The news is sounding more and more like a science fiction novel or movie title.
The South Korean Ministry of Justice announced that they would be adding three new security guards to a prison in Pohang. Normally that wouldn’t be news worthy, but these three particular guards happen to be robots. Developed by ETRI and Kyonggi University, the five foot tall four wheeled guards will patrol at night looking for suspicious activity in cells, and monitor prisoner health. Any situation that develops will be relayed to human guards rather than dealt with by the robots directly. The project cost 1 billion won (~$886,000 USD) and will begin with a month long trial in March of next year. If successful it will continue on at Ponhang and possibly the rest of the country. The inclusion of prison patrolling robots is just the latest example of how South Korea is looking to increase the reputation and range of its robotics industry, with new machines appearing everywhere from classrooms to battlefields.
While most of its physical systems are ready, the robots are reportedly undergoing improvements to make them more friendly and appealing to humans. That seems strange for prison guards but it fits with some of South Korea’s previous projects in robotics. Almost exactly one year earlier than this recent announcement, the South Korean Ministry of Education announced that they would place a robot in every kindergarten classroom by 2013. Many of those education bots allow for remote communication (telepresence) and are designed to serve as surrogate tutors to the young children as well as teaching aids. On the other side of the spectrum, South Korea has also developed automated gun turrets for its demilitarized zone with North Korea. Those turrets can detect soldiers and vehicles up to three kilometers away. The prison robots represent a sort of middle ground. Smart enough to detect movement, injury, or hostility from inmates but friendly enough to ensure their endless night patrols don’t overly provoke the prisoners. With South Korea’s dedication to finding new applications for its growing robotics industry it may only be a matter of time before similar machines are introduced into new fields.
Aaron Saenz (singularityhub.com)
Please notice that this article is being reported by singularityhub.com. What is singularity?
Technological singularity refers to the hypothetical future emergence of greater-than-human intelligence through technological means, very probably resulting in explosive superintelligence. Since the capabilities of such intelligence would be difficult for an unaided human mind to comprehend, the occurrence of a technological singularity is seen as an intellectual event horizon, beyond which the future becomes difficult to understand or predict. Proponents of the singularity typically state an “intelligence explosion” is a key factor of the Singularity where superintelligences design successive generations of increasingly powerful minds.
The term was coined by science fiction writer Vernor Vinge, who argues that artificial intelligence, human biological enhancement or brain-computer interfaces could be possible causes of the singularity. The concept is popularized by futurists like Ray Kurzweil and it is expected by proponents to occur sometime in the 21st century, although estimates do vary. (wiki)
Silicon Valley’s Transhumanist Movement Uncovered
by Keith Kleiner
David Gelles from The Futurist has written a very detailed piecethat describes Silicon Valley as the epicenter of a worldwide transhumanist movement. Gelles’ article is neither pro nor anti transhumanist, but instead is focused on telling us about the history and the players that have shaped this movement from past to present. The article is a crash course for anyone interested in learning what the transhumanist movement is and who is involved.
At a whopping 20 pages, you really have to be interested in transhumanism to sludge through this article. For those who don’t want to read the whole thing, here is my take on a short summary:
With an ample supply of wealthy people equipped with strong technical backgrounds and an open mind to new ideas, the transhumanist movement has naturally found its home in Silicon Valley. Recent advances in technology have taken transhumanist ideas such as radical life extension, immortality, brain uploading and copying, and biological or machine based body enhancement from the realm of crazy to the realm of possible.
Large numbers of smart, successful silicon valley players are joining a transhumanist movement that holds both great promise and great peril for mankind. Some see transhumanists as forward thinkers at the forefront of change, while others see them as borderline religious fanatics attached to ideas that are dangerous and/or ridiculous.
Major players in the movement are mentioned, including:
Peter Thiel – co-founder and former CEO of PayPal, multi-million dollar donor to transhumanist causes
Robert Ettinger – “The Father of Cryonics”, founder of the Cryonics Institute, Author of famous Immortality Books
Aubrey De Grey – Founder of Methuselah Foundation, pioneer in the science of fighting aging
Ralph Merkle – pioneer in cryptography, researcher and speaker on nanotechnology and cryonics
James Clement – Executive Director of the World Transhumanist Association
Organizations are covered, including the World Transhumanist Association, Alcor Foundation, Foresight Nanotech Institute, Extropy Institute, Methuselah Foundation, Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence
“Singularity” and “sustainability,” are both terms to be identified with the NWO. We can expect the forces of darkness to grow even bolder. Do not be surprised to hear more and more about alien sightings and abductions. Be alert for themes in TV, movies and books about human beings interbreeding with aliens, or a movie such as Limitless, which allowed a man to become
“fully evolved” through a designer drug. The alien / human interbreeding story is included in all science fiction TV series, including Star Trek and XFiles. Interbreeding with supernatural entities was the theme of Bewitched , I Dream of Genie, all current witchcraft, occult, and science fiction series and movies.
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6: 10-12
sage
Wonder if George Lucas is in on this now…
Anon – he’s always been a part of it. If you look at Star Wars – the “force” displays all the qualities of the New Age “god.” It is in everything, it flows through everything and everyone, (some more than others), and it can be manipulated for good or evil. And of course, Darth Vader was very “modified.”
You would be hard pressed to find a contemporary movie, one made in the last 50 years, one financially successful, that was not an exercise in indoctrination of the masses. Even those stupid “National Treasure” movies were an effort to legitimize the secret societies, and make them appear altruistic and benevolent.
Yes, George Lucas based the Force on God. J.R.R Tolkien and C.S. Lewis also featured interpretations of God in their fantasy works. From a Christian perspective Star Wars is a creepy propaganda tool because it teaches a sort of New Age religion which is not Christian.
But that all has nothing to do with the kind of techno-transhumanism going on in Silicon Valley, which does not take a position on God or have anything to do with the topic of theism or the supernatural. The thing transhumanism is about is extending and improving human life by using human creativity and technology — embracing things like hearing aids and pacemakers which make lives better.
Clean water, agriculture, durable buildings — these are technological luxuries that we did not have for much of human history. If we were to abandon any one of them, most of us would die very quickly. Why should we draw the line at genetic engineering, or the creation of robots?
This is the last time I’m going to try to get you to understand this. This is not about robots. It is not about technology. It is not about animals. It is about the chimera. The pursuit of the “Ubermensch.” The desire to become God.
“Lucifer is the embodiment of reason, of intelligence, of critical thought. He stands against the dogma of God and all other dogmas. He stands for the exploration of new ideas. . .Join me, join Lucifer, and join Extropy in fighting God and His entropic forces with our minds, our wills and our courage. God’s army is strong, but they are backed by ignorance, fear and cowardice. Reality is fundamentally on our side. Forward into the light!” [Noted transhumanist - Max More]
http://www.maxmore.com/transhum.htm
Sage,
The quote by transhumanist Max More is stunning testimony to their Luciferian desire to be “as God” — that age-old temptation in The Garden.
Good grief….
Eowyn – nothing has changed in over 6,000 years.
Creepy…
The “Cyborg” theme has been a mainstay of certain realms of Science Fiction for a good many years – I, myself, enjoy science fiction, but shy away from the cyborg concepts for the main part, as I am not comfortable with the man/machine interface idea,,,
This is kind of off the subject; but, Mitt Romney reminds me of a Cyborg.
Cast down every vain imagination that would seek to exalt itself above our knowlege of God. Take every thought captive that doesn’t conform to His word.
Basically, “Get thee behind us, Satan” .
You are a defeated foe: “Fuera” ITNOJ
Isn’t South Korea also the country that’s erecting two high-risers that are a replica of the 9-11 Twin Towers?
Yeah. But “not on purpose”.
Those odd looking atrium spaces just ‘happen ‘ to look like balls of smoke.
Yeah, Terry, it’s just a koinkeedink!
They really went out of their way to design that “koinkeedink”!
That is about the most obnoxious and odd structure I’ve ever seen!
Robo-cop…cringe ..Transformers…double cringe
You have hit this one out of the ball park ,sage….
I had recognized the pride and arrogance of transhumanists
worshiping their self-made idol of technology but the way you
identified the interbreeding theme so prevalent in modern
fiction has given me much to reflect upon.The mind doth boggle
Thank you, Dan. People have been so inundated with these concepts, when Satan comes through with his final deception – the sheeple will swallow it whole.
Suddenly I’m having visions of Captain Kirk breaking out of a South Korean prison by using paradoxes to destroy his robot guards’ brains.
With sophisticated robots taking over more and more human jobs, there’ll be more and more millions of “useless eaters” in the world. Georgia Guidestones, any one?
http://vigilantcitizen.com/sinistersites/sinister-sites-the-georgia-guidestones/
Sage, on Drudge this morning there was an article about genetically altering monkeys by merging cells from up to six different embryos. Would this fall into the category of transhumanism?
Dr. Robin Cook wrote a medical thriller novel about using primates to grow compatible organs for rich people in need of kidney transplants. I think it was called “Chromosome 6″. It seemed far fetched when I read it years ago…. now this kind of thing is just another headline on Drudge. How low can we go?
Are you objecting to the use of nonhuman primates or what?
I am objecting to our scientists making Chimeras and you think that is good?
I wasn’t sure what you were objecting to. I don’t have a problem with scientists making chimeras as long as the animals do not suffer too much. There are certain monkeys that naturally form as chimeras with fraternal sibling DNA. I think it is good if they can learn something to help humans live better.
So what you are saying, if I got this right, is that it is ok for man to create a new species to experiment on, as long as they do not make it suffer too much? Who decides what is too much suffering? You, the scientist or the chimera? Where does the scientist stop? Is it ok for him to use human DNA to make a chimera? Will it be human? Will it have a soul? After all if we can make a human chimera, think how much we can learn!!!
What does it say about mankind, that he creates to destroy???
Unfortunately, yes, Kheta.
“The goal (of posthumanism) is most evident in the degree to which the U.S. Government has formally embraced transhumanist ideals and is actively supporting the development of transhumanist technologies. The U.S. National Science Foundation, together with the U.S. Department of Commerce, has initiated a major program (NBIC) for converging several technologies (including those from which the acronym is derived – nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technologies and cognitive technologies, e.g., cybernetics and neurotechnologies )for the express purpose of enhancing human performance. The NBIC progran director, Mihail Roco, declared at the second public meeting of the project. . .that the expenditure of financial and human capital to pursue the needs of reengineering humanity by the U.S. government will be second in equivalent value only to the moon landing program.” [C. Christopher Hook, M.D. ]
Look at each of the following articles. They are already several years old.
http://www.lifenews.com/2008/05/19/bio-2447/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7681252/ns/health-cloning_and_stem_cells/t/scientists-create-animals-are-part-human/#.Twd8SYFZtkg
http://www.geneticsandsociety.org/article.php?id=3867
Some are after the “super soldier” – some want to live forever – and some want to be God. Some, want all three.
Some want to stop 150,000 people per day from suffering and dying.
Steve – you’ re back – and then some!! LOL Love ya!!
Hey, our ol’ Steve is back! Kicking butts, as usual. LOL
Are you aware that what I cited is the world’s total death rate? Of that about 100,000 people that die are from aging related causes.
Luke, age related death is the natural order of life, and I am pretty sure when the aged do die most are ready to go to the other side…
you see death is natural and fore ordained for man…
No, just biotech.
What on earth are you talking about? Certainly not the topic here.
http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/2011/12/31/the-quest-to-be-gods-transhumanism/
Transhumanists generally endorse biotech, but it isn’t the same thing. Transhumanism is the philosophy of embracing technology to extend and enhance human capabilities. Basically humanism but with more imagination. It’s a philosophy/movement, not an actual field of science.
I guess drones are part of this ideology. The alleged president really has such an affinity with drones, perhaps his dad was a dronoid and his mom a regiwoman.
People are really curious about all the scars all over his head, perhaps he’s got some transhuman parts up in there. Or maybe Michelle just bashed him upside his head.