Sloppy Lifebox print, excellent read from Rudy Rucker

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Annoying: pages 237 through 240 are shuffled in my print of The Lifebox, the Seashell and the Soul. Though not entirely surprising, the crumbly paper was an indicator of a sloppy edition. Maybe it is a collector’s item now. Mail me and you can have it.

I bought it about ten years ago, and recently reread Rudy Rucker‘s The Lifebox, the Seashell and the Soul It is a very interesting book, although it smells odd here and there.  

Rucker writes about Alan Turing that Turing ‘apparently was given to bringing home sexual partners he met in the streets.’ What does he mean with that phrasing? For historical facts on Turing, I prefer to rely more on Turing’s biographer Andrew Hodges who wrote the respectable biography Alan Turing: The Enigma. Hodges pictures Turing as naive in confessing his homosexuality (for that time), but also describes him to be rather restraint in getting involved in sexual relationships. What I am sure I haven’t read anywhere is that Turing would go skimming the streets looking for ‘sexual partners’ (sexual partners – is that really correct English?).

Also the idolizing references to Stephen Wolfram’s A New Kind of Science are unnecessary. Wolfram generously takes care of that himself.

Also, Rucker’s habit of regularly quoting his own Science Fiction stories to illustrate his theories begins to annoy me at some point. I understand his frame of reference, but he is not very scientific in this way of providing ‘proof’.

But, as said, the book offers a number of very interesting ideas and visions. I realize I sound so negative, but I really enjoyed the book.

Rucker confirms that Artificial Intelligence – the discipline in Computer Science – has not achieved a lot. After my personal introduction to scientific AI, I became very suspicious. I found it odd that AI was dealing with decision rules, (fuzzy) logic, and the like. And used this awful programming language Prolog. Wasn’t there anything better to focus on in Artificial Intelligence? Cognitive is hot these days, but is it really Artificial Intelligence? A step forward, probably.

Rucker describes the life box—a device that captures every aspect of your life. I’m not sure if he invented the concept, but it is the first time I saw it described in such a realistic, predictive way.

This book has become history. The lifebox is there. People like Cathal Gurrin are walking around with cameras and devices recording everything they do all day.

Limit, a big fat Science Fiction Eco thriller

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It has been staring at me for months, Limit from Frank Schätzing this fat bodied eco thriller. A gift. So thick I had to bring myself to starting it, knowing I could not get let go until I had finished it.

Abundance is the word that comes too mind. Almost too much for me.

The first half is a slow starter and introduces the reader to (semi) science. I was waiting for the action. The second half is a thriller.

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An English space company Orley has build a space station attached to earth. Invite billionaires of earth to invest. The Chinese and the US want to join. China and US are in a sort of cold war. They do no seem to have a balancing economic dependency any more, like there is today, where is it gone?

Funny references: a Fernando Botero figure? Had to look that up.

The Truman show. Not named but a reality show of people that do not know they are actually in a reality show.

A sketch of Russia after Putin and Medvedev.

The future fantasies of Erich von Däniken.

A scene from Tomorrow Never Dies. Spectre. And a media concern that wants to dominate the world’s media very much like the Carver Media Group Network (CMGN).

A sketch of future living on planets, very much like the ideas of Peter Diamandis? Mankind live in space ships, mine planets for raw materials but do not live on these planets.

David Bowie performs Space Oddity for the guests in the space station. Age 78.

Partially a detective. A Chinese dissident girl is on the run for the Chinese government. Being chased by her father’s detective and another  unknown entity has hired a hunter. She is Internet specialist, a hacker. Lives in Shanghai.

An unclear relation to the space story.

In the story some interesting forward looking views on what life on earth will look like in 2025. Cities are massive and rural areas empty. Some parts of cities are forgotten and have become worlds in themselves. Virtual reality has become mainstream to a point where people get addicted to living in cyber worlds.

Interspersed with thrillerlike pursuits and shootings. Limbs are lost.

Second Life has developed into a parallel universe. Artificial intelligence is developing it further. Singularity there, at last.

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A post-oil era where electricity is now dominant, generated by helium 3 excavated on the moon, name made accessible by the new space station.

Political views of post oil situation.

A race on the moon. I recently watched The Martian and reminded me of this book. Human trying to make a living in space.

In the end the bad guys are the oil industry. The Prize comes to mind.

I am supersaturated. My stomach feels like I have eaten a 3 pound steak. I must lie down.