Beyond Humanity [Paperback]

Gregory S. Paul (Author), Earl Cox (Author), Paul (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1996

This volume discusses the implications of teaching our computers and robots to think. The authors, a paleontologist and an artificial intelligence guru, team up to present some of the sociological, theological, and scientific issues that we will face in the 21st century. Over 150 years ago Darwin realized that evolutionary change is the driving force in our universe. The text considers how Darwin failed to appreciate how fundamentally the evolution of science and technology will change not only our world, but our very minds - and how soon it may happen.

Product Details

• Paperback: 487 pages
• Publisher: Delmar Thomson Learning (January 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1886801215
• ISBN-13: 978-1886801219
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,546,819 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #58 in Books > Computers & Technology > Computer Science > Artificial Intelligence > Artificial Life
  • #98 in Books > Computers & Technology > Computer Science > Artificial Intelligence > Cybernetics

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars two problems with book., October 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Beyond Humanity (Paperback)

I recommend it as a book that stitches together many various theories into a coherent and entertaining future. Two major faults though stood out while I was reading it.

1. Many of the arguments presented to support hypothetical future scenarios are sloppy. Obvious difficulties are skipped over without mention, many assumptions are made without acknowledgement, and sometimes I wonder about the supporting facts presented. Good techniques for preaching to the converted but will give a meticulous critic a field day.

2. It annoyed me to no end that so many ideas presented in the book are without references. I have read just about every idea presented in this book before but it is rare that the authors credit the appropriate sources. I am not sure if they are lazy in their hard research or if they want to take credit themselves -- either way I am worried.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where are we going?, August 21, 2000

By 

Stephen A. Haines (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Beyond Humanity (Paperback)

Foretelling the future, once the realm of mystics and entrail pullers, is now a subject of serious scientific study. Paul and Cox offer us a rational and plausible scenario of what the future holds for humanity. With backgrounds in biology and computer engineering, they've combined to bring competence to an enduring question: Where are we going? You may not like their view of the road ahead, but it's impossible to ignore their forecast.

Their arguments focus on developments in neurosciences and computing power. They foresee a merger of these two disciplines resulting in the creation of a new humanity capable of engineering new, immortal physical brain carriers - bodies. Bodies themselves, as any gene can verify, are of minor importance. They are in essential agreement with Richard Dawkins that the selfish gene, in replicating itself, casts off the brain/mind of its host and losing whatever that mind has accumulated during its life. Their forecast is that the brain, using cybernetic technologies, will be able to avoid that waste by taking control of what DNA does during its thoughtless replication activity.

This is a momentous proposal, worthy of serious consideration. The so- called 'moral' issues of whether humanity should engage in such activity, aren't shrugged off. Paul and Cox contend that there will be Rejectionists who will refused the option of cyberevolution and remain mortal. They suggest the Rejectionists will remain the chief source of art, music and other more diverse roles in life. We are left unclear as to how diverse the cyberhumans will become. The authors argue that the cyberhumans will be the ones to populate other planets, finding their diversity in response to new environments.

The only real flaw in this book is ignoring the power of DNA in driving our lives and society. Whether we will ever understand the workings of DNA sufficiently to actually create a wide range of individuals remains problematic. The individual who first successfully transforms into a cyberhuman will set a pattern more likely to be repeated than modified. To create discrete cyber-individuals will be tremendously resource extravagant. This is likely lead to a narrow range of available DNA to launch the cyberpopulation. As we have already experienced with the shrinking gene pool of crop seeds, such a reduced variety is highly vulnerable to virus assault. An organism that succeeds in infecting such a limited diversity can quickly wipe out the whole cyberhuman population. Modifying the gene pool to resist such an infestation will take more resources and the Rejectionists will again be successful survivors through their genetic diversity.

This flaw, however powerful, doesn't detract from the significant questions raised and developed in this compelling book. If you wonder about the future, if you think computers are only for entertainment, if you think humans are the logical end of evolution, then buy and read this fascinating book.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read for Serious Thinkers About the Future of Mankind, December 30, 1999

By 

Gregory A. Bonadies (Buford, Georgia) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Beyond Humanity (Paperback)

Paul and Cox present intriguing ideas and insights covering broad territory ranging from cosmology to social commentaries on politics and religion of the late 20th century. The authors focus on what appears to be the likely path for human evolution in the next century. Although Paul and Cox indulge in some heavy-handed treatment of contemporary social and political issues, they snipe equally at all political parties and conventional belief systems without prejudice. They really drop a bomb on religion in general - seems they have some personal ax to grind here. The authors overestimate the intellectual maturity of our species on this issue ignoring the important stabilizing affect of religion in a society recently descended from the trees. Humanity is not ready to cast off the warm blanket of religion and face the cold nausea of a morally inert universe. Overall, an excellent and thought-provoking text that should stimulate a lot of dialog in the future.