Newton Lee Quotes

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“Knowledge in and of itself is devoid of good and evil. Knowledge, however, does not necessarily make human beings wiser. In fact, knowledge without wisdom can be outright dangerous.”

“Is gene editing less ethical than human beings killing one another at wars and destroying wildlife on earth? A biomass study showed that humankind represents just 0.01% of all living things on the planet, and yet humanity has caused the loss of 83% of all wild mammals and half of all plants.”

“If humans are to colonize another planet, we better have a powerful immune system to protect us from deadly new pathogens. H.G. Wells’ novel The War of the Worlds reminds us that the invading Martians overpowered humans but were killed by earthly pathogens to which they had no immunity.”

“Faith healers have gotten one thing right: the human body can detect and defeat all types of diseases including cancer—the second leading cause of death in America. Our mind and body are closely connected. But faith healers have neglected one important point: the complex human brain—created in the image of God—is meant to invent new technologies including medical treatments for our mind and body.”

“Super longevity motivates people to think very long-term, protect the environment, recycle, prevent wars and destructions, and do everything possible to achieve a better quality of life instead of leaving a big mess to the next generation to fix.”

“Boredom often stems from the lack of desire to reinvent oneself. To become a Renaissance man or woman, for instance, can take an eternity. Understandably, not everyone wants to be a polymath, but there are so many great books to read, places to visit, ideas to share, new hobbies to discover, and charities to volunteer for – the bucket list is practically endless.”

“The most meaningful toys are not materialistic at all. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died penniless, but his toys were his symphonies, concertos, operas, quartets, and sonatas that have delighted millions of people for hundreds of years and will continue to light up the world.”

“Super longevity is not the same as immortality. Sometimes one has to sacrifice super longevity in order to achieve immortality.”

“It may be true that superintelligence has nothing to do with human intelligence. However, superintelligence can be a new kind of intelligence that is more advanced than human intelligence.”

“Like a good doctor, an intelligent machine is not something we should be afraid of. At best, AI will provide us the smartest teachers, advisers, personal assistants, doctors, police officers, judges, peacekeeping forces, and first responders for search and rescue operations. It may even help us to colonize other planets. At worst, it will put us on a leash to prevent ourselves from hurting one another and destroying the planet.”

“A more well-rounded higher education is necessary to graduate more ethical hackers and fewer cybercriminals, more socially responsible leaders and fewer wolves of Wall Street, more gender equality and less sexism, and more open-mindedness and less discrimination.”

“People are afraid of AI partly because we see ourselves as imperfect and dangerous. Hence, our creation of AI can also be imperfect and dangerous.”

“What the Judgment of Solomon exemplifies is that wisdom trumps science and technology: Regardless of who the biological mother was—based on DNA test results, King Solomon recognized that the best mother would be the caring woman. Imagine an AI judge who is as wise as King Solomon!”

“From flying robot insects to running robot dog to humanoids such as the world’s first robot citizen Sophia, artificial life forms are populating the planet Earth; and some people are bound to find artificial life forms more attractive than natural life forms.”

“Human game players together with AI agents can create more powerful citizen scientists, resulting in more scientific discoveries.”

“Biologically inspired mechanisms will encourage deeper human-machine symbiosis as computers acquire more human intuitions in problem solving. Scientists and gamers will be working and playing side-by-side with intelligent machines as equals, not subordinates.”

“As human beings, we have the responsibility to harness the immense human potential for good, not evil; for love, not hatred; and for peace, not war.”

“There are many undiscovered Mozarts, Beethovens, Einsteins, Shakespeares, Lincolns, and Washingtons out there today who do not have the freedom or the opportunity to explore their talents due to economic, political, and other constraints.”

“A utopia or heaven on earth is a place where every would-be Mozart has access to a piano and violin before the age of five, where every would-be Beethoven is empowered to compose music in spite of deafness, where every individual can get quality education regardless of their socioeconomic status and place of residence, and where everyone is given good health and freedom to pursue their dreams.”

“We cannot change the past even if we could go back in time. The fabric of space-time continuum may automatically correct anomalies caused by, say, a time traveler such that any ripple effects are short-lived.”

“Change is inevitable, and it is up to humankind to create a brave new world of utopia instead of dystopia, a heaven on earth instead of a living hell.”

“The real heroes are scientists who are protecting humans from deadly bacteria and viruses, astronomers and planetary defense teams who are watching the sky for Near-Earth Objects (NEOs), police and firefighters who risk their lives to protect people, teachers who toil to educate their students, parents who make sacrifices for their children, and volunteers who devote their time and energy to serve others.”

“Humanity ought to be the shining light and roaring thunder that fills up the vastly empty and silent universe.”

“Transhumanism develops new survival technologies and promotes sound policies to save the Earth and its inhabitants from being destroyed by human activities and natural disasters.”

“Man-made environmental disasters force nature’s hand to unleash its fury on humankind.”

“The Great Flood in the Bible and other ancient texts is a grave warning to humankind, and yet very few people seem to care about global existential threat.”

“For many are called, but few are chosen.”

“We can move a mountain from one place to another with our bare hands and a few shovels. It is only a matter of putting in the effort and the time. But we can speed things up by using dynamites and heavy machinery. As technology continues to accelerate, nothing is impossible.”

“Transhumanism supports infinite diversity in infinite combinations from all ethnicities and races, the religious and the atheists, conservatives and liberals, the young and the old regardless of socioeconomic status, gender identity, or any other individual qualities.”

“The Transhumanist Party aims to motivate and mobilize both female and male scientists and engineers to take on additional responsibilities as rational politicians. It does not mean replacing democracy with technocracy. It means that our government needs help in making the right policies and investing in science, health, and technology for the improvement of the human condition and the long-term survival of the human race.”

“Whatever fortune or misfortune awaits in the subsequent reincarnations, a purgatory by definition does not last forever. We will be forced to either go backward to the Amish way of life devoid of technology or move forward to a transhumanist world embracing technology.”

“All living things are recycled.”

“Even a large majority of beautiful music, great literature, and wonderful work of arts depicts human suffering, injustice, fears, and unfulfilled desires.”

“Technological singularity is inevitable given the human nature to discover, create, and change the world that we live in.”

“Had the early cavemen fought with atomic bombs instead of rocks and cattle bone clubs, the human species would have been extinct eons ago. With great power comes great responsibility.”

“Modern humanity with some 5,000 years of recorded history has been experiencing growing pains, with no end in sight. It is high time for humanity to grow up and to transcend itself by embracing transhumanism.”

“You can be a good Christian and a transhumanist. You can be a good Muslim and a transhumanist. You can be a good Buddhist and a transhumanist. Transhumanism gives different religions a common ground for people to live peacefully together, and as a result, to create a better future -- a brave new world of utopia, not dystopia.”

“Scientists are some of the most patient people in history. They can set up laboratory experiments that last for months, years, decades, and centuries.”

“Transhumanism seeks to achieve super longevity, not at the expense of others but rather helping others to fulfill their lifelong dreams.”

“Whether we live 10 years or 10,000 years, what matters most are the meaning of life and the quality of life.”

“The meaning of life is manifested in many different ways—infinite diversity in infinite combinations.”

“Life needs a meaning and living requires a purpose. Without meaning and purpose, are the livings really alive?”

“Humans may be on top of the food chain, but we are still at the mercy of earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, volcano eruptions, and other natural disasters.”

“Transhumanism is the next logical step in the evolution of humankind, and it is the existential solution to the long-term survival of the human race.”

“Transhumanism empowers people to realize the full human potential.”

“Superheroes reflect our human desire to give meaning to our lives by protecting the innocents, upholding justice, and mitigating existential threats.”

“Nature is beautiful and calm, but it can also be violent and deadly in an astronomical scale.”

“People are often being reactive instead of being proactive in reducing dangerous threats.”

“Dinosaurs, Neanderthals, and Denisovans did not evolve and adapt fast enough, and therefore they became extinct. Modus operandi or business as usual will doom the human race to mass extinction.”