Here's a copy of one reply regarding the English Government's view on the Singularity (published via kind permission from The Rt Hon David Willetts MP)...
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You can see there is no need to be frightened by politicians. David Willetts doesn't endorse the Singularity but you can see he and his Government are supportive of science therefore steps have been taken to protect funding for science. David is also sure Singularity issues (biotech, nanotech, AI, Stem Cells) will, "...contribute significantly to the overall scientific wealth...", and he's sure "...they will continue to add to human progress in years to come."
Politicians would be more likely to take Singularity issues seriously if more people started writing letters to their politicians. If more people wrote Singularity-letters then at least politicians would realize increased funding for science and technology is an important issue for voters. You can make a difference. Write a letter today.
David Willetts mentions Ray Kurzweil. Questions for Ray.
David Willetts recognizes Ray Kurzweil's contribution to Singularity-awareness but David is being unjustly dismissive when he states: "this future is based on conjecture".
David Willetts states there's a lack of formal evidence for the Singularity and he claims the Singularity has been criticized by, "...a number of writers and in a number of publications including The Economist." The alleged criticism in The Economist is somewhat refuted by this recent Economist video. Here also is a blog from The Economist, which on the whole doesn't appear critical. Note also this article from The Economist, which is balanced but not critical. The Economist has also published an article regarding how machines could easily outsmart their makers by year 2030, and once again there is no obvious criticism.
Considering the above letter from David Willetts, regarding the reference to Ray Kurzweil, I've asked Ray to comment. Via Ray's personal assistant I put the following questions to Ray:
1. What are Ray's opinions on the issue of the Singularity within the political arena?
2. Does Ray intend to contact David Willetts MP regarding David's dismissal of the Singularity?
3. What are Ray's views regarding the response from David Willetts MP?
Ray is currently traveling overseas but in the near future I hope Ray will explain his ideas about the Singularity in connection with politics. I hope Ray will contact David Willetts to convince The Right Honorable Member of Parliament that the evidence for the Singularity is compelling enough to warrant political acknowledgment.
In my opinion the evidence for the Singularity is sufficient enough to warrant political response. If the Singularity remains an issue outside of the political arena we cannot expect serious support for the Singularity. Approximately 3 million old people die each month therefore immortality associated with the Singularity should be a key political issue. If politicians are unwilling to accept the concept of the Singularity they should surely acknowledge the end of aging is within sight, thus more should be done to accelerate medical immortality.
We need greater investment in science and technology. Nanotech, biotech, and Stem Cell research should be exceedingly prominent political issues deserving of massive funding. 3 million global deaths each month is a shocking degree of mortality therefore politicians should be addressing this atrocious loss of life. These Singularity issues deserve strong political support.
Eternal youth is something all voters can relate to. Nearly all women would rather not have wrinkles; and most men would enjoy being perpetually in their early twenties because erectile dysfunction is predominantly a problem for middle-aged or elderly men. There are many reasons why people want eternal youth. Some reasons for youthful immortality are superficial and some reasons are more serious such as averting heart disease or Alzheimer's disease.
If you haven't yet written a letter to your politician or Government, please consider doing so. If you are unsure about how to express these issues here's a template letter to give you an idea of what to write. You can use the template letter, or modify it to better represent your own words. You can change the world. Write a letter today!
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