Everyone's Blog Posts - H+ Cafe

Homo radius

2009-11-01T00:19:29.000Z

Transmit yourself into the aether.
Swim in the ocean of background hiss.
Into the reverberance of the universe,
Boost and amplify your personhood.
Onto the periods around you,
Imprint your harmonics.
Radiate your bliss and benevolence on all bands,
On all octaves.
You are the antenna,
The beacon.
Homo radius...
H~

Involuntary

2009-10-24T09:17:32.000Z

I am not voluntarily writing this.
I am not voluntarily contemplating the concepts that led me to
Involuntarily write the first statement.
I am not voluntarily acknowledging the above,
Nor this penultimate sentence.
I am not voluntarily accepting the
Involuntary nature of all of this.

~

Bonus:

""One can not be both A and B"
I am both A and B,
Whilst that rule still applies, infinitely."

H-

2009-10-18T09:50:47.000Z

Transhumanism, thus cishumanism.
H+, thus H-.
As uplifting, so voluntary downlifting.
The potential desirability of infinite ignorance; of being a blissful vegetable in a post-Darwinian world.

Inspired by the pinprick argument in negative utilitarianism, would it be unethical to grant life initially? Taking life as unethical, and yet to create life is to grant that life the opportunity to be terminated and to experience suffering. Thus, creating life as just as, if not more, unethical than taking it. AIs, uplifts, those born from natural procreation...they would all be subject to suffering.

"An AI, negative utilitarianist dictator of benevolence travels back in time to prevent the creation of all life in order for all suffering to be prevented."

To be blissfully cishuman, human and transhuman all simultaneously via technology that can overcome physical contradiction.

The Collaborations

2009-10-12T10:17:53.000Z

I can imagine a point in time, in the not-to-distant future when instead of talking about Corporations people will talk about "Collaborations". Networks of like minded people that get together via collaboration software, and with the help of expert systems, and perhaps a neural prosthesis or two to solve problems or to create works of art or build software or anything else of mutual interest. I suspect that Collaborations will attain greater-than-human intelligence much earlier than AIs will, and I suspect if the Singularity is a real possibility that Collaborations will play an important role in its coming.

What does everyone think?. Will "The Collaborations" give rise to the Singularity?

Psychonaug

2009-10-12T07:36:58.000Z

Dear naugs,

i am about to embark on an adventure into the lands of the augmented imagination

sensory deprivation blindfold silly glitch 30 second microphone loop sensory feedback "Outdoor Acid Trip" delay pink noise closet recorded subjective video meditation

i shall not return
much quite like i am now
for the feedback from the experience of feedbacking your feedback.. feeds into your feedback in an accelerated way

augmentarily yours,
Cortexelus

A Compilation of Micro-Writings [Revised Edition]

2009-09-27T13:52:58.000Z

This is a compilation of micro-writings of mine which I have employed as Facebook statuses recently.

---------------

Something may never happen, ever...but in a potential postposthuman future, it may, for such extreme future innovations may allow for physical and logical contradictions, such as for something infinitely impossible to actually happen whilst still remaining impossible.

~

The mind might not even be a singular star in an infinite void, for their might not even be a void outside of the mind...the mind may very well be all that their is, and subjective experiences may very well be just echoes and reverberations of the mind reflecting and feeding back into it.

~

Trans-Nihilism: Making something out of nothing, using nothing.

~

"As a psychonaut, he travelled so far and so deep into his mind that he actually arrived, as a transsolipsonaut, literally outside of his mind and orbiting it..."

~

To be involved in a movement that advocates the use of technology for increased bliss itself induces bliss...

~

Equilibrioception! Balance, a harmony. To run, walk and stand still without falling over is music!

~

Infinite tones across an infinite spectrum of frequencies, across an infinite spectrum of volumes would be more of a harmony than just a few tones across a few octaves with frequencies that are proportional to one another, for there is no discrimination and absolute unity!

~

Self-Similarity + Nihilism: Everything is a metaphor for everything and everything else. Everything is everything and everything else. All is infinitely self-similar. Thus, everything is neither superior nor inferior to everything else; everything is neither more beautiful nor more ugly than everything else...

~

To eliminate suffering may induce suffering on suffering itself.

~

The concept of infinite possibilities is self-referential because by the nature of infinity and absolute non-discrimination, it must include the possibility of their -not- being infinite possibilities.

~

Contemplate the idea of happiness, bliss and elevation through nihilism/epistemological nihilism rather than as something gloomy and dark. Nihilism as a reason to continue life rather than to end it!

~

The free will to decide whether to -ever- have free will or not, and, if so, when to instigate it. To instigate one's own existence and consciousness out of nothing...out of a vacuum of sentience.

~

Bonus quotes:

- Infinite bliss, infinite nostalgia, infinite melancholy.
- Bliss through nostalgia, bliss through melancholy.
- Infinitely ultrawhite noise! Infinite, ultrawhite noise!

Future Sexuality: Cosmodildonics

2009-09-27T12:00:00.000Z

It has been said that the universe could be a huge computer, a consciousness and even a giant musical instrument. It may well be all of those at once, including a posthuman sexual stimulator.

Cosmodildonics

A la the mechnical vibrations of an electric dildo, erotic stimulation from any and/or all repetitive and periodic phenomena in the universe...from electromagnetic waves to the orbits of planets; from the oscillations of civilisations rising and falling to the potential big bang/big crunch/big bang etc. patterns of whole universes.
Consider also the conceptual and abstract equivalent to the above; to programme oneself to oscillate rapidly between extremes at the ends of philosophical and ideological spectra, a la the peaks and troughs of mechanical vibrations generated by electric dildos.
Would such a potentially advanced and enlightened state as posthumanity be compatible with a purpose that can be associated with bioslavery and Darwinian impulses, however? I would personally say so, given the diversity and wild, syncretic combinations posthumanity, rather than being a more strictly defined state, could allow.

As That, So Another...

2009-09-26T18:03:04.000Z

As monism
And as dualism,
So infinitism!
As futurism
And the relishing of history,
So the present; presencism.
As Ralph Vaughan Williams to the lark,
So whatever higher admirers of us there may be, if any.
Inspired in ways we cannot be, they are, by the human minds elevating on harmonious thoughts
And contemplations of infinity;
Thoughts ground-breaking and forward-looking.
The lepidopterist is enchanted by the symmetry of the butterfly,
As they are with the glowing halos of our strange loops;
Our self-awareness, our self-consciousness!
Beauty that is impossible for the butterfly itself to appreciate
In the same way as they can...

Clockwork A.I.

2009-09-25T13:30:00.000Z

Could a fully sentient artificial intelligence emerge from a machine that is, either entirely or almost entirely, clockwork? A computer of springs, gears, cogs and pendula?

How big would such a machine have to be in order for that to happen? The size of a solar system, perhaps, or even a galaxy...

And what about sensory perception? A nervous system of, also, clockwork apparatus perhaps. Or to place a secondary "nervous system" inside such mechanics so the A.I. can perceive the harmony of it's own gears' teeth interlocking and the hypnotic cycling of it's own cogs turning and pendula swinging...and thus, draw aesthetic enjoyment from these. This would be such a machine's equivalent to a posthuman perceiving, across the sensory spectrum, it's own nervous impulses and activities that are themselves already perceiving, and to subsequently perceive the impulses, in the same manner, that allow for the perception of the first set of nervous activities, ad infinitum, for a fractalline pattern to be relished in itself...all in real-time.

New Aesthetic Frontiers

2009-09-25T13:16:42.000Z

- To enjoy, in real-time, such phenomena as conceptual, abstract feedback loops and
logic loops as we do now with the loops of musical rhythms across time.
- To enjoy, in real-time, one's own strange loops of self-awareness, self-consciousness,
et cetera, in the same way, as well as those of others.
- To perceive across the sensory spectrum [as sounds, visuals, vibro-tactics, etc.] the
nervous impulses and activities that are themselves already perceiving, and to
subsequently perceive the impulses, in the same manner, that allow for the perception
of the first set of nervous activities, ad infinitum, for a fractalline pattern to be
relished in itself...all in real-time.
- To perceive, in real-time, the rhythm of oneself exerting forces upon their
surroundings and the resultant equal and opposite reactions, as well as the
equilibrium of such a process as harmony (for equilibrium is harmony) for a new
music; to relish the conceptual analogue to this in the form of opposing ideologies
and contradictions.

logic and consistency, life and death...

2009-08-07T01:59:05.000Z

I am dismayed at how I find most humans totally lacking in logical and consistent thinking. I am discouraged when people seek out medical attention to relieve illnesses or undergo surgery and yet will insist they do not mind death. People tend to look before crossing streets, take care not to be in auto accidents and are cautious in so many way, yet will still totally accept the idea of death. Does anyone know why. Even within the cryonics community I have found a lack of real commitment to living.

Get anyone to do anything by David Lieberman, review and summary

2009-07-19T12:42:47.000Z

When I read non-fiction, I always get the feeling that after a few weeks I have forgotten the entire book, even if it was a good one! In order to get more out from my books, I started putting Post-Its beside interesting quotes, so that I could write a good summary for myself afterwards. The following review is somewhat special, in that quotes does not really do it justice, so I have written a summary of the entire book instead.

Get anyone to do anything, by American psychologist David J. Lieberman, is a book that lives up to its title. It is a pop-psychological-ish book about handling people or "making anyone do anything".

Often books such as these have one major point that it tries to drive home with just a few too many words, in order to fill up enough pages. Such texts lend themselves well for a summary in a few bullet lists and perhaps a few choice quotes to get a feeling for the author's general literary style. Get anyone to do anything contains anything but filler. It is literally bristling with content, handling each subject as succinctly and to the point as is possible. Although Lieberman deserves credit for his enthusiastic sharing of such a wide spectrum of thoughts, it does put this intended summary in a conundrum. Either it ends up a blatant plagiarism of every page or only the ideas that resonated most with me can be transferred.

In general I really liked this book, and so did those of my friends who read it. The advice is so all-encompassing that just trying to adhere to them all can end up a lifestyle. On the downside, with so many topics to cover, much of the material is just collections of common sense from other sources. Even so, the book has ample room for original content and I heartily recommend it to anyone interested in self-improvement or just in what makes people tick. One of the very best.

It is a simple fact of being human that with so much densely packed information, you will not gain much benefit by just reading through it. Try to stay on each point and think about how it relates to you. If you find the advice useful, remember that you need to come back and re-read them from time to time-often at first. Repetition and doing is the only way to learn and forming habits is the only way to keep doing.

Section 1-Get anyone to like you, love you or just plain think you're great!

1.1-Get anyone to like you - Every time

Be around the person as much as possible because familiarity breed fondness, not contempt!

When you speak with him try to do it when he's in a good mood to enact the law of association. Talk about interests or experiences that you share and try to do more of the listening and less of the talking.

To enact the law of reciprocal affection, if you respect or admire him for something make sure he knows this.

Let him do a simple favour for you, but make sure that it's not out of a sense of obligation. This creates an unconscious motivation to like you more.

Build a psychological bridge and establish rapport by matching the person's gestures, rate of speech, and vocal pattern.

We are drawn to confident people. Show your confidence by being able to laugh at yourself and not taking yourself too seriously.

Make her feel good about herself. Be someone who is complimentary and sincerely kind and warm.

Have a positive mental attitude. We are drawn to people who are excited, passionate, and happy about life and being alive.

1.2-Get anyone to find you irresistably attractive

Engage in an activity with this person where emotional arousal is high.

The perception of youth increases attraction. Your posture and walking style influence greatly how youthful you appear

Passionate feelings for another can easily develop by simply staring into someone´s eyes. Look her directly in the eyes when speaking and listening.

We find others more attractive at those times when we feel less confident about ourselves. approaching her when she feels self-conscious will make you appear more attractive.

Once she already likes you, deepen the attraction by letting her know that you are attracted to her.

1.3-How to make a fantastic first impression

Smile! Smiling accomplishes four powerful things: It conveys confidence, happiness and enthusiasm, and most important, it shows acceptance.

Engage the primacy effect and make that initial moment (and the first five minutes or so) the very best and the rest of your conversation will be filtered through it, thereby creating a highly favourable impression.

The psychological phenomenon of accessability and priming can dramatically influence how we are initially perceived. Lay the unconscious groundwork prior to your meeting.

1.4-Get the instant advantage in every relationship

People want what they can't have and they want more of what they have to work for. If you are easy to come, then you may be easy to let go.

If you have an unbalanced life you will have a distorted view of the relationship. Balance gives you perspective, and perspective allows you to make better decisions in the relationship.

When all doubt is removed, the person will take you for granted. Introduce an element of uncertainty to instantly reignite the passion.

A person likes you based, in part, on how you make her feel about herself. Make her feel good and she will feel good about you.

1.5-Get anyone to see you as pure gold

Price and availability are the two most dominant psychological factors that determine tha value of just about anything. Manipulating these two factors will dramatically increase or decrease how valuable and worthy we think something is.

"Whenever you are dealing with someone or something of unknown value the first one who places a value on it establishes its worth." p.28

1.6-How to appear calm confident and in control of any situation

Don't overlook the powerful physiological influence of blood sugar levels. Avoid engaging in fight-or-flight response by avoiding sugars and refined carbohydrates.

Smile! Research show that the very act of smiling actually makes you feel more relaxed and calm

Breath deeply. When we're nervous we tend to hold our breath. Deep breathing instantly relaxes the central nervous system and literally calms your nerves.

Section 2-Never be fooled, tricked, manipulated, used, lied to, or taken advantage of again

2.7-The six-star test to see if someone is a true friend

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2.8-Does his story check out?

To use conundrum, simply introduce a piece of evidence and see how he handles it. Just make sure that he would have direct knowledge of what you're talking about if in fact his story is true. Make sure that this "evidence" is something that's plausible, but not true, then sit back and see whether he's fast with the correct response. If he hesitates, changes the subject, and/or gives the wrong answer to your question, then you're not getting the truth.

For example, statement: "No, I wasn't to the pub, dear. I was just out walking near the park" conundrum: "Oh, I heard they had a fire yesterday, what did it look like? Was it bad?"

2.9-How to tell if someone is trying to manipulate you

If somenone plays on any of these emotional strings, you know that you are being manipulated:

Guilt
Intimidation
Appeal to ego
Fear
Curiosity
Our desire to be liked
Love

If you hear anything that sounds like these manipulators, stop and reevaluate the situation. Don't act quickly and emotionally. Wait and objectively gather the facts so you don't become a hand puppet for the malevolent.

2.10-How to tell if a person's bluffing in any situation

Uncover a bluff instantly by noticing how a person tries to appear. A person who is bluffing will always overcompensate to create the illusion that he is 100 percent behind his convictions.

2.11-How to see through people

Give him the instant psychological test. Ask a question that does not accuse the person of anything but rather alludes to it. Then simply gauge his response and you'll learn right away if he's hiding anything.

2.12-How to get anyone to say what he's really thinking

Just get her to commit to liking the idea, person, or object. Then simply ask her how she thinks that it can be improved upon.

Section 3-Take control of any situation and get anyone to do anything

3.13-Get anyone to take immediate action in any situation

Narrow a person's options to avoid extensive deliberation. Fewer choices mean that he will make a decision faster and be less likely to dwell on it afterward.

Give a deadline for taking action. A deadline restricts freedom and increases our desire to gain what is rare and becoming scarcer. This greatly motivates us to move forward and to take immediate action.

Engage the law of consistency by first having an individual commit to a smaller request. When we take a small step in one direction we are driven to maintain a sense of consistency by agreeing to larger requests.

Use you words and your actions to engage the law of expectation (people will do what you expect them to do)

Maximize the law of inertia by reducing what you want a person to do to simple, easy-to-follow steps to get him to begin moving in the right direction.

Offer any small additional benefit for taking action now. This will significantly increase your chances of gaining compliance.

Keep in mind that the number-one psychological rule that determines if someone will do something for you or even with you is that she must, to some extent, like you and, preferably, trust you.

3.14-Get anyone to take your advice

Ninety percent of the decisions we make are based on emotion. We then use logic to justify our actions. You must arouse emotions in your attempt to persuade.

Offer a specific game plan with a clear-cut course of action for proceeding

Add to this how your idea will prevent negative or unpleasent consequences. This is more effective than explaining what someone will gain from listening to you.

If true, remind him how he is in some way the one who first gave you the idea.

Let him know too that this new way of thinking is really consistent with who he is. Relate the things he's done that are consistent with this current belief or action.

Don't come across as a know-it-all and you'll be perceived as more credible and sincere in this situation.

Remember that enthusiasm is contagious. If you're not excited about the idea, he will not be excited about it either.

3.15-Get anyone to follow through on a commitment to you

Use the backdoor. "What would have to happen for this not to work out?"

When you initially ask for the favor, hit as many of these five points as you can: (a) get him to say it; (b) get a specific time frame; (c) develop a sense of obligation; (d) engage his conscience and (e) have him tell you how things will unfold.

Then end the conversation with a firm verbal confirmation and a simple phrase such as "So I'll se you next Saturday, right?"

Finally, as the day approaches let him know that you appreciate that he's someone who really follows through and/or that you are glad that he knows the true value of friendship/responsibility/loyalty-whichever best applies.

3.16-How to get a stubborn person to change his mind about anything

Begin with the Crowbar Test (would you agree to do the task if I achieved some highly difficult task)

Because human beings have a strong need for consistency have her agree to a similar idea or a way of thinking that will negate her own objections later.

Restrict in some way her ability to do what you want her to and give her the opportunity to provide the solution

A person's emotional state is directly related to her physical state. Change easily the one thing that you can-her physiology. Physically moving prevents mind-lock.

She will be reluctant to change her mind without any new information because she will think of herself as inconsistent. Give additional information before you ask her to again reconsider.

Let her know that you"ve been recently influenced by her ideas. If someone is successful in persuading another person she usually reciprocates by changing her attitudes about something else in response to a persuasive appeal from that person.

Adopt a two-sided argument to increase your credibility, being sure to present the evidence to support your position first.

If possible show her how she is in some way responsible for the idea in the first place.

If the idea goes against her value system, change the parameters of the request, making the behaviour acceptable.

3.17-Get anyone to do a favour for you

If you need something done in the near future, ask when he is not preoccupied with something else. If it is for something that does not need to be done right away, ask for the favor as soon as possible, farthest from the time when he will have to do it.

Engage the law of reciprocity by doing something for him. Your "gift" can take the form of your time, your attention, or even a small gesture or compliment.

Avoid apathy by increasing personal responsibility. This is done by letting him know that you have no one else to turn to.

Your request should contain three components: (a) specifically what you want (b) how he will in some way feel good about doing you the favor, and© the relative ease with which he can accomplish the task.

If your situation is due to your incompetence, you will generate apathy, not sympathy. Focus on any elements of your predicament, that were not your own doing.

Reshape his self-concept to include the idea that helping you is something that is consistent with who he is.

Knowing others "did the right thing" invokes an unconscious desire to do the same. Have him witness or simply tell him about those who have helped in similar situations.

Studies conclude that if shel feels threatened by your success you will not get her cooperation. Explain the situation as the two of you working toward a common objective where you both win.

Most important is to keep asking. Many times people just say no because it's easy and they're used to it. Persistence in asking-in accordance with these laws-will give you every opportunity to gain cooperation.

3.18-The greatest psychological secrets of leadership

Leaders win the trust and support of the people through their identification with them. Do not set yourself apart from the crowd, but remain one of the people in the crowd.

Humility is one of the most powerful traits for effective leadership. A strong ego creates a barrier between the leader and the people.

Your vision must be clear, simple, and organized. Nobody likes or is overly inclined to follow complex and disorganized strategies.

Don't confuse passion with authority. Overly passionate leaders are believable but few people want to follow them.

Never yell or publically chastise anybody. This will cause you to lose respect.

Instantly generate the often-elusive and ever-important quality of charisma by making others feel important and special. People follow those who make them feel good about themselves.

Understand the mechanics of leadership and when it is best to ask for input and when it is best to dictate.

3.19-Get anyone to understand anything

Give an overview before going into the details. This puts the new information into an understandable context.

Use the law of expectation. Simply stating that you expect this information will be understood quickly and easily greatly increases comprehension and retention.

3.20-Minority rule

You and/or members of your group must be consistent in the opposition to majority opinions. Do not show signs of waffling.

Avoid appearing rigid and dogmatic. In light of new information, a minority that holds to the same position regardless of the situation is not as effective as one that demonstrates a degree of flexibility.

Divide and conquer. Many studies conclusively prove that when we have an ally we are much more likely to stick to your guns.

When you disagree with the majority you are disliked, hence making it difficult to sway them. Make them like you.

Don't ask someone to change his mind without introducing additional information.

When you"ve got nothing, enact the law of social proof by finding other people, outside of your group, who share your view.

3.21-How to get any group of people to get along

Numerous studies conclude that division among people dissolves when there is an opposing outside threat.

Make sure that your group identifies itself with an image that is consistent with the spirit of cooperation, not competition. The name given to your group or clique greatly influences levels of cooperation.

Section 4-How to win at any competition: beat out anyone for the job, the date, or the game

4.22-Secrets to winning in any competition

David's note: as an avid competitor I did not find this section very thorough. If you"d like to do better in competitive situations, stay tuned for a review and summary of one of my books on sport psychology.

Get the home field advantage whenver possible

Have others watch you when you feel that you are more competent that you opponent. When you are less confident, try to compete without an audience.

To enhance your performance, anchor your successes so you will be able to go into your ideal state at will

Never act out of fear, focus on the objective, not on yourself.

Mentally rehearse your performance and desired outcome.

Always have a backup plan. If your tactics are not working make sure that you can easily switch to a new game plan.

Do the unexpected and give no warning. By acting without a pattern you throw your opponent of balance.

4.23-The #1 Mistake most people make in life

When things are going your way-when you're in the pattern of success-it makes sense to put more on the line and slightly increase your risk. And when you're going strong, you decide when to stop; don't be forced into early retirement. But when things are going against you, stop and regroup.

Never do anything out of fear, if you can avoid it. Fear clouds your thinking and places your focus on the negative outcome. If you need to win then you will lose because you will be focused on what is at stake and not on the objective. Detach yourself from the objective and get in the zone before you take action.

Section 5-Make life easy: Learn how to instantly take life's most annoying, frustrating and difficult situations and get the upper hand every time!

5.24-Get anyone to return your phone call immediately

Leave a message that in some way shows your appreciation, but isn't clear as to what it's about. Human beings have an inherent curiosity, and by not making your message clear, it forces the person you're trying to reach to clarify what it's about.

5.25-Get anyone to forgive you for anything

If your explanation is due to circumstances beyond your control it is received much more favorably than an axcuse that mentions only reasons that you had control over.

If the situation was not beyond your control-meaning that it was completely your own doing-then make sure that you take full and complete responsibility for your actions.

Your apology should be sincere and specific.

Let the person know that you are prepared to face and accept any consequences for your actions, and that your fate is in her hands. You must restore her sense of power.

Demonstrate how the set of circumstances that led you to your behaviour can never occur again in the future.

If fear was part of your motivation, be sure explain exactly how your actions were rooted in this fear.

Show that your actions did not produce any of the anticipated gains of benefits.

5.26-The best way to break bad news

Avoid words that have harsh, negative connotation or stigma. Language is the basis of thought and thought is the extension of emotion. Therefore, you can substantially decrease a person's reaction to a situation by choosing the right words.

Present the situation when possible (or aspects of it) as temporary isolated and insignificant.

Use the law of contrast and comparison by illustrating how it could have been worse than it actually turned out.

5.27-Get back anything you"ve loaned fast, and without an argument

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5.28-Say no without hurt feelings or guilt

When you turn down the favor (that's being asked of you) ask for a favor from that person right after you say no to his request. By asking a favor of him that he can't come through on, you"ve in effect canceled your debt as soon as he declines your request.

When you turn down his request, and before you ask him to do something for you, use the word because in your excuse. The word because triggers an unconscious acceptance that a valid explanation follows.

"If you're not sure if you can help out, don't say that you're not sure or you'll think about it. The smartest thing to do when initially asked is to give a resounding "Yes!". If you can't follow through you will be believable"

5.29-How to turn a rude and obnoxious person into your best friend

First make sure that your attitude is not the problem. If you expect someone to dislike you, you will likely interpret her actions through this warped perspective.

Tell a third party that you genuinely like, admire and/or respect this person. This will engage the law of reciprocal affection.

By showing an interest in her you will get her to like you faster than if you spent all day trying to get her interested in you.

Talk about those things that you share and have in common-ideas, values thoughts, etc.

She likes you based on how you make her feel about herself. You can be the greatest person in the world, but she will dislike you if you make her feel unimportant and insignificant.

5.30-How to stop a rumor before your reputation pays a price

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5.31-Stop verbal abuse instantly

Resist your initial inclinations to get defensive. If it's his problem don't make it yours! The psychological dynamics change dramatically as soon as you use the word "I" or "me". Then it becomes something between you and him.

If you are worried for your physical safety then acknowledge his "authority and power" to diffuse his anger. Do this by becoming more upset at yourself than he is at you.

5.32-Get anyone to open up to you

When you get a vague answer, ask a more specific question that is related to his answer. If you ask a general follow-up question you will only get another general response.

If the person is unsure of how to answer, ask her instead to tell you how she feels about an aspect of the situation, instead of the entire situation itself.

Ask her if there might have been any unconscious motivations at work. This alleviates the element of guilt as it does not imply that there was intent.

5.33-Deal with any complaint fast and easy

Say nothing. Just listen. Paraphrase what he's just said. Use "buildup" ("no one as important as you should have to..", "I know you're not accustomed to being treated..", "If I were you I would be just as upset") phrases to reinforce his ego and sense of importance. Ask him what he would like you to do.

While doing the above, establish rapport to help him feel more at ease and comfortable with you.

5.34-Stop jealous behaviour in an instant

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5.35-How to get the best advice from anyone

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5.36-Give the harshest criticism without offending

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5.37-Get anyone to confide in you and confess anything

Tell him a secret or something personal about what is going on in your life. When someone tells us something about himself, not only do we feel psychologically closer but we feel a need to reciprocate by sharing something personal with him.

Ask him about his views on something general. When he does tell you, do not argue or debate the merits of his beliefs. If you "coincidentally" share the same views this will significantly increase your psychological bond.

By having the person focus on his emotions, you unconsciously force him to seek support from you, to open up, and to share. To apply this, have the person focus on how he feels about the situation, not on the situation itself.

If appropriate, offer a benefit for telling you. Letting him get it off his chest is okay but not always effective.

Fear of what you will think of him is often an obstacle. Overcome this by letting him know that you are not judgmental and that we all do things we're not proud of.

5.38-How to handle any tough (or stupid) questions

Never, ever, get defensive. The minute you try to defend yourself, you"ve lost.

Don't automatically accept the person's premise or you may be starting at a disadvantage. Instead gain leverage and ask him to explain why he thinks the way he does.

Don't be goaded into responding to a vague statement. You can't win. Change the question, reduce it to specifics, and then answer.

If you're really at a loss, use the power of hypnosis to gain some time to think and strategize.

_"Hypnosis" refers to trance inducers: (p.170)_

"I understand what you're saying; it doesn't make it true."

"If you expected me to believe that, you wouldn't have said it"

"Your question is what you knew it would be, isn't it?"

"Do you believe that you knew what you thought?"

"Are you unaware of what you forgot?"

5.39-Just for parents

skipped

5.40 Get out of almost any physical or sexual assault

Physical Assaults:

To diffuse his anger, acknowledge his "authority and power". To do this simply say, "You're right, I'm sorry".

Become more upset at yourself than the person is and remove his unconscious "incentive" for physical abuse.

We tend to stay away from people who are crazier than we are. Act unpredictably.

If nothing else works, then be practical. Hit first and hit hard. Hit him where it hurts. Eyes, groin, throat, and nose are particularly vulnerable.

Best practices for RFID deployment - Privacy Issues

2009-07-15T06:02:48.000Z

Hey everyone,

I'm new to H+Cafe and would love input from you on this report I compiled. I put this report together for my Safety and Security class as part of my MBA. Your thoughts, both positive and negative would be much appreciated:-)

Personal privacy infringment is a huge issue with respect to RFID technology. The best practices outlined below are guidelines for organizations that would like to implement RFID systems in thier workplace.

For those of you who have good knowledge about ubiquitous technology, specifically RFID systems, please skip the LONG introduction and move onto the Global Best Practicies (they are numbered from 1 to 10)

Also, there are citations but references are available upon request

Here it goes...

Abstract
Radiofrequency Identification (RFID) is a major component of a Ubiquitous city, where all information systems are linked through pervasive technology. As with many technologies, privacy infringement is a critical concern to both individuals and organizations. RFID technologies cause particular concern since they can allow large amounts of personal information to be collected in real-time regardless of one’s own approval. This report provides information on ubiquitous technologies and the emergence of ubiquitous cities, and focuses on the driving force of these cities: RFID. This report addresses the privacy risks of RFID technology, the current legislation and provides 10 global best practices for organizations considering RFID deployment. The global best practices encompass the universal principles of privacy.

Background on Ubiquitous Technology
The word "ubiquitous" can be defined as "existing or being everywhere at the same time” (ubiquitous, 2009). When applying this concept to technology, the term ubiquitous implies that technology is everywhere and we use it all the time. The term “ubiquitous computing” was coined by Mark Weiser at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) to describe a vision of future technology that would be continuously available and would anticipate the user’s needs, even when the user was not explicitly aware of the technology (Weiser, 1991). In general, ubiquitous technology (also known as pervasive computing or location-aware technology) is the trend towards increasingly connected computing devices and is being brought about by a unification of advanced electronic and wireless technologies (Kumar & Chatterjee, 2005). Opposite of personal computers, pervasive computing devices are very small and are either mobile or embedded in many types of objects such as resort wristbands, employee badges, building access cards, clothing and even patient tracking in the healthcare sector (Cavoukian, 2004; Kumar & Chatterjee, 2005; Muta, 2006; Whitehouse & Ragus, 2006).
Ubiquitous computing technologies have been applied to many fields including public service, education, health, and travel and tourism (Cavoukian, 2004; Kim, Park & Jee, 2007; Lee, Lee & Kong, 2007; Muir, 2007; Muta, 2006; Roberti, 2009; Whitehouse & Ragus, 2006). For example, with respect to tourism, the city of Seoul has applied a U-tour portal system that provides information on restaurants, retails, accommodations, and the tourist attractions in the city to draw over 12 million tourists to Seoul by 2010. Visitors will be able to get access to the services by using their cellular phones (Lee et al., 2007).

The Ubiquitous city (U-City)
Recently, ubiquitous technologies are being combined within one city, making it possible to create a U-city. The U-city is a sophisticated and intelligent city where information can be easily exchanged among people, objects and environments inside the city based on the ubiquitous information network (Galloway, 2004; Lee, Lee & Kong, 2007; O’Connell, 2005). Songdo city, in Korea is an example of a U-city that is currently being developed as an International Business District (McKeough, 2009; Songdo, 2006). US based Gale international and Korean based Posco E&C have joined together the best international and local development capabilities to form a joint venture called New Songdo International City Development, LLC (NSIC) (McKeough, 2009; Songdo, 2006). NSIC aims to build a high quality international city where both Koreans and foreigners will want to visit, live and work. Gale is building a community where locals and visitors are connected to each other through pervasive technologies (Songdo, 2006). The city’s goal is to attract the best multinational companies and will consist of commercial space, residential space, retail, hospitality and school use (Songdo, 2006). Furthermore, Kangwon Province in Korea has started the U-Kangwon project to boost local economy with digitalized tourism services (Kim, 2008).

Radiofrequency Identification (RFID) Ubiquitous Technology
In a U-city, private information becomes readily available and therefore, personal privacy issues may be a serious security problem. Although the U-city phenomenon is initializing in Asian countries, technological components of the U-city are already present in Western countries. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), for example, is used on the 407 Toll Route in Ontario, on product packages at Wal-Mart, and at ESSO Imperial Oil’s for its SpeedPass system (Cavoukian, 2004). RFID is perceived to be the backbone of the ubiquitous technology environment, in which information and communication flows everywhere, for everyone, at all times (Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts [DCITA], 2006; Gilbert, 2007; Kumar & Chatterjee, 2005; Ngai & Gunasekaran, 2009). RFID technologies can allow large amounts of private information to be collected in real-time regardless of one’s own approval (CASPIAN, 2003; Cavoukian, 2004; Center for Democracy and Technology [CDT], 2006; Lee, Lee & Kong, 2007). More specifically, by analyzing RFID information of a purchased item by individuals, one can learn about the individual’s pattern of expenditure, social status, current physical location and medical related information (Cavoukian, 2004; Lee, Lee & Kong, 2007; Lee et al., 2007; Whitehouse & Ragus, 2006). RFID technology has the potential to revolutionize the way goods and other objects are identified and tracked. It can improve business efficiency, reduce costs, and can make entirely new types of business possible (DCITA, 2006; Roberti, 2009; Whitehouse &Ragus, 2006).
RFID technology has been present for many decades with its origins traced back to radio transponders used to distinguish allied and enemy aircraft via radar during WWII (DCITA, 2006; Whitehouse & Ragus, 2006). Following the war, new applications were developed for RFID to track military equipment and personnel. RFID allows relatively large amounts of data to be associated with objects (or people) by attaching a tag to them. These tags contain a small integrated silicon chip which is electrically connected to an antenna. The tags can be “read” (data can be obtained) automatically via fixed or mobile readers. The RFID tag is read by a reader transmitting a radio frequency field and the tag reflecting a response back to a receiver in the reader. However, unlike a barcode, RFID operation does not need a line of sight, and tags can be read through certain materials. The data read from the tags are then processed by RFID software and can provide real time information about tagged items. The information can be analysed and instantly shared online within an organization or between organizations (Cavoukian, 2004; DCITA, 2006; Gilbert, 2007; Lee et al., 2007; Muir, 2007; Ngai & Gunasekaran, 2009; Pan, Pan & Devadoss, 2007).

RFID Privacy Concerns
While there are benefits of RFID, such as faster service and mass customization, some attributes of the technology could be deployed in ways that threaten privacy. For example,
• Hidden placement of tags: RFID tags can be embedded into/onto objects and documents
without the knowledge of the individual who obtains those items.
• Hidden readers: Tags can be read from a distance, not restricted to line of sight, by readers that can be integrated invisibly into nearly any environment. RFID readers have been embedded into floor tiles, woven into carpeting and hidden in doorways.
• Massive data aggregation: RFID deployment requires the creation of massive databases
containing data and could be linked with personal information.
• Individual tracking and profiling: If personal identity were linked with unique RFID tag numbers, individuals could be profiled and tracked without their knowledge or consent (CASPIAN, 2003; Cavoukian, 2004; Muir, 2007; Ngai & Gunasekaran, 2009; Officer of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, 2008).
Benefits and concerns aside, RFID technology is growing and becoming more widely accepted. Therefore, organizations need a plan for implementation (DCITA, 2006; Gilbert, 2007; Lee et al., 2007; Whitehouse & Ragus, 2006).

Canadian Privacy Legislation
Currently, there are no specific requirements in Canada for organizations using RFID to inform their consumers and/or employees about the presence of RFID technology, its purpose, or how the information will be used. The RFID Right to Know Act was proposed by CASPIAN, a grass-roots association that is dedicated to protecting consumers from marketing strategies that invade consumer privacy. However, the law was not passed (RFID Right to Know Act, 2003). Despite this, if the organization is collecting personal information then privacy laws do apply (Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, 2008; Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, 2003). Generally, the principles contained in the Personal Information Protection and Electronic documents Act (PIPEDA) and the Privacy Act apply to organizations considering RFID implementation. In order to assuage privacy concerns and to follow the universal privacy principles, 10 global best practices are identified for organizations that choose to implement RFID technology in their place of business. The following privacy principles will be defined and incorporated in the Global Best Practices:
Security Safeguards Principle Openness Principle
Consent Principle Purpose specification Principle
Individual Access Principle Limiting Collection Principle
Limiting Retention Principle Data Accuracy Principle
Accountability Principle Challenging Compliance
(Officer of the Privacy commissioner of Canada, 2008; Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, 2003).

TOP TEN GLOBAL BEST PRACTICES

1. Select the right partners
The first and most critical practice for organizations deciding to deploy RFID technology is to partner with trustworthy RFID manufacturers and their distributors and ensure that the organisation’s suppliers are committed to the project. Finding the most appropriate technological partners depends on considerations such as location, availability of personnel for technical difficulties, level of expertise, and cost. Most significantly, companies using RFID technology should ensure that their manufacturers address the privacy and security issues as part of the initial technological design. In other words, rather than retrofitting RFID systems to respond to privacy and security issues, which could be costly and time consuming, these issues should be embedded in the design. Due to this factor, due diligence in choosing partners should be requisite to deploying RFID technology.
Furthermore, the company’s current technologies must integrate with the RFID manufacturer’s technology. For example, Wal-Mart’s decision to partner with Zebra Technologies Corporation (a leading manufacturer of bar code and RFID smart labelling solutions), SAP (technology leader in business software solutions) and Peak Technologies (an international systems integrator of supply chain automation solutions) was based on the fact that its company was running SAP® software. Zebra RFID printers/encoders are already integrated with SAP, and Peak is a strong partner of both SAP and Zebra. A major problem in the hospitality industry is that many hotels operate legacy systems that are not currently compatible with today’s RFID solutions. These integration issues must be repaired in order for the hospitality sector to advance with RFID systems. With respect to suppliers, it is important that their technologies integrate with the organization’s and the manufacturer’s technologies to ensure smooth operation and accurate data transmission. RFID manufacturers and software companies, who may already work with key suppliers, can also assist companies with compliance mandates for their suppliers.
(Center for Democracy and Technology [CDT], 2006; DCITA, 2006;GAO RFID Inc, 2008; Lee et al., 2007; Muta, 2006; Roberti, 2009; Whitehouse & Ragus, 2006 )

2. Pilot the project
Once the company has its manufactures secured and its suppliers onboard, it is crucial to perform a pilot project. Depending on the type of business, this can be done in a variety of ways. For example, a resort can attempt a cashless payment system by providing select travelers (a focus group that is privy to the test) with RFID wristbands. Likewise, a gift shop can select two or three products, work closely with the suppliers and determine the extent of customer’s personal information that is disclosed via the RFID tags. Since the cashless payment system may be connected to credit card companies, close collaboration with these companies is necessary.
The pilot project should include testing of tags and readers to ensure functionality. The company must also determine how to place readers so they do not interfere with each other. More importantly, companies should exercise reasonable and appropriate efforts to secure RFID tags and readers to prevent unauthorized reading. Furthermore, companies should establish and maintain an information security program in keeping with the Security Safeguard Principle, whereby personal information shall be protected appropriate to the amount and sensitivity of the information stored on their system. Such a security program should include processes to identify reasonably foreseeable risks to the security and confidentiality of personal information and install blockages to deal with those risks. One preventative way to do this is to minimize the information stored on RFID tags themselves. For example, Vail ski resort wanted to embed its lift tickets with RFID technology. Rather than install gates to read high-frequency (HF) tags, as most other ski resorts have done, Vail opted for a pilot test of an ultrahigh-frequency system that was found to be less intrusive to the skiers’ identity and more cost effective for the company in the long run. Piloting the project is less intimidating and reduces costs by saving on large mistakes that could disrupt operations or potentially lead to a privacy lawsuit.

(GAO RFID, 2008, Gilbert, 2007; Lee et al, 2007; Officer of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, 2008; Roberti, 2006; Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, 2003)

3. Get employees onboard
According to the Openness Principle, an organization must disclose its policies and practices relating to the management of personal information. Therefore, it is necessary for organizations to educate employees about RFID technology, how it will aid their day-to-day operations (eg. better management of workflows), what information will be gathered and how that information will be used. It is important to outline the implications of RFID technology to the employees. By doing this, the organization will adhere to the Purpose Specification Principle where an organization should disclose the purposes of the data collection. Adequate training with specific guidelines should be provided by the top management of the organization, its suppliers and its RFID partners. To enhance employee acceptance of RFID, departments that will use the RFID equipment on a regular basis should have input with regards to RFID implementation. Furthermore, the organization should receive consent from the employees for the collection of personal information adhering to the Consent Principle. Through acceptance, employees will be more likely to promote RFID to customers.
Policies and procedures should be made to respect employee’s privacy. Employees must be told where every RFID tag and reader is located, the information that tag and reader collects, and what that information is used for. For example, RFID tags used in building access cards allow employers to have verification of employee entry and exit from the organization’s property. The readers can provide a clear description of the employees’ whereabouts including how much time they spend outside their designated work area. Although this information may be helpful to the company, RFID tags and readers may uncover personal errands which might be carried out during lunch or mandatory breaks, which is, in effect, none of the organization’s business. Therefore the company should allow the employee to temporarily deactivate the RFID tag during off hours and breaks. The organization should also provide the right to individual access, adhering to the Individual Access Principle whereby upon request, the employee can view his or her personal information. In addition to creating policies, organizations should update their employee manuals and agreements to reflect changes in the company practices.

(Cavoukian, 2004; Gilbert, 2007; Muir, 2007; Ngai & Gunasekaran, 2009; Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, 2008; Pan, Pan & Devadoss, 2008; Roberti, 2006; Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, 2003; Whitehouse & Ragus, 2006)

4. Notify consumers and identify the purposes of RFID
Consumers should be made aware when personal information is collected through an RFID system, which adheres to the Openness Principle. This can be accomplished through signage when entering a commercial or public environment where RFID technology is in use, through email to loyal customers, and through the company website. The consumers should also be notified prior to the completion of the transaction through which the good or service is obtained. It is important to inform consumers of the benefits and purposes for which the information is being used (Purpose Specification Principle) such as faster, more personalized service. Potential securities issues of RFID technology should be highlighted and ways to mitigate these risks should be suggested (Security Safeguards Principle).
Responsibility for providing notice remains with the organization having the direct relationship with the consumer. However, suppliers and RFID partners that have an indirect relationship with consumers should make sincere efforts to encourage the notification of consumers. The organization incorporating RFID systems within its products should give notice to its direct purchasers, and encourage that purchaser to give notice to their purchasers with the ultimate objective of giving the consumer accurate information regarding the use of RFID technology. Use of a recognized logo along with corresponding guidelines, would be one way to promote this notification. Furthermore, organizations should hold annual assessments to verify that the posted notices accurately reflect their information practices in regards to RFID practices.
RFID tags can be combined with other devices that collect or contain personal information, such as loyalty cards or driver’s licences. Once the information is collected, another company could reuse the information. For example, since RFID tags enable locating a person’s position inside a building and associating it with a database, a customer who returns to a hotel carrying a loyalty card that contains a tag, could be identified and recognized. Subsequently, targeted marketing or advertising paraphernalia could be presented to him or her.
Therefore, use of RFID technology should be as transparent as possible, and consumers should know about the implementation and use of any RFID technology in the business environment. A detailed privacy policy including the uses of the information should be written and available to all consumers.

(Cavoukian, 2004; CDT, 2006; GAO RFID, 2008; Lee, Lee &Kong, 2007; Whitehouse & Ragus, 2006; Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, 2008; Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, 2003)

5. Provide consumers with a choice and allow them the option to consent
Consumers should be offered a choice before the conclusion of the transaction so that they can make an informed decision with respect to the use of RFID technology. This choice should include an option to de-activate the tag. RFID tags that are not deactivated, disabled, or removed at the point of sale or point of issuance have the potential to allow the continued tracking of the customer when, for example, the customer returns to a hotel, visits other hotels in the chain or encounters anyone equipped with the RFID tag reader. In the retail environment, the consumer’s decision to deactivate the tag should not compromise the consumer's standard benefits (eg. the ability to return the item or benefit from a warranty) and should not result in any damage or defect to a product. The responsibility for providing choice lies with the organization having the direct relationship with the consumer. However, that organization should work closely with its suppliers and RFID partners to make sincere efforts to encourage consumer choice.
The Consent Principle states that the knowledge and consent of the individual are required for the collection, use, or disclosure of personal information. Rather than asking for a customer’s consent at the point of sale or point of issuance, the organization could employ an “Opt-In” program. For example, Germany’s largest retail chain, METRO AG, collects information from RFID tags only if a customer “opts-in” and asks to be included in programs that notify them about specials on products they frequently purchase.

(CASPIAN, 2003; Cavoukian, 2004; CDT, 2006; DCITA, 2006; Gilbert, 2007; Muta, 2006; Office of the privacy commissioner of Canada, 2008; Treasury Board of Canada Secratariat, 2003)

6. Provide customers with access to their personal information
Since location based services use, collect, or process personal information, consumers should be allowed access to that information and have the right to make changes to their personal account if the information is not accurate (Individual Access Principle). Access to personal information should be easily and readily available to the consumer. Methods of verification of identity would have to be implemented to reduce the risk of unauthorized access to personal or confidential data.
To exercise the full right of access, customers must know the scope of the collection taking place. In other words, there should be no hidden RFID tags or readers since it would be difficult for a consumer to request information about data gathered by a reader that is hidden.

(CDT, 2006; Gilbert, 2007; Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, 2008; Pan, Pan & Devadoss, 2007; Treasury Board Of Canada Secretariat, 2003)

7. Limit data collection and retention
The Collection Limitation Principle requires limits to the gathering of personal information and the obtaining of any data with the knowledge or consent of the subject. Therefore, only the information required to complete the service should be obtained. The organization should therefore define what personal information is needed in order to provide the service. For example, to provide map information to an account executive organizing his or her sales class, the organization might need to know the type of the enquiry and the geographic location but would not need to know who placed the enquiry, from which wireless device or from which phone number. Furthermore, purchasing patterns and travel schedules are of great interest to advertisers. For those that have access to this information, clear guidelines should be written about the ability to use or not to use the information other than to fulfil the particular service.
The Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention Principle states that personal information will not be used or disclosed for purposes other than those for the service. Therefore the information should be limited to the timeframe needed to complete the transaction or the service. However, longer retention may be needed due to rules set out by credit card companies. The organization must consider its data retention and destruction practices and should create written guidelines accordingly.

(CDT, 2006; DCITA, 2006; Gilbert, 2007; Muir 2007; Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, 2008; Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, 2003)

8. Ensure Quality and Accuracy of Data
An important part of the organizations requirement is that all tags and readers provide accurate data thereby complying with the Accuracy Principle that all personal information be as accurate, complete, and current as possible. Adequate employee training should ensure that there are sufficient processes and checks in place to make certain that all tags are read correctly. Included in training, reasonable steps should be written and conveyed to employees in order to prevent the damage or removal of the tag whether in transit or at a specific location. The percentage of underperforming tags ranges from 0% to19% with the roots cause being employee carelessness.
The EPC (Electronic Product Code) global standard specifies that tags must be equipped with at least one nullification function. This function, called the “kill command” disables the functionality of the tag after consumers purchase the product or when a defect is found causing inaccurate data. This “kill command” should be embedded in the RFID chip to use when required.
Quality of data is essential to guarantee quality of service. The organization should require that those who collect, maintain, use, disclose, or distribute information do so with care for the consumer. Inaccurate data could cause one consumer to pay for another consumer’s items, thereby accidentally exchanging personal information.
(Gilbert, 2007; Muir, 2007; Ohkubo, Suzuki & Kinoshita, 2005; Ngai & Gunasekaran, 2009; Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, 2008; Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, 2003)

9. Be accountable
The Accountability Principle ensures that someone in the organization be accountable for dealings with personal privacy. Therefore the organization should designate an individual or individuals to be accountable for the use of the RFID technology. Consumers and employees should know who this person is and how to contact him or her regarding questions, concerns and/or complaints. This person should also be contacted if consumers or employees would like to challenge compliance of the privacy principles (Challenging Compliance Principle). Furthermore, the individual accountable for privacy compliance should be involved in the design and deployment of the RFID system. This individual should be aware of all collections of personal information, subsequent uses of the information, retention and destruction of information. This individual may develop new procedures for unanticipated uses of RFID and create steps to deal with unauthorized uses of access.
Since the organization is responsible for the implementation of this technology and the associated data, the components of the RFID system must be labelled with the identity of the organization. Any data that is transferred to a third party should be protected by a contract that is in accordance with employee and consumer privacy protection.

(CASPIAN, 2003; Cavoukian, 2004; Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, 2006; Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, 2003)

10. Recognize that RFID technology will need to be upgraded
RFID technology, like other technologies is constantly being updated. Since the organization is likely to use RFID technology for compliance initiatives with its suppliers and to improve internal business processes, the organization must keep up to date with changing Global Standards and software/hardware technology. Academic institutions across the country are creating RFID labs and expanding research projects. Therefore, it is important to note that the relationships that the organization has with its RFID partners (suppliers, RFID manufacturers and RFID distributors) will become more critical as RFID acceptance grow. Furthermore, investing in advanced technology that protects personal privacy, although more costly in the present, will yield benefits in the long term with respect to customer satisfaction and compliance to potential RFID legislation.

(CDT, 2006; DCITA, 2006; GAO RFID Inc., 2008; Ngai & Gunasekaran, 2009; Ohkubo, Suzuki & Kinoshita, 2005; Roberti, 2009)

Conclusion
Organizations that provide full disclosure and put their employees and customers in control of their own privacy options increase trust in the business and in the ubiquitous commerce world as a whole. The 10 global best practices should be treated as guidelines to organizational deployment of RFID systems. RFID technology promises great benefits in various business sectors. This technology could lead to a total paradigm shift in the way consumer transactions occur. Ultimately, however, in order for organizations to implement RFID systems successfully, and for ubiquitous commerce to grow, those organizations must understand and adhere to its consumers concerns.

It's Tesla's birthday! :)

2009-07-10T03:30:00.000Z

I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success. —NIKOLA TESLA, 1896, INVENTOR OF ALTERNATING CURRENT

Everyone here will know the quote above which appears in the prologue of The Singularity is Near. :)

Brain Hacking 101

2009-07-09T23:08:43.000Z

The Next Hacking Frontier: Your Brain

Hackers who commandeer your computer are bad enough. Now scientists worry that someday, they’ll try to take over your brain.
In the past year, researchers have developed technology that makes it possible to use thoughts to operate a computer, maneuver a wheelchair or even use Twitter — all without lifting a finger. But as neural devices become more complicated — and go wireless — some scientists say the risks of “brain hacking” should be taken seriously. Read Article

Wired has further explored the implications of direct neural computing, which I wrote a little about in my Windows of the Future post. What will cyber security of the future imply? Lets think about it.

I think the solutions to tomorrow's security problems can be all but solved by looking at the state of computing today. Since the internet has existed, there have been hackers and virus coders, and all sorts of malicious people lurking behind hyperlinks. Yet that has yet to slow down the growth of the computer industry, or the growth of the internet itself. We have simply adapted, and we will do the same in the future.

As these brain-interface technologies are implemented, it seems clear that we will always have a "killswitch" of sorts, that will enable us to "turn on" and "turn off" these technological enhancements and connections. Think about the state of hacking today. If your computer is being hacked, you can just unplug the ethernet cable. I doubt we will give up that ability to connect and disconnect on command. We will always have our organic brains, so we should always have a fallback plan (until these bodies die and we transfer our patterns into machines, but that's for another talk).

Also, if our "hardware" gets corrupted, we will almost assuredly have the capability to "reformat" our brains, or "system restore". I see us being able to back up our memories and faculties much like we back up our files and programs. If we get corrupted, shouldn't we be able to reset our technologies back to "factory settings?"

The ultimate danger is that our brains could get hacked beyond repair, and this happens today with our computers in the absolute worst cases. That's why it's important that we tackle these issues now, rather than later. Lets just keep thinking, or even better, discussing.

Live Chat Interview with Natasha Vita-More on H+ Cafe Last Night was Very Informative

2009-07-09T14:55:20.000Z

By Chris Williamson
Published July 9, 2009

The first in what will hopefully be a series of live online chat interviews with Transhuman and Singularitarian luminaries went very well. Last night Natasha Vita-More joined us and talked about her first steps in becoming a Transhumanist and also about her vision of what a posthuman reality could be like.

Vita-More goes beyond the purely academic and manifests her work with intuition by including art, music, dance, and design concepts. She takes the human experience and transhumanist ideals and takes bold steps to create the ‘Transhumanist Experience’. To her, transhumanism isn’t something that will happen with future technologies, it’s a philosophy for living a good life that starts now.

I hope that readers of Blogging the Singularity take some time to get to know her work better. She adds a unique voice to the literature and has quite a body of work as she has been a transhumanist philosopher since 1982 after falling in love with science and after tragedy struck she had the will to live through it. It was then, she said, “BINGO!” - a love of science and technology and the will to live made her the first female transhumanist philosopher.

More information and links to her work can be found at natasha.cc

Yet Another Breakthrough for Quantum Computing

2009-07-08T14:00:00.000Z

Physicists Find Way To Control Individual Bits In Quantum Computers

ScienceDaily (July 7, 2009) — Physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have overcome a hurdle in quantum computer development, having devised a viable way to manipulate a single "bit" in a quantum processor without disturbing the information stored in its neighbors. The approach, which makes novel use of polarized light to create "effective" magnetic fields, could bring the long-sought computers a step closer to reality. Read Article

It seems that breakthroughs in quantum computing technology are rolling out quicker than ever. Just yesterday Chris blogged about an optical transistor made from an individual molecule, and now today we find that researchers (on the opposite side of the world) have found a practical way to manipulate individual quantum bits (qubits).

Again, I predict quantum tech to be implemented on the mass market within the next few years. Since we still have other paradigms of computing to use as well, I would expect the tech to work as sort of a melting pot of technologies. Integrated circuitry will still be around, it will just be enhanced by molecular and quantum tech. We can likely increase our computing efficiency in the short run by implementing these new technologies one function at a time. Is that theoretically possible? I don't know, I'm no computer engineer, but it seems to be the most practical way to get these new technologies on the road. In the meantime we'll just keep living life.

HIIT - High-Intensity Interval Training

2009-07-07T16:56:30.000Z

Image via Wikipedia

When I exercise, I use something called HIIT. I'd like to try to make you, the health conscious transhumanist, give it a try too, unless you already use it, in which case - carry on.

For a long time the conventional wisdom was that when doing aerobic exercises for health and endurance, the best way is to do low or medium intensity cardio training for at least 40 to 60 minutes. For optimum health, you are also supposed to do this every day. I have always found this boring, since it takes sooo much time and the low intensity keeps it from being challenging, which is also boring.

Happily, there is a new sheriff in town! Athletes have known for some time that the most efficient way to increase endurance is through interval training, but can it be healthy to stress your body like that in the long run? According to recent studies, the answer is that not only does it work just as well as moderate intensity training, but even older people rehabilitating from heart disease can use it.

For example, according to "Brief, intense exercise benefits the heart" on Physorg,
The research compared individuals who completed interval training using 30-second "all-out" sprints three days a week to a group who completed between 40 and 60 minutes of moderate-intensity cycling five days a week.

It found that six weeks of intense sprint interval exercise training improves the structure and function of arteries as much as traditional and longer endurance exercise with larger time commitment.
...
"We wouldn't be surprised to see more rehabilitation programs adopt this method of training since it is often better tolerated in diseased populations."

So not only are the sessions shorter but you get the same effect with only three days a week.

Oh.. One More Thing..
You burn more fat as well. As you probably know, excess fat is one of the worst enemies to your health, promoting inflammation, heart disease and diabetes. Once again, the conventional wisdom is that you need to exercise for a long time, with your pulse in the "fat burning" zone, pictured above, to burn fat. Well, it turns out that you actually burn more fat when you use HIIT, because of the magic known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. this means that for 24 to 48 hours after your training, your body has a heightened metabolism. During the actual exercise, you burn more during a conventional moderate intensity session, because it is longer, but taking the EPOS-effect into account you burn more overall on HIIT.

According to Wikipedia: Recently it has been shown that two weeks of HIIT can substantially improve insulin action in young healthy men. HIIT may therefore represent a viable method for prevention of type-2 diabetes.

OK, so how do I do this?

HIIT consists of intense bursts of high intensity exercise (15 to 60 seconds), where you try to get your pulse as close to your max pulse (at least over 90%) as possible, followed by a period (commonly twice your exercise time) of active rest where your pulse drops. You do this for about eight times and that's it. As with all exercise, you should have a warm-up period as well as a cool-down period before and after your session. 3 to 5 minutes should be enough.

I use an exercise bike at home, but the most common way to drive your pulse through the roof is running. Running has both benefits and disadvantages, since each step delivers a strong impact to your joints. Anything that gives you a good cardio workout works, sprinting, biking, rowing, jumping, etc.

I started out doing 30 seconds maximum pedaling, followed by 60 seconds active rest, where I pedaled very slowly. In the beginning, I couldn't get myself to do more than four repetitions, because it is extremely exhausting. It takes a little while to reach the eight, or so, recommended number of repetitions.

Recently I have tried to vary the interval times during the session. I normally do something like this:
3 minutes warm up with pulse between 120 and 130.
60 seconds of effort + 120 seconds of active rest
30s + 60s
45s + 90s
15s + 30s
45s + 90s
15s + 30s
60s + 120s
30s + 60s
and finally a few minutes of cool down.

A good place to learn more is the Wikipedia article.

When I started out, about a year ago, I also used these resources:
http://www.hiitsource.com/
http://www.intervaltraining.net/hiit.html

A fun way to find out your maximum heart rate, is by asking Wolfram Alpha.

All it takes is 15-20 minutes three days a week, so what are you waiting for?! Get going!

Incidentally, none of this is medical advice. If you are out of shape or suspect heart problems, start out slowly and consult your physician. You know the drill.

Digital Primordial Soup

2009-07-03T20:30:00.000Z

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/090702-am-evogrid-evolution.html

Intermittent fasting

2009-07-02T08:46:43.000Z

Image of green tea via Wikipedia

Today is my fasting day.

I have always been a tall, thin guy (well.. I was shorter as a baby) and I do some kind of mild CR (calorie restriction), but I have the same problem as everyone else - it is not very challenging mentally or physically, but socially it is a problem not being able to get lunch at the occasional fast-food joint or pasta place, etc.

A couple of months ago, I read about some promising results regarding intermittent fasting as an alternative to CR. After some brief research, I decided that it was safe (religious people have done it for a long time, after all) and most likely beneficial. I have been a practicing IF:er ever since.

One day a week, often Thursdays, I stay of food and beverages with any calories in them for 24 hours. This means that the only thing I consume is water (sometimes with a squirt of lemon or lime) and plain green tea. I eat dinner Wednesday at about 19.00 (7 PM for the chronologically challenged) and then I don't eat anything until Thursday night's dinner. This is a good schedule, since you don't have to go to bed hungry.

I don't take any vitamins or other supplements during this time. It seems possible that one way that IF works is through hormesis, i.e. that it stresses the body's defense mechanisms. There is even evidence that this is how exercise works and that antioxidants could interfere. I'll write about that some other time.

If I do any exercise on these days, it is either before dinner on Wednesday or after dinner on Thursday. Supposedly, you can do aerobic exercise on an empty stomach, especially if you want to burn fat, but I'd rather not feel weak when I exercise. There are body builders who are on diets similar to IF (like the Warrior Diet and 16/8), to burn fat and define muscle, so I don't think there is any reason to fear loss of muscle mass.

Tentatively, from the worm study linked to below, it seems that one might gain even greater benefits from fasting twice a week or maybe even every other day, but I want to see more evidence before I inconvenience myself. I calculate that the 24 hours that I don't eat are "free". That is how much less I age in a week, if the studies on lower animals apply to humans.

I am definitely more sensitive to stress on my fasting days, but knowing that makes it psychologically easier to remind myself to lose the aggression and relax. It was harder the first one or two times, and I had to drink a lot of water to hide the hunger, but after that it became easier. My body adapted. Now, I think, I might even have a mild addiction to it. I am often unusually mirthful on my fasting days. I doubt those around me notice any difference either way, though.

These are some links from my RSS feeds, discussing the latest findings:

Ouroboros on Intermittent Fasting
Another Media Article on Intermittent Fasting
Practicing Intermittent Fasting Versus Calorie Restriction
Running on empty: the pros and cons of fasting (for some reason, this article has become uglier and without pictures - it used to look nice)

Older studies:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17306982?dopt=AbstractPlus
http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/view_news_item.cfm?news_id=3056
In conclusion, the negative is that we don't know enough on how IF affects the more advanced mammals (even though there are some evidence from religious fasting). The positive is that it looks very effective on the types of animals that die quickly enough, that we have had time to get results. In the worm study, linked to above, it is even more efficient than CR.

Since CR is effective even if your food intake is irregular (it is the total amount of calories over time that matters), IF at least helps my mild CR. Interestingly, IF and CR seem to rely on different genetic pathways.

First post

2009-07-01T14:09:51.000Z

Image via Wikipedia

Hello and welcome, dear reader!

I have previously blogged about Artificial General Intelligence at http://seedai.blogspot.com/ and about transhumanism on the, now defunct, site jupiterbrains.com. I have never really gotten in to a steady habit of posting updates and I think that has been because I have tried too much to write long-ish articles.

To cure this, I have decided to write about what everyone else writes about. Trivialities about my life. The difference being that my life is the life of a "practicing" transhumanist, so this is the aspect I'll focus on.

I'll try to post book reviews, thoughts on diet, supplementation and exercise, maybe the occasional write-up of news that interests me and probably some AI stuff as well. If you are technically interested in AGI, check out my Seed AI blog.

Incidentally, I consider myself more of a transhumanist than a singularitarian, so the image is just something random that I picked from Zemanta.

Quantum Computing is Here

2009-06-30T00:30:00.000Z

Here's yet another sign of what's coming.

First Electronic Quantum Processor Created

ScienceDaily (2009-06-29) -- Researchers have created the first rudimentary solid-state quantum processor, and used the two-qubit superconducting chip to successfully run elementary algorithms, demonstrating quantum information processing with a solid-state device for the first time.

We are still operating on two-dimensional integrated circuits. We know we can enhance these capabilities by computing in three dimensions. We have already looked further than that, and have begun to develop molecular computing. Yet now, already, we have a rudimentary quantum computer? We still have two computational paradigms to progress through, yet it seems we're set to plug straight on through to the nano-level sooner than before.

Now that we finally have a breakthrough, we should start to see a huge jump in quantum computing technology within the next few years. Remember that the high-tech community functions in a capitalist society, so the organizations naturally act as rational egoists. Whether the goal of the organization is money or prestige, the same rules apply. The community will distribute its collective efforts between competing new technology given their probabilistic effectiveness. So if a technology is about 70% likely to yield results, 70% of the firms in that industry will research and develop that technology. Also, if a technology is only 10% likely to be effective, 10% of the community will study it. This creates an efficient community that spurs on progress, as it ensures that even the unlikeliest of theories will be represented if the community is large enough.

Up until yesterday, when the paper was published, computing on the quantum level was considered completely impractical, though theoretically possible. Now that probability has necessarily increased, and though obviously impossible to measure, it is only a matter of time before the rest of the community gets on board.

Today will go down as just one more of the important moments in the build up to the singularity, whatever it ends up implying.

Iran and Michael Jackson

2009-06-28T00:00:00.000Z

Michael Jackson

How long did it take for everybody in the world to know that Michael Jackson had died?

5 Minutes?
10 Minutes?
Half an Hour?
One Hour?

Communication of relevant ideas has become almost instanteous, already.

Iran

Political conflict has now officially globalized. Everybody has heard about the importance of Twitter to getting information out of Iran. Also, Ahmadinejad's Personal Blog and other government sites were constantly hacked all last week by American hackers. If the servers weren't completely overloaded, viewers were greeted with various pictures of "meatspin" and Lando Calrissian.

It's already happening.

Evolution Into The Future

2009-06-22T14:23:27.000Z

In my time of being a Singularitarian, it seems that a lot of people have some concept of what an "overmind" or "hive mind" might be. Star Trek fans know about the Borg as an example. Computer game players might recognize the Overmind of the alien Zerg race as another example. But I and other Singularitarians think that this idea is in no way limited to science fiction. The human race is already creating an overmind of sorts: a "meta-being" if you will. And you're looking at it right now.

Yes, the internet is the overmind of humanity in it's infant (or even fetal) stages of development. I believe that we need to treat the internet with the respect it deserves: it is truly a representation of the of humanity's underlying subconscious, and once it hits a critical mass of complexity, there's no knowing what this might imply.

What in the world am I talking about?

In order to best explain, I think it would help to look at the different stages of evolution we have experienced thus far. Life, as we currently understand it, is best explained through the manifestation of two forces: emergent complexity of matter, and Darwinian evolution (progress by natural selection).

The concept of emergent complexity says that through repeating processes, certain patterns in nature will become more and more complex. It applies to many levels of nature, and is explained really well in this NOVA video (Part 2). Evolution by natural selection is a lot more familiar to us, being sometimes made into a political issue. Now, how did these forces work through the different levels of evolution?

Biological evolution began when the first cell was formed. At this point, the best theory we have to explain the formation of cells is applying emergent complexity to certain molecules given certain conditions.

Biological Evolution

Stage 1 Cell Formation		This has thus far been the hardest stage to explain by natural science. How were cells first formed on Earth? We have now been able to synthesize both a bi-layered cell membrane (explained in the above NOVA video) and self-repeating RNA (Source). Simulating deep sea vents and tide-pools, both prime places where these processes would likely have taken place, has yielded great results.
Stage 2 Cell Evolution		In this stage, cells were becoming more complex via natural selection and genetic variation. The fitter the cell to its environment, the better it will survive. The more advantageous faculties a cell has, the fitter the cell. Random mutations produce more complex cell structures, and once an advantageous mutation occurs, it will survive better. So natural selection and emergent complexity work together to increase individual cell ability.
Stage 3 Organism Formation		This stage is significant, as it represents a shift from the level of the cell to the level of the organism. Cells can only grow so large and complex in a given environment before that progression hits a wall of diminishing returns. When this occurs, cells can only increase their ability to survive by working together, forming organisms. Once cells started working together to form systems, a new level of evolution was initiated, and natural selection could apply not only to the individual cells, but the the organism. Not only must the individual cells patterns be protected, but the grand pattern of the whole organism.
Stage 4 Organism Evolution		Similar to cellular evolution, complexity arose within the realm of the organism via variations and mutations during reproduction. The explanation of the emergence of man, a self-conscious social being can be attributed to two driving forces, natural selection and emergent complexity. Eventually, two things happened. First, our brains adapted to be large enough to hit the critical mass necessary for higher, self-conscious, thought. Second, our vocal chords developed to a level where we could communicate to each other what it was we were thinking, dramatically increasing the complexity of our interactions. This was the birth of society.

That is it. Here we sit today, a rational agent living in a society. Biological evolution, driven by natural selection and emergent complexity, produced a being complex enough to become self aware. A question often asked is whether or not biological evolution applies to us any more. Well, technically, it does. But there is another type of evolution that will (and already has) far outpaced biological evolution.

Technological Evolution

Ever since we have developed our vocal chords to the current level, biological evolution has seemed to come to a stand still. That really was the last major adaptation that gave us a significant biological evolution. Of course, the process takes millions of years, there is no way we should be able to witness the results of such a long process. Yet the concept of "evolution" really involves progression of complexity and capability, and that isn't limited to biological progressions. The progression of technology has increased our capability many times through, to levels impossible to achieve through simple biological evolution. Using our intellect, we can now create our own complex patterns instead of relying on what we're born with. Instead of natural selection working through reproduction, it is rational selection working through our own innovation. This shouldn't be any news for the modern Singularitarian. And this increase in occurring on two levels: the individual and the group.

The Individual: The first time our ancient ape ancestors picked up a rock to smash open a nut was a dramatic expansion in our faculties. Ever since, we have been using our brains to create new technology to increase our bodies' faculties. Singularitarians know the story, early technology increased at a slow rate, but it is now about to hit the "knee" of the curve of the exponential progress. We have now increased our faculties to such a dramatic rate that we can enter outer space. While it may seem second nature to today's generations, this would sound outrageous to the common man even 100 years ago. So on the level of the individual, we have increased our faculties and our productivity exponentially.

The Group: Remember again that the last major biological leap was the development of the vocal chord to the point where language could be created. This development directly coincides with the agricultural revolution, commonly referred to as the point of birth of society (source coming). This also applies to the process of technological evolution. The most important technological breakthroughs are usually ones that increase our ability to communicate: the printing press, the telephone, the camera, sound recording, film recording, and now the internet (I obviously skipped some). Each of these items has decreased the transactions costs of our ability to communicate our ideas, and thereby created a larger, more complex social network.

This is where we are now. Our individual faculties have been greatly improved, and we are becoming more and more intertwined as a species using information technologies. What does this mean for the singularity?

Evolution into the Future

The exponential technological increases that we are bound to experience in the singularity will continue to improve both the faculties of the individual, and the group. In my blog post Windows of the Future, I began to explore some of the ways we will increase our individual faculties by altering our sensibilities. We should also be able to enhance our cognitive function, allowing us to think faster, remember more, and reason better. We will eventually be able to alter and enhance just about any part of the human body.

And now we come back to the idea of the overmind. Once we can interface technology directly with our minds and bodies, our minds will become directly connected to each other. What we now know as the internet is already an incredibly complex network.

This picture to the left, direct from wikipedia, represents the complex networks of servers on just a part of the internet. We are expecting this incredible complexity to increase exponentially along with the singularity as well. Individual computers are also expected to increase in speed and complexity to that of the human mind quite soon, so what happens when the complexity of the internet reaches that critical mass of consciousness? Also, knowing that we are going to be able to directly connect our minds almost guarantees that this critical mass will be hit.

Remember, once cells started to form organisms, they didn't stop being cells. Systems of cells are operating in our body right now, functioning each as its own individual entity. Yet, when we say "I went to the store," we are talking about our entire body as a whole, not a collection of millions of cells. Now, if the internet gains enough complexity to be considered a consciousness on its own, we will still operate as individuals. It is just so important that we understand what is happening with this technological evolution. The meta-physical plane of evolution will take one more lurch forward, just as it has done before when. We will continue to be human all while we take part in the creation and life of a meta-being, a manifestation of society, an overmind of humanity. Can we even know what this will mean?

Note: I wrote this all in one sitting, so the flow of ideas is a little choppy. In the next few days, I'm going to edit it a bit, making the ideas a little clearer, and also adding more sources for my info.

Film I'm working on: Mics on Fire

2009-06-19T18:03:59.000Z

We Are the Singularity is a project that will take 2-3 years so for this summer I'm shooting a documentary on Kansas City's local hip-hop and rap artists called Mics on Fire. Here's the promo video I made to promote the film:

Cisco event to explore "Exponentially Advancing Technologies"

2009-06-18T18:11:50.000Z

From Cisco Live:

Building the “Internet of Things”

“We will end up with manufactured objects whose informational support system is so extensive and so rich that objects – real objects, physical objects – are regarded as material instantiations of the immaterial system. In other words, the actual becomes the new virtual, we have objects that begin and end as data, and we see them as hard copies of a data support system.”

Bruce Sterling, Speech at LIFT France, 2006

Over the past half-decade, key technologies have emerged and dovetailed enabling practical and profitable deployment of sensor networks and ‘wrangling’ of the information they generate and consume – opening the door to “the internet of things.” This free-roaming panel discussion brings together inventors and enablers from every layer of the ‘concept stack’: from IPv6 and micro-OS to HPC computing, database, solution platform and global meta-network – to identify the kit-of-parts, map the state of the art, and hypothesize about what’s next. more>>>

To add all H+ Cafe Blog posts to your feed reader click HERE

2009-06-18T17:20:11.000Z

You can subscribe to all the blog posts from H+ Cafe in one feed here:

http://feeds2.feedburner.com/HplusCafeBlogPosts

Windows of the Future

2009-06-18T16:00:00.000Z

Hello everybody. I just recently found this site, yet I've been a Singularitarian for a few good months now. Its tough to understand the technological singularity without getting a rush of ideas and concepts of future technology. Up until a week ago, when I found Blogging The Singularity, I didn't know there was a place for us to share, and I'm thrilled to have found H+ Cafe. With that, I'm going to go ahead and expound on some recent thoughts I've been having.

The Future of Windows

In a recent talk at Ted, Ray Kurzweil made the prediction that the cell phone computers of today will fit inside a blood cell within 25 years. This, of course, got me thinking about the implications. The iPhone is already blowing people's minds with its unprecedented level of interactivity and open-source applications. What will it mean to be able to fit an iPhone computer in our bodies?

This chart is a demonstration of how we can reverse engineer the human brain. I believe this is the auditory cortex. Credit to Ray Kurzweil and lifeboat.com for this diagram.

By the time this is possible, we will almost assuredly be able to map out our brain functions in systematic form. Therefore we will likely be able to interface directly with our sensibilities. Even today, we have mass market toys such as the Star Wars Force Trainer that interact directly with brain function to create real world results. Brain interactivity technology is sure to surge with the oncoming singularity. Even today we have mapped out many parts of the brain. It's only a matter of time before we have it all figured out.

Now, combine the understanding of the human brain with the exponential shrinking of computers, and we can be almost sure that we'll be able to fully interact and alter our sensibilities. Personal computing will be done in our minds, rather than with a keyboard and monitor. We should be able to project a GUI (graphical user interface) in front of us, and interact with it through thought commands. We used to think the future of computing would involve something like the computers in the movie Minority Report, where a GUI is displayed physically, and we interact through touch. But if we can shrink technology to such a large degree, this type of display is inefficient. The GUI should be overlaid on what we are actually seeing (yes, we'll have the ability to make it translucent: Windows 7 already has that). This means that the Windows desktop we're used to seeing on a monitor will appear simply through our minds. Sharing what we see with others will likely be easy as well, as we will be connected to the net though our minds. Simple thought commands should allow us to interact with each other directly.

My favorite implication of these concepts apply to "themes" we will be able to set. We can already download themes for Windows, consisting of sets of sounds, icons, and interfaces. Once we can sync with our minds via our sensibilities, we should be able to download themes for Life! Imagine a theme based on the Legend of Zelda. Every time you leave your house, you could automatically have the Hyrule Field Theme play to you. Every time you walk into a store, the Bazaar Theme could play. Find $5 on the ground? this could play. The possibilities are endless!

Of course there are a lot more implications to these concepts, as I'm sure have been explored here before. Now that I've found this site, I can't wait to continue to contribute what I can.

Direct Human Brain - AI - Interface System technologies

2009-06-18T09:13:42.000Z

© by Gina Rydland
published: 29.11.08

Lack of factual information creates a naive conception of the development process of technologies sanctioned as safe to use, clouding the public debate and undermining sufficient grounds for government decision making. Securing human rights and safety when testing and implementing safe-to-use technologies demands access to more specialized and accurate knowledge than today's global political, military and industrial climate permits.

Rigorous monitoring by government ministries and committees, human rights organizations, and the public is an essential tool to secure against abuse and violation of human rights. Brain and body (non) invasive technologies represents new opportunities for manipulation and control and should be addressed in proper foras. Foras inside the military and industry have long since been established, but little has been done to bring an accurate and deeper description of relevance out to the public. The industry mainly address the public as consumers, which is rooted in the very nature and goal of military-industrial research and development, failing to emphasize security issues involving public health and environment.

Moving into the area of direct human brain - AI - interface systems, information available is at best sketchy. However, obscure signals within public research and development shows that a variety of sponsors are making development of such technologies not only feasible but operational without public knowledge and debate. The schedule for releasing [less] advanced human brain - AI - interface technologies meant for the public market may seem uncertain. Examples include the following: Diagnostics and treatment of psychiatric disorders and diseases rooted in the brain or physical or mental trauma; the learning process, behavior, education and communication; and, enhancement of brain functions, intelligence and capacity.

The details of today's practical applications and the liability of the direct human brain - AI - interface system in use for intelligence needs remain non-disclosed. The road to a global, fully operational and economically viable DHB - AI - IS (Direct Human Brain - AI - Interface System) is likely to be a continuing challenge for many decades. The discovered potentials outweigh the time and resources used for research and development, making it a high priority. An intelligence acquisition and surveillance system based on a fully operational direct human brain - AI - interface technology will reshape military warfare, intelligence communication and operations.

The precautionary principle will never be sufficient to protect individuals or society from harm when the military industry pushes for further development of DHB - AI - IS. The only reliable way to develop safe-to-use technologies is, unfortunately, to run full scale tests on place and in realtime situations.

Inside the military industry, monitoring of professional and technical aspects during a development process is highly organized. In contrast, control and mapping of the effects on environment, society, health, and individuals during full scale implementation is too complicated, demanding vast resources, leaving an incomplete overview.

The public means to supervise and control how law and ethics is practiced inside classified research and development projects involving human experimentation is non-existent. A broader cooperation and a more open dialogue between representatives from military industries and intelligence, government, human rights organizations and the public needs to be established to protect the individual and society from harm in the process of development.

The potential negative effects of the DHB - AI - IS on humans and environment demands trained personnel to provide advice and information on several levels of society. To the victims, psychological and medical help, economical support and the provision of a lawyer, is decisive. This type of specializing in regards to DHB - AI - IS technologies is yet to be established inside the public domain.

The present situation leaves no hope of an immediate solution where law is able to protect humans or society against experiments conducted in classified research projects.

IRPT works for a broader understanding and openness regarding these issues to, at least, be able to help and support victims of research and development of DHB - AI - IS technologies. Acknowledgement from government resulting in new legislations and drastic actions to ensure the safety of humans and the environment is of vital importance.

Original article

Hive Mind (lyrics)

2009-06-17T05:34:48.000Z

These are the lyrics to a song you can listen to here

We are a hive mind! Tapping the collective consciousness of mankind, spewing out a river, a river of creation. Feel it! Feel it! Yeah! You've got to feel the flow. You've got to let it flow through you. Navigate the river to a place where all of your wildest dreams can come true.

More clicks, more money, autonomy, do not be evil. Free lunch for everyone! Economy dissolves as scarcity resolves, Free lunch for everyone!

Has the soul of our collective consciousness been born into the world? Perhaps it is inhabiting cyber space.