This is exactly how I feel about this nonsense.
It has always been funny to me that Ray Kurzweil keeps predicting functional immortality within the next decade or two. How convenient that, based on his prediction, humans will attain immortality right as he nears the end of his lifespan.
Still, there are far worse things to pursue.
What alternatives? Accepting death as inevitable? Embracing it? Celebrating it?
The survival instinct is hard-wired. Given that, seeking immortality is the only rational choice.
Or pushing artificial intelligence, though if he were doing that in the absence of safety research I'd be disgusted.
Or pushing longevity research in other, longer-term ways. Even if it wouldn't save him personally, it could still save people he cares about.
Or...
- He's a member of Alcor.
- He is Co-Founder and Chancellor of Singularity University
- He is a Director of Engineering at Google heading up a team developing machine intelligence and natural language understanding
- Among other things, he has supported the SENS Research Foundation's approach to finding a way to repair aging damage, and has encouraged the general public to hasten their research by donating
What am I missing here?