Escape to the Movies: Transcendence - SkyNet? More Like SkyNot
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Yeah...it'd basically be: "And then the Singularity happened and everything was awesome."Alterego-X said:
Now, if they made an Eclipse Phase movie...
See, Eclipse Phase is fantastic, because it takes place in a universe where (trans)humanity is immortal, no longer needs to use money, can transform their bodies at a drop of the hat, are super-humanly strong, fast, intelligent and only need to sleep 4 hours a day...
...but at the same time, the Earth is radioactive wasteland, 95% of the human race died during the Singularity event, and every alien race out there is still smarter and more advanced than us (so much so that they're basically gods). Oh, and all the awesome uses of uploading and backups and egocasting are also perverted by greedy bastards to enslave people utterly.
Also, it has sentient octopi gangsters.
how so because I'm not entirely familiar with how Vinge, Kurzweil and Yudkowsky see the Singularity. My understanding of the Singularity is that computing and technology progresses to a point that AI's can be built that are indistinguisable from man and that technologies that help build up to that point like enhanced neurological based processing and a higher understanding of the Human body and brain could allow for implantation of AI, robotic parts and the like into humans such that the line between man and machine is gone.Alterego-X said:
I say that if a movie wants to explore the Singularity, it should not be an action movie, It should be a drama between characters as they debate the movie and the activation/destruction of the AI base system occurs at the end as a sort of culmination of dialogue
I now exclusively get my movie news from one static 3 second frame on Movie Bob's post-credits scenes. And there are two post-credits scenes! What is this? Marvel?!
But seriously, how great would it be to have another Movie Bob segment commenting on movie news. Editorialized news. Kinda like the Big Picture, but shorter, lighter skits on movie news and buzz showcasing Bob's position on the thing. Movie Bob would have to clone himself... with nanobots...
But seriously, how great would it be to have another Movie Bob segment commenting on movie news. Editorialized news. Kinda like the Big Picture, but shorter, lighter skits on movie news and buzz showcasing Bob's position on the thing. Movie Bob would have to clone himself... with nanobots...
I LOVE that he used Peggy Hill as an example of someone who's unaware of how stupid they are! XD Also, I saw a trailer for this movie before Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and not to spoil anything, but there's a scene in the middle of that movie that's very reminiscent of this movie, only it's not trying to take itself so seriously. 
Don't sit on the fence their Bob! Tell us what you really think.
I really enjoy it when Bob rips shit films a new one.
I really enjoy it when Bob rips shit films a new one.
Yeah, that's mostly Kurzweil.Izanagi009 said:
Here is [http://yudkowsky.net/singularity/schools] a summary of the three as Yudkowsky sees it.
Basically, Kurzweil is relying more on the inevitability of exponential technological progress (such as Moore's Law on a larger scale), in which the development of transhuman bodies can be one big symbolic watershed moment.
Vinge puts more emphasis on this exact "Event Horizon". He is the one who first named singularity, specifically to emphasize that beyond this line, the old rules are incomprehensible, as superhuman intelligences are different in kind from us, and can upset old trends.
Yudkowsky would agree with Vinge on the part of the event horizon changing the rules, but specifically predict that superhuman intelligence would cause an "intelligence explosion", a positive feedback loop that would rapidly exploit all physical limits of increasing itself.
That could work well as a small scale indie movie set in one room, like The Man from Earth.Izanagi009 said:
Or "And then the singularity happened and our bodies' molecules were all transformed into paperclips."Namewithheld said:
There are plenty of possibilities for an AI to fail to acknowledge the value of human life, and there would be no shooting war against bipedal skeletonesque robot soldiers, it would be over pretty quick with nanotechnology.
One possible interesting premise, is if the superintelligence starting the process is just *mostly* right. It was written by humans with an intent to be a responsible, human-friendly, life-valuing singularity AI, and it is supposed to help humans, but one vital order is missing.
There was a great story about that, Friendship is Optimal [http://www.fimfiction.net/story/62074/friendship-is-optimal]. It TECHNICALLY starts out as a My Little Pony fanfiction about a MLP MMO's AI reaching sentinence and applying it's original programming to the whole world, but ends up as something of a subtle cosmic horror.
Sounds like the movie suffers from not giving RIFT a clear motivation. I was hoping the film would portray the singularity in a more even handed manner, showing both the good and bad and it's impact on human evolution. This effort sounds underwhelming.
The problem with explaining the singularity is that it's impossible to comprehend. Scientists use the word for that very reason (black holes are also described as singularities because who knows whats on the other side of them?). We have NO IDEA what this "transcendence" is going to look like when it happens so we all can do is use our imagination and draw conclusions based on the tech that's available to us now. I imagine that unless the changes happen slowly enough, that the shit will hit the fan when we do approach that point. They're busily mapping out the neurons in the human brain as we speak and it's only matter of time before we'll be able to upload our consciousness into mechs, super computers below the surface of Old Tokyo (Evangelion joke), or surrogates you can send out to do run your errands for you. There will be advances in medicine like we only dreamed, memory implants and upgrades and a level of interactivity in video games and film that will make how we entertain ourselves now look like drawings on a caveman wall. But that's the exciting side. The downsides include that whole hive mind thing, the possibility of being hacked and controlled and/or any prospective chances at immortality being limited to those who deserve it least.
Someone above said that Deux Ex and Ghost in the Shell tackles transhumanism and I agree. There's tons of stuff out there that does the topic better. Kind of sucks that Transcendence drops the ball. The singularity has fascinated and chilled me ever since reading Ray Kurzweil's books and I've been looking forward to this flick for months. Think I'll just rent it now.
The problem with explaining the singularity is that it's impossible to comprehend. Scientists use the word for that very reason (black holes are also described as singularities because who knows whats on the other side of them?). We have NO IDEA what this "transcendence" is going to look like when it happens so we all can do is use our imagination and draw conclusions based on the tech that's available to us now. I imagine that unless the changes happen slowly enough, that the shit will hit the fan when we do approach that point. They're busily mapping out the neurons in the human brain as we speak and it's only matter of time before we'll be able to upload our consciousness into mechs, super computers below the surface of Old Tokyo (Evangelion joke), or surrogates you can send out to do run your errands for you. There will be advances in medicine like we only dreamed, memory implants and upgrades and a level of interactivity in video games and film that will make how we entertain ourselves now look like drawings on a caveman wall. But that's the exciting side. The downsides include that whole hive mind thing, the possibility of being hacked and controlled and/or any prospective chances at immortality being limited to those who deserve it least.
Someone above said that Deux Ex and Ghost in the Shell tackles transhumanism and I agree. There's tons of stuff out there that does the topic better. Kind of sucks that Transcendence drops the ball. The singularity has fascinated and chilled me ever since reading Ray Kurzweil's books and I've been looking forward to this flick for months. Think I'll just rent it now.
The first time I saw a trailer for this movie, it became pretty clear to me this was going to happen. Was hopeful it wouldn't be the case. But there was no missing the fact that the murderous anti-tech terrorist cult would end up being right to some degree.
It now feels like that's just the tip of this iceberg made of frozen horrible.
It now feels like that's just the tip of this iceberg made of frozen horrible.
Funny enough, I just finished a replay of that game yesterday as well. Honestly, I found it to be just as infuriatingly irritating as this drek. Let me break it down:Under_your_bed said:
(1) The game seems to confuse being able to switch out a biological component with a mechanical one as some kind of divine achievement, rather than the logical extension of modern medical science. There was some discussion about cybernetic chips to enhance brain functioning, but those were barely touched on and, even if they were, would only enhance existing cognitive function, not opening the door to the metaphysical. Maybe you could say that about nanotechnology, but there's no hint that nanorobotic enhancements exist in this game until a post-credits dialog at the end (which should have probably been animated in the same way the opening was).
(2) The motivations of the powerplayers makes no sense. Hugh Darrow, in his "TNT" moment, decides to go with the "blow it all up" approach despite nothing in his character or depiction explaining why other than a general sense that he just wanted to have his limbs work properly and was mad that he wouldn't be able to move. He's the goddamn head of a massive global conspiracy, surely that's got to count for something. Plus, his ending option makes no sense; why would the world descend into a culture of Luddites because someone managed to broadcast a signal? David Sarif seems to be completely aware of the Illuminani, but decides to keep that to himself and do nothing rather than either having Jensen intervene or positioning himself to benefit. And then there's Taggart, who apparently only wanted regulation (which somehow doesn't exist even though it's a medical procedure with serious side effects), despite no evidence of this prior to him explicitly mentioning it.
And then there's Zhao, who appears to be a lieutenant in all this that only shows up when they need her to, despite being the CEO of a massive multinational corporation and would probably have enough on her plate in that role as is, even if it was just acting.
(3) Panchea: So... how exactly, given the sheer manpower, resources, engineers, and international cooperation needed to get this job done did no one look at the plans and ask "Uh... hey, Bob? What is in this giant room that's sucking enough power to light up half of Hong Kong? And why were three auto turrets assigning to be installed in that room? Like, I understand with the concern with pirates and terrorists that we have them on the main decks, but why exactly do we have them 500m below sea level?"
(4) Eliza Cassan: Considering she's one of the globe's most recognizable figures, how exactly did no one notice she's not a flesh and blood human? Does she only do satellite interviews? And it's clear that most at her studio don't even know she's an AI. How exactly do you explain to her reporters "I'm sorry, but your broadcaster is in another building?"
(2) The motivations of the powerplayers makes no sense. Hugh Darrow, in his "TNT" moment, decides to go with the "blow it all up" approach despite nothing in his character or depiction explaining why other than a general sense that he just wanted to have his limbs work properly and was mad that he wouldn't be able to move. He's the goddamn head of a massive global conspiracy, surely that's got to count for something. Plus, his ending option makes no sense; why would the world descend into a culture of Luddites because someone managed to broadcast a signal? David Sarif seems to be completely aware of the Illuminani, but decides to keep that to himself and do nothing rather than either having Jensen intervene or positioning himself to benefit. And then there's Taggart, who apparently only wanted regulation (which somehow doesn't exist even though it's a medical procedure with serious side effects), despite no evidence of this prior to him explicitly mentioning it.
And then there's Zhao, who appears to be a lieutenant in all this that only shows up when they need her to, despite being the CEO of a massive multinational corporation and would probably have enough on her plate in that role as is, even if it was just acting.
(3) Panchea: So... how exactly, given the sheer manpower, resources, engineers, and international cooperation needed to get this job done did no one look at the plans and ask "Uh... hey, Bob? What is in this giant room that's sucking enough power to light up half of Hong Kong? And why were three auto turrets assigning to be installed in that room? Like, I understand with the concern with pirates and terrorists that we have them on the main decks, but why exactly do we have them 500m below sea level?"
(4) Eliza Cassan: Considering she's one of the globe's most recognizable figures, how exactly did no one notice she's not a flesh and blood human? Does she only do satellite interviews? And it's clear that most at her studio don't even know she's an AI. How exactly do you explain to her reporters "I'm sorry, but your broadcaster is in another building?"
Look DE:HR was a good game, but between you and me, I think the series is overhyped. It has some interesting thematic concepts and decent conspiracy thrillers are hard to find in any medium, but it's a relatively linear game with no real options for choices and a set of mechanics that leaves you at the mercy of the limited supply of Cliff Bars and protean powder. The weapons feel clunky and are poorly dispersed in the game, (and let's not get into the "super pistol") with some having no reason to be there (why is there a rocket launcher in the game? You never need to fight anything more than an armored soldier unless you were an idiot and didn't take up hacking), and with no way of storing them or their ammunition if you want to save a fully upgraded gun for later. I was and still am disappointed by that game, especially given the "second coming" narrative that people espoused about it.