gets
stranger). Manfred's help, and in the process creates a new right
precedent on the rights of EAE and uploaded minds. Other plot points
Manfred include divorce his wife Pamela keeps them
Daughter (frozen like a newly fertilized embryo) and an armed attack in
which
Manfred digital memories are stolen, causing temporary amnesia.
The second part focuses on the daughter of Macx - Amber, now in his early
teens.
Wanting to escape his domineering mother, she and Manfred hatch
complex legal system. An empty shell is implemented in Yemen - one of
some countries to allow both limited liability companies and legal slavery.
Amber then sold into slavery for a company in which it
has technically, legally free themselves from his mother.
On the advice of talking robotic cat Manfred (who by this point is
secretly the smartest of all the family member), decided not to go
live with him (he and his new partner being hedonistic swingers) and
instead taking a new space company that organizes an expedition
Jupiter (children make better astronauts because of their smaller size - and
this generation has already developed fiercely intelligent).
A few years later, in orbit around Jupiter rotates more legal amber
problem. She's still not 18 and Yemen is about to ban slavery.
Meanwhile, his mother converted to Islam. Due to a series of legal measures
quirks, making Muslim Amber as well and puts it under the influence
the local imam - the first just happened to Jupiter
space. He begins to consider his case, but before making a decision
Amber called on the help of other members of the expedition to establish a
new colony on Jupiter's moon Amalthea and declared itself sovereign,
become queen of the new Ring Imperium.
All this takes place * so she could leave her mother. *
The story becomes more and more outrageous from there. Around the middle of
the century
solar system begins to feel the full effects of technology
singularity. Starting with asteroids, before passing inside
planets, more and more mass is harvested and processed into small pieces
placed in orbit
computronium. These are the beginnings of a brain Matryoshka, a giant
computer
network supplied by the output of our star of the house.
A Surprising vision
The scariest part of the novel is that no matter how weird it gets, all
Action in the sequence of events seems basic sense given what came
before. There is almost no use of "phlebotinum" here, no mysterious chain
lead or "lithium-tri crystals" whose inner workings remains a mystery
the reader. Everything is described in intimate detail logic. It is*
speculative fiction *, not your typical science fiction.
I will give some criticism of the novel. It was built as a
series of short stories, which makes the plot a bit jarring at times. the
characters are not written in depth, and sometimes seem little
Stross more white numbers can be used to navigate the rapidly changing
world it creates. It can be quite hard to read, and the story takes a
just really build. I just noticed a few notes on a star by Goodreads
people who seemed to get lost in the complex world built Stross.
But if you are remotely interested in the theory of singularity and how
our world could change dramatically over the coming decades, "Accelerando"
is
essential reading. I was born in the 1990s and consider myself a fairly
rational person. Reading the novel I honestly wonder if we'll
begin to see the asteroids, Mercury and Venus are dismantled and processed
in computer chips in my life.
The idea of the singularity is finally beginning to enter the public
consciousness. This article by Tim Urban blogger is made large
detail. While devoted a growing body of fiction to it. Hollywood
explored (usually very broad brush strokes) the idea of a
"Revolt robot" of some kind for some time, but has written fiction
explored beyond that point. Most likely, we are not talking about some
future man-machine war. We're talking about a future where Amnesty
International
progressed to the point that human beings are simply obsolete. This is a
very
true economic reality we are already seeing.
There's even twenty years the idea of singularity still seemed
far-fetched as the tooth fairy. At that time, we had just seen the
first AI that could beat the best human chess champions great - now
they are the translation of languages, driving cars and landing rockets by
is. In another twenty or thirty years - who knows where we are?
There are of course, always skeptical of legions. The singularity described
by one critic as "intelligent design for IQ 140 people. Maybe all
idea is rooted in wishful thinking? Perhaps, the absent religion, our fear
death has refocused on idle hope that our technology could soon allow us
to break our biological limits and stay young forever?
Anyway, it seems a very real and emerging response to the human condition
- crippling realization we are all faced with an opportunity that we are
immortal
souls trapped in the body of an animal. " Either our souls go elsewhere
after death, or we simply decide to upgrade the body. This at least
seems a testable hypothesis.
Even if the theory of singularity is wrong, and the world in 2050 or
2100 is just as diverse as 1950 or 1900 is to us (which means technology has
continued to move forward, but humans are largely unchanged) Charles Stross
paints a fascinating and quite frankly, terrifying vision of the future.
He took dry theories and Ray Kurzweil created a rich history
Almost make you feel like you have lived a singularity you
and survived to tell the tale. You finished the book feel a bit like a
time traveler who suddenly came 23rd century - and can feel
a sudden urge to start running around warning friends and family on
what will happen in the world.
To date, very few authors have dared to write about a world where we puny
humans become really just that, if Iain M. Banks would be another
except with its excellent series of novels "Culture".
So keep living your life course, and stay better. Keep
lift weights, accumulate money and hit the dogs, but there is a
good luck in a few decades than anything we see as a significant commitment
suddenly became obsolete as a caveman wondering why he can not
go hunting in a paved suburbs.
That's when the adventure really starts. Both enthusiasts
the idea of the Singularity and very skeptical, I recommend giving
Accelerando reading decide for yourself. You can find the full text
the book for free here.
* More: Charles Bukowski: Literature and Poetry for men *
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