[alicebot-aiethics] translation of Hawking, oh my god what is the fuss about?

[Tamara Thompson]

Christian thanks for sending that.

First, a couple of quotes taken out of context and translated from another
language is just ripe for misunderstandings.

But if I understand the intent of Hawking's statements, (if!), he has not used
windows in a while if he's afraid of software getting ahead of man.  <okay,
grin, it's a joke>

His use of terminology that might seem Nazi, IMHO, is probably a red herring
and not of great importance.  IMHO, the great war's over, German is still a
beautiful and intelligent language--most of my German friends over the years
either knew little of German history or were too embarrassed to discuss it.

Hawking's comments on genetically engineering humans to be improved
survivors...well, that is ...that is a very powerful comment.  I'm not so
offended by the concept.  (my personal mental screensaver is always running
"why do people fight each other and how to find peace in the middle east..")
My cpu has come around to thinking that either mankind makes radical changes
soon or mankind repeats history.

But the comment about having to wait so long to see evolution--that is
something I have pondered at great length.  And when Hawking says '18 years'
is what it would take to see if changes to human dna are good...as small as
that is, micro small ! , it still seems a dangerously long time.  <smile>

I don't know what to think of those comments.  They are cold in some ways, and
very enlightened in other ways.

So while I try to process that data, I thought I might mention that I saw a
great modern art Holocaust exhibit a year ago, here in Tucson.  One of the
pieces that truly surprised me was an installation comprised of very beautiful
swastikas, some made of copper, gold,  some painted beautiful colors.  The
piece was entitled something like: "Take the symbol back!"  I had never known
that the swastika was a type of cross, a peaceful religious symbol before Nazi
Germany used it.

Another artist had designed a room full of chalk boards, provided chalk for
the viewers to write their thoughts.  And guess what, everyone did.  <smile>
My daughter was pretty little then, she grabbed a piece of chalk and without
any encouragement at all wrote something like "why do people kill each
other?".  Maybe Hawking has watched the nightly news too much, and resigned
himself to believing that only if we eradicate the vicious genes can we work
together for a future.  I don't know.  Sorry for the sentimentality, but it's
real.   Or um, well at least the illusion of real that poses for reality, that
seems to be the world we know.  <grin>

Tamara