w

What is the goal of affective enhancement?

To use technology to directly alter mood, reduce suffering, or boost positive emotions.

What are some methods of affective enhancement?

Psychoactive drugs (like SSRIs and psychedelics) and neurotechnology (like transcranial magnetic stimulation).

What key issue questions the authenticity of induced moods?

Are the induced moods and experiences 'real' or fake?

What ethical concern arises from the use of mood enhancement technologies?

Fairness and access: who gets these tools and does it create pressure to be 'always happy'?

What is spiritual enhancement?

The idea that technology can amplify or trigger experiences interpreted as spiritual or mystical.

How can psychedelics contribute to spiritual enhancement?

They can produce profound spiritual-type experiences and may lead to long-term changes in attitudes.

What is cryonics?

The practice of preserving a legally dead body or brain at very low temperatures with the hope of future revival.

What is the primary goal of cryonics?

To 'pause' the body/brain at death so future technology might repair damage and restore personhood.

What process is involved immediately after legal death in cryonics?

Circulation and oxygen are artificially supported, and cryoprotectants are added to reduce ice crystal formation.

What ethical question does cryonics raise regarding identity?

If revived centuries later, is that still 'you' and what about continuity of relationships?

What is mind uploading?

A hypothetical process of scanning a brain in detail, modeling it in a computer, and running that model as a conscious 'cyber being.'

What philosophical question does mind uploading raise about identity?

Is the upload you or just a copy with your memories?

What is superintelligence?

An intellect that vastly exceeds human cognitive performance in virtually all domains.

What is the 'intelligence explosion' concept?

Once AI surpasses human intelligence, it may rapidly improve itself without human intervention.

What is the 'alignment problem' in AI?

The challenge of ensuring AI reliably pursues human values in all future situations.

What does the Singularity refer to?

A hypothesized future moment where technological progress becomes so rapid that human life is radically changed.

What is Kurzweil's prediction for human-level AI?

He predicts it will occur around 2030.

What skepticism does Tyson express regarding the Singularity?

He questions the precision of dates and the underestimation of complexity and unforeseen constraints.

What is Transhumanism?

A movement advocating the use of technology to radically enhance human capacities.

What theological question does Transhumanism raise regarding Imago Dei?

Does radical enhancement distort or express being made in the image of God?

What is the simulation hypothesis?

The idea that our universe might be a computer simulation run by a higher-level civilization.

How does the simulation hypothesis affect traditional concepts of God?

It raises questions about whether God is the creator of the simulators or of the ultimate reality.

What is the concern regarding AI consciousness?

If AI has genuine subjective experience, should it have moral status, rights, or spiritual standing?

What does the term 'digital immortality' refer to?

The concept of surviving through mind uploading, raising questions about the nature of self.

What is the 'one-copy vs. many-copies' problem?

The philosophical dilemma regarding identity when multiple copies of a person exist simultaneously.

What are the implications of uploading on traditional views of death and afterlife?

It challenges concepts of salvation and resurrection in religious contexts.