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      ... Social evolution is different from biological evolution: it's faster, it's Lamarckian, and it makes even heavier use of altruism and cooperation than biological evolution does. None of this was well understood at the time.

      Another logical consequence of the evolutionary view is that humans aren't the endpoint of the process. ... At this point, we happen to be the only organism with a sufficiently high degree of intelligence to be able to control our environment in a major way. ... If we choose, we can use genetic engineering to alter the character of our offspring. ... we're almost certain to do this in order to prevent disease ... and increase intelligence, say. There'll be an enoumous debate, but with ... pressure from cybernetic intelligences, the motivation to do this will eventually become overwhelming.

      Cybernetic intelligences are a consequence of the view that self-organizing organization and life are the natural outcomes of evolution in an adaptive complex system. We're rapidly creating an extraordinary, silicon- based petri dish for the evolution of intelligence. By the year 2025, at the present rate of improvement of computer technology, we're likely to have computers whose raw processing power exceeds that of the human brain. Also, we're likely to have more computers than people. It's difficult to realistically imagine a world of cyberintelligences and superintelligent humanlike beings. ... What's even more staggering is that it's not so far in the future--I would say a hundred years at the maximum. -J. Doyne Farmer, "The Second Law of Organization," in John Brockman, The Third Culture, (New York, NY: TOUCHSTONE 1995), p. 369

Steven Spielberg's new film, "A.I.," is based on the work of scientists like Ray Kurzweil, who has nine honorary doctorates, has been awarded honors by two U.S. presidents, and was named inventor of the year by MIT. He projects that machines will transcend mortal brainpower within 20 years. Science's Mything Links