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book title: Conversations on the Edge of the Apocalypse.
deck: Contemplating the future.
author: by David Jay Brown
date: 2005

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presented by

David Jay Brown | home ~ channel
tag line: Thought-provoking interviews with leading-edge thinkers.

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This book is available at fine book-sellers.

Amazon   |   Barnes + Nobel   |   Books-a-Million   |   IndieBound

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about | the book

This book features in-depth interviews by award-winning science writer David Jay Brown with top thinkers. In this collection, Brown has gathered some of the most interesting minds of today — to consider the future of the human race, the mystery of consciousness, the evolution of technology, psychic phenomena, and more.

The book features conversations with celebrated visionaries + inspirational figures:

• Alex Grey
• Bruce Sterling
• Candace B. Pert PhD
• Clifford A. Pickover PhD
• Dean Radin PhD
• Deepak Chopra MD
• Douglas Rushkoff PhD
• Edgar D. Mitchell PhD, ScD
• George Carlin
• Hans Moravec PhD
• Jeff McBride PhD
• John E. Mack MD
• Kary Mullis PhD
• Noam Chomsky PhD
• Paul Krassner PhD
• Peter Russell PhD
• Ram Dass PhD
• Ray Kurzweil
• Rupert Sheldrake PhD
• Robert Anton Wilson PhD
• Valerie Corral

Part science exploration, part philosophy, and part intellectual roller-coaster — the discussions are original and captivating. The book is a fresh look into the minds of some ground-breaking leaders. It’s the perfect read for science fiction and philosophy fans alike.

source: publisher

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about | Ray Kurzweil

by David Jay Brown

Ray Kurzweil is a computer scientist, software developer, inventor, entrepreneur, philosopher, and a leading proponent of radical life extension. He’s co-author (with Terry Grossman MD) of Fantastic Voyage: live long enough to live forever — it’s one of the most intriguing and exciting books on life extension. Kurzweil and Grossman’s approach to health + longevity combines the most current, practical medical knowledge with a soundly-based — yet visionary — perspective of what’s to come.

His philosophy is built upon the premise that we now have the knowledge to identify + correct the problems caused by genetic pre-dispositions. By taking advantage of opportunities: genetic testing, nutritional supplements, and lifestyle adjustments — we can live long enough to reap the benefits of advanced bio-tech + nano-tech. That will ultimately allow us to conquer aging and live forever.

At the heart of Kurzweil’s optimism is the notion that human knowledge is growing exponentially — not linearly — and this fact is rarely taken into account when people try to predict the rate of tech advance in the future. Kurzweil predicts that at the current rate of knowledge expansion —- we’ll have the tech + know-how to completely conquer aging within the next couple of decades.

Part of what makes Kurzweil’s upbeat vision of the future so appealing is his impressive track record as an inventor. As well as the success of his past predictions. He’s a leading expert in the computer field of speech + pattern recognition — he invented a vast array of digital marvels.

Ray Kurzweil was the principal developer of:

• the first omni-font (any type font) optical character recognition software.
• the first commercially marketed large vocabulary speech recognition system.
• the first print-to-speech reading machine for the blind.
• the first CCD flatbed scanner.
• the first text-to-speech synthesizer.
• the first electronic music synthesizer that can re-create the grand piano + other orchestral instruments.

He founded + developed  businesses in speech recognition, reading technology, music synthesis, virtual reality, financial investment, and medical simulation. In 2002, Kurzweil was inducted into the US Patent + Trademark Office’s National Inventors Hall of Fame. He received the Lemelson Prize from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — the nation’s largest award for invention + innovation.

He also received the 1999 National Medal of Technology — the nation’s highest honor in tech — from fmr. US President Bill Clinton at a White House ceremony. He’s received many honorary doctorates + honors from 3 fmr. US presidents.

In addition to co-authoring the health books with Terry Grossman MD:

book: Fantastic Voyage
book: Transcend

Kurzweil wrote several best-selling non-fiction books on the evolution of intelligence:

• book: the Age of Intelligent Machines
• book: the Age of Spiritual Machines
• book: the Singularity is Near
• book: How to Create a Mind

His books on the evolution of intelligence read like mind-bending science fiction — but they’re based-on analysis of tech trends. He predicts that computer intelligence will exceed human intelligence in only a few decades. And that it won’t be long after that when humans begin merging with machines — blurring the line between tech + biology.

Ray Kurzweil lives in Boston, Massachusetts. He speaks precisely and chooses his words carefully — and presents his ideas with confidence. I found his optimism to be contagious. We spoke about the importance of genetic testing, some of the common misleading ideas that people have about health — and how bio-tech + and nano-tech will radically affect our longevity in the future.

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interview |

interview: by David Jay Brown
guest: Ray Kurzweil

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David |

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Ray |

End of the interview.

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— notes —

fmr. = former
omni = all

AI = artificial intelligence
CCD = charge coupled device

MIT = the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
USPTO = the United States Patent + Trademark Office