Comments on: The Future of Sex http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/02/the-future-of-sex.html Overcoming Bias is economist Robin Hanson’s blog, on honesty, signaling, disagreement, forecasting, and the far future. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 01:09:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Anonymous http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/02/the-future-of-sex.html#comment-621286 Anonymous Sun, 18 Dec 2011 18:37:17 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21801#comment-621286 From what we currently know about the neuroscience of pleasure, it would be entirely possible for redesigned minds to strongly enjoy drudgery and repetitive work. Furthermore, "improving the eighth decimal of some economic output measure" could require a sophisticated skillset of complex and challenging intellectual activities, all of which could be intrinsically rewarding for adequately adapted minds. From what we currently know about the neuroscience of pleasure, it would be entirely possible for redesigned minds to strongly enjoy drudgery and repetitive work. Furthermore, “improving the eighth decimal of some economic output measure” could require a sophisticated skillset of complex and challenging intellectual activities, all of which could be intrinsically rewarding for adequately adapted minds.

]]> By: Linkage is Good for You: Happy Fake Corporate Holiday Edition http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/02/the-future-of-sex.html#comment-460094 Linkage is Good for You: Happy Fake Corporate Holiday Edition Thu, 18 Nov 2010 03:39:53 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21801#comment-460094 [...] Hanson – “The Future of Sex“, “Should Lies Be [...] [...] Hanson – “The Future of Sex“, “Should Lies Be [...]

]]> By: Tim Tyler http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/02/the-future-of-sex.html#comment-442448 Tim Tyler Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:43:54 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21801#comment-442448 The same way computer viruses are not a problem - because we can back our computers up and reprogram them - in anticipation of being attacked? The same way computer viruses are not a problem – because we can back our computers up and reprogram them – in anticipation of being attacked?

]]> By: Robin Hanson http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/02/the-future-of-sex.html#comment-442438 Robin Hanson Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:10:40 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21801#comment-442438 Rob, humans already do to some extent, though perhaps not as much as bonobos. I'm suggesting that our descendants will do more. Rob, humans already do to some extent, though perhaps not as much as bonobos. I’m suggesting that our descendants will do more.

]]> By: Robert Wiblin http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/02/the-future-of-sex.html#comment-442435 Robert Wiblin Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:20:55 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21801#comment-442435 Strange then that we don't use sex already to scout out business partners and friends and such. Why haven't we evolved to use sex modules for anything other than reproduction? Bonobos seem to have done so (though I hear that research is in question), but this is uncommon in the animal kingdom. Strange then that we don’t use sex already to scout out business partners and friends and such. Why haven’t we evolved to use sex modules for anything other than reproduction? Bonobos seem to have done so (though I hear that research is in question), but this is uncommon in the animal kingdom.

]]> By: Robin Hanson http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/02/the-future-of-sex.html#comment-442434 Robin Hanson Tue, 09 Feb 2010 03:39:13 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21801#comment-442434 Rob, I'm saying we will reproduce sexually, I'm saying that we will not waste all the design effort that went into our sex mental toolkit. Yes, that toolkit is not the only way to manage relations, but it is a powerful way, and so we will make use of those tools. Rob, I’m saying we will reproduce sexually, I’m saying that we will not waste all the design effort that went into our sex mental toolkit. Yes, that toolkit is not the only way to manage relations, but it is a powerful way, and so we will make use of those tools.

]]> By: Robert Wiblin http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/02/the-future-of-sex.html#comment-442433 Robert Wiblin Tue, 09 Feb 2010 03:18:28 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21801#comment-442433 This doesn't seem obvious. We have reliable and intimate allies today without having sex with them. Sex is only for the greatest commitment of sharing genes. Why do you think sex exists in the first place? The 'red queen hypothesis' was the most popular the last time I checked. Assuming it's right, once we are uploads on fast hardware, it is unlikely that rapidly evolving parasites will present the same problem for us that they did to our ancestors because we will be able to back ourselves up and reprogram our software and hardware in anticipation to evade them. Why then not switch to asexuality and have many sex-less friends? This doesn’t seem obvious. We have reliable and intimate allies today without having sex with them.

Sex is only for the greatest commitment of sharing genes. Why do you think sex exists in the first place? The ‘red queen hypothesis’ was the most popular the last time I checked. Assuming it’s right, once we are uploads on fast hardware, it is unlikely that rapidly evolving parasites will present the same problem for us that they did to our ancestors because we will be able to back ourselves up and reprogram our software and hardware in anticipation to evade them.

Why then not switch to asexuality and have many sex-less friends?

]]> By: lemmy caution http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/02/the-future-of-sex.html#comment-442413 lemmy caution Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:23:38 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21801#comment-442413 <i>If our successors eventually abandon natural reproduction, preferring to engineer new lifeforms, who knows how far they may depart from traditional sex?</i> People love sex and they love babies. Some people will give up natural reproduction, but not everyone without a substantial amount of coercion. Lots of people won't worry about how their kids are going to compete with genetically modified super babies. They will just get pregnant and have kids like people have always done. If our successors eventually abandon natural reproduction, preferring to engineer new lifeforms, who knows how far they may depart from traditional sex?

People love sex and they love babies. Some people will give up natural reproduction, but not everyone without a substantial amount of coercion. Lots of people won’t worry about how their kids are going to compete with genetically modified super babies. They will just get pregnant and have kids like people have always done.

]]> By: Tim Tyler http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/02/the-future-of-sex.html#comment-442412 Tim Tyler Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:21:21 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21801#comment-442412 Takeovers are ubiquitous in evolution. I gave some examples already. There are more examples on my "Memetic Takeover" page: http://alife.co.uk/essays/memetic_takeover/ Automation provides many more examples. ATM machines are not a gradual evolution from bank clerks. Roombas are not a gradual evolution from human cleaners. Factory assembly robots are not a gradual evolution from assembly line workers. Engineering around lock-ins does not seem to be a big deal in such cases. You can rip out the human, stick in a machine, and it fits, works 24/7, needs no toilet breaks and never asks for a pay rise or goes on strike. Takeovers are ubiquitous in evolution. I gave some examples already. There are more examples on my “Memetic Takeover” page:

http://alife.co.uk/essays/memetic_takeover/

Automation provides many more examples. ATM machines are not a gradual evolution from bank clerks. Roombas are not a gradual evolution from human cleaners. Factory assembly robots are not a gradual evolution from assembly line workers.

Engineering around lock-ins does not seem to be a big deal in such cases. You can rip out the human, stick in a machine, and it fits, works 24/7, needs no toilet breaks and never asks for a pay rise or goes on strike.

]]> By: Tim Tyler http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/02/the-future-of-sex.html#comment-442410 Tim Tyler Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:55:08 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21801#comment-442410 Re: If our successors eventually abandon natural reproduction, preferring to engineer new lifeforms, who knows how far they may depart from traditional sex? As far as the information-theoretic aspects of sexual reproduction go, memeticists and computer programmers, I would propose. They deal with engineered heritable information on a day-to-day basis. The future may face *some* different issues - those associated with copyrights and patents, for example - but such folk will probably have the basics down. Re: If our successors eventually abandon natural reproduction, preferring to engineer new lifeforms, who knows how far they may depart from traditional sex?

As far as the information-theoretic aspects of sexual reproduction go, memeticists and computer programmers, I would propose. They deal with engineered heritable information on a day-to-day basis. The future may face *some* different issues – those associated with copyrights and patents, for example – but such folk will probably have the basics down.

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