Brave New World is a good book, it made me think a lot after reading it a few years back. Thank you for the link, Vesko, i may find time to read it again.
i have to admit i was close to 'technology worshipping' back in my school time, probably due to all the modern sciences which i studied, and exposure to the 'scientific' magazines and journals. but the more i learnt the more i realized the severe limitation of our achievement in science and genetic engineering etc. and i started to question why, and searched elsewhere.
Brave New World Revisited is the sequel to BNW, written some 26 years after BNW. i haven't got a chance to read it yet. Didn't manage to find the text online, probably the copyright for this book hasn't expired yet, unlike BNW
It is interesting to note that the Dalai Lama, when asked, did not rule out the possibility of reincarnating into computers (Hayward et al. 1992), pp. 152f.
I agree this is shocking, but I have a few doubts:
1) It sounds possible that the Dalai Lama was quoted out of context on Transhumanism website. however we've got to check out that page in the book to find out.
2) Even if it states so in that book, we can't totally trust the pen of Hayward Jey. Dalai Lama's words, again, may have been misquoted from the interview. A better reflection of his thoughts should be his autobiography. From TP, journalism is, after all, 1 of the top 5 evils exisitng on Earth.
3) Dalai Lama is educated. Refer to the quote below regarding his systematic education as a Dalai Lama. (It doesn't explicitly include modern science education, i wonder what level his proficiency in computer & AI technology is.)
from:
http://www.dalailama.com
His Holiness then began to receive his primary education. The curriculum - same as that for all monks pursuing a doctorate in Buddhist studies included logic, Tibtean art and culture, Sanskrit, medicine and Buddhist philosophy. The last and the most important (ìand most difficultî) was subdivided into further five categories: Prajnaparamita, the perfection of wisdom; Madhyamika, the philosophy of the Middle Way; Vinaya, the canon of monastic discipline; Abidharma, metaphysics; and Pramana, logic and epistemology.