Becoming Popeye
And somewhere in the middle of all that, I arrived at a surprisingly comfortable conclusion, best expressed by that great sailor and underrated philosopher, a man whose entire health plan consisted of canned spinach:
"I yam what I yam."
18 hours ago10 min read
The Optimist’s Playbook
But I’ve always been an optimist. Not because I believe everything will turn out wonderfully. It might not. Humanity has demonstrated a remarkable ability to make a mess of things, often with considerable enthusiasm. Still, I remain optimistic. Why? Well, I’ve been thinking about that.
19 hours ago8 min read
Morning
Jeff had been walking for hours, though he couldn't remember where he'd started.
Rain followed him down the empty street, running from his hair and down the back of his neck. His jacket had stopped keeping him dry long ago. Water squished inside his shoes with every step.
Sep 257 min read
I Was Born in 1965. The World Has Been Ending Ever Since.
There are real problems in the world. There always have been. There will be new ones. Some will be manageable. Some will be exaggerated. Some will disappear because technology changes. Some will require collective action. Some will be considerably worse than we initially thought. And occasionally, we will simply be wrong.
Sep 177 min read
The Technological Reformation
There may be technologies we should enthusiastically pursue. Others we should pursue cautiously. Some we should delay until we understand them better. And perhaps there are things humanity will eventually become capable of doing that we collectively decide we simply shouldn't do.
Sep 147 min read
Pandora's Box Is Already Open
The primary question may be: can humanity control itself? Can nations resist developing a technology merely because an adversary might develop it? Can corporations delay releasing a profitable product because its societal consequences are uncertain? Can researchers walk away from an experiment because the potential knowledge doesn't justify the potential risk? Can individuals possessing extraordinary technological capability voluntarily choose not to use it irresponsibly?
Sep 149 min read
The Virtue of Restraint
For most of human history, progress has meant overcoming limitations. We learned to travel farther. Build higher. Communicate faster. Live longer. Produce more. Harness greater energy. Manipulate matter. Manipulate life. And perhaps now, create forms of intelligence unlike our own.
Sep 1411 min read
