Rachael's reading

Attached is the entire book The Singularity is Near - When Humans Transcend Biologyby Ray Kurzweil
I am asking that you read Chapter 7: Ich bin ein Singularitarian
and/or

watch this video

http://www.vbs.tv/watch/motherboard/the-singularity-of-ray-kurzweil#

Would you like to be able to live as long as you wanted?  If so, approximately how long do you think you would want to live? If not, what would be your preferred method of death? I would love to live forever. I think that I am overly concerned with time, it is something that I think about daily, time in the bigger since, how much time we have, what is the most important thing to do with that time. What will how I used my time say, mean, leave? If that mindset was not something I had a continual presence in, then I think that would open up a great deal of freedoms that would be invaluable. 

Do you think that it will be possible for machines to have consciousness in the future?  Is there a fundamental difference between humans and machines that will always remain? There is definitely a fundamental difference between humans and machines that will always remain, but that doesn't discount the possibility for machines to have a consciousness, that is not enough for them to be human. The ability to freely think and respond isn't the only criteria for being human. 

What do you think about Kurzweil's predictions?  Do you think he is valid, totally crazy, or somewhere in between? I think that most predictions are crazy, especially when there are wide leaps from point A to point B, which is where Kurzweil falls. But they are sure entertaining. 

Do you think it is important for humans to continue on a quest for more intelligent and faster technology? I think it is important to continue to advance as long as we are stopping to ask not can we do it but should we do it. 

Do you think it is important for you to understand and communicate with machines/technology/tools in order to make art? Fifteen years ago, no. But I think that as technology, tools, and machines become exceedingly apart of our everyday lives it is important to  understand their benefits and limitations, to not disregard them. It is important because starting from a place that you encounter in the real will make the non-real, to an extent, approachable. 

Do you see any connection between this reading and the things that I make? Yes, you are literally making machines that extend your hand, but they are also not fully realized without that human connection. 

Do you think it is important to think about the future, and to make predictions about technology?  Do you think that artwork relating to this subject will effect the possible outcome of the future? Self-fullfiled prophecy and all, it starts with an idea. Everything does, so in making predictions or coming up with ideas leads to advances. It is important, yes, but it is also important to continue to question it. 

Is this subject at all interesting to you? Yes, in the sense that I enjoyed the article/video/discussion/answering your questions, but it is not something that i regularly think about.