Future of Science & Technology Q&A (December 22, 2023)
May 31, 2024
auto_awesome
Computer scientist and entrepreneur, Stephen Wolfram, answers questions about the future of science and technology, discussing topics such as artificial intelligence, memory storage, the potential of Earth becoming a big brain, IoT and 5G technology impact, interaction with AIs via latent space, shooting films in space, and more. The conversation dives into the complexity of human consciousness, information storage differences between humans and robots, behavior of fluids in microgravity, remote tourism, electronic simulation of taste and touch sensations, and the significance of computational thinking in understanding the world.
Increased neural mass may expand human capacity for handling more concepts and vocabulary.
Larger brain size could facilitate processing complex sensory information and reveal new patterns.
Managing systems with intricate APIs poses conceptual challenges in communication between subsystems.
Deep dives
Effects of Increased Neural Mass on Language Processing
The podcast explores the implications of significantly increasing the number of neurons in the human brain, potentially up to a trillion neurons. It questions how this increase may affect human consciousness, linguistic abilities, and the formation of concepts. With humans commonly using around 30 to 50,000 words, the discussion delves into whether a larger neural mass could expand the capacity for handling more concepts and vocabulary.
Sensory Expansion and Data Processing in Super Intelligence
The episode raises the idea of enhanced sensory inputs and data processing capabilities in beings with increased neural mass. It ponders a scenario where organisms could connect to broader sensory inputs, providing access to vast amounts of data. The discussion contemplates how a larger brain size might facilitate processing and understanding complex sensory information, potentially revealing new regularities inaccessible to the human brain.
Orchestration of Subsystems and Communication Limitations
The podcast delves into the organization of complex systems, highlighting the concept of subsystems in systems engineering and biologics. It explores the idea of these subsystems having limited connections to the outside world, similar to human perception's restricted exposure to external stimuli. The discussion touches on the role of communication channels between subsystems and the conceptual challenges that arise when dealing with systems with intricate APIs.
Advancements in Sensor Technology
The future of sensor technology holds the promise of increased self-awareness and situational awareness. Sensors may provide real-time data on various bodily functions, eliminating the need for human interpretation. This could lead to continuous monitoring of vital levels like blood nutrients, offering a new level of proactive health management.
Implications of Cheap Technologies
As technology costs decrease, new applications emerge. For instance, inexpensive Bluetooth tags could be integrated into everyday objects, enabling effortless tracking and management. Moreover, the potential for embedding information in items like food or items for identification purposes presents new possibilities for interconnected and smart environments.
Stephen Wolfram answers questions from his viewers about the future of science and technology as part of an unscripted livestream series, also available on YouTube here: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa
Questions include: What will "prompt engineering" be like if LLMs are super-intelligent? - Maybe language is stopping us to get some ideas because we cannot formulate the idea in our known languages? - Elon yesterday on X was saying how most of our memory is digital now and same will happen with concepts, just stored on some device. - Seems like, for creatures like cuttlefish or octopus where they have the ability to change the shape texture and color of their skin, they must have something "different" going on in their brains, where they are not just capable of perceiving shape color and texture of the outside world, but also the ability to physically "mimicking" it.... Just a thought. - In the future the Earth would probably be a big brain. If every connected computer on the internet was running neuron-computations... - What if we need to deal with concepts that need more neural mass that we possess? - What do you think of the plans to shoot feature films in space? - What impact will the Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G technology have on our daily lives, from smart cities to autonomous vehicles? - Someone should start a tourist livestream channel. - Do you think in the future humans could interact with AIs via a visualization of latent space to create new concepts? - Missing the ability to try the food, a major reason to actually go somewhere. Do you think there'd be a way to "taste" via computation? - Thank you for these livestreams. Dr Wolfram mentioned on the stream Wednesday his work on developing a course on computation thinking. I wonder if he could comment on how that is going? - When is AI going to travel the galaxy on its own and create its own habitat on a different planet? - Have you ever had figgy pudding? If so, how would you describe it?
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode