[alicebot-aiethics] hawking deserves the best AI or new body we can give him

[David Smelser]

The reason the average is different now is that infant mortality rates are
much lower.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Christo *" <doubtme@hotmail.com>
To: <alicebot-aiethics@list.alicebot.org>
Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2001 3:57 PM
Subject: Re: [alicebot-aiethics] hawking deserves the best AI or new body we
can give him


> >I agree that it'd be nice to outfit Hawking with bionics or something.
> >But I'd like to point out that until quite recently, in the scheme of
> >history, people only lived into their 30's!
> >
>
> I agree that only in this century has the average life span in the western
> world rise into the 60s or 70s, but I think it only fair to point out that
> pre-Mediaeval Europe, in Greece and Rome, it was not unheard of to live
into
> their 80s. Indeed, one couldn't even become Consul in Rome until one was
in
> their mid to late 30's, and to become a part of the Spartan Gerousia
> (roughly a Senate-style body) you had to be at least 60 years old! It is
> estimated that roughly half of all Legionarries survived their 20 years of
> service, which was often near continous fighting, giving them, at the very
> least, a life expectancy greater than 30!
>
> I would say that average life expectancy in these two civilisations would
> have been at least 50, if not higher.
>
> I think your conclusion is right though - that this century has seen a
much
> greater supply of brain power available to be used. But I would argue this
> is based on an ever widening access to education and more leisure time to
> use it in.
>
> Cheers!
> Christo