This document discusses how Charles Darwin would view the possibility of artificial life and beme-based reproduction 150 years after his theory of evolution. It argues that Darwin saw nothing essential to specific species and believed all species evolve and change over time. It also argues that Darwin would likely recognize artificial life forms as a natural part of evolution. The document then discusses how beme neural architecture (BNA) could allow for faster, unlimited reproduction compared to DNA and thus be a more efficient way to replicate consciousness in line with nature's purpose of creating self-replicating codes. Overall, the document concludes Darwin would approve of using BNA to improve and expand the varieties of human consciousness beyond what is capable with biological DNA alone.

1. On the Destiny of the Species
What Would Darwin Think 150 Years After
‘The Origin of the Species’
Martine Rothblatt, Ph.D.
TransVision07
Chicago, IL
2007-07-25 2300 GMT

2. Variation (Diversity) Is Key to
Survival
“Natural selection acts exclusively by the preservation and
accumulation of variations, which are beneficial under the
organic and inorganic conditions to which each creature is
exposed at all periods of life. The ultimate result is that
each creature tends to become more and more improved in
relation to its conditions. This improvement inevitably
leads to the gradual advancement of the organization of the
greater number of living beings throughout the world.”
-Charles Darwin
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3. Darwin Was a
Transpeciest
» He saw nothing essential to
any specific species
» He believed all species
emanated from, and evolved
into, other species
» He believed, expanding your
species brought prosperity
» He would most likely
recognize the possibility of
artificial life forms as a
predictable part of natural
selection.
http://www.paleoweb.net/pal-ges/bilder/evolution-poster.jpg
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4. If you want one year of
prosperity, grow grain. If you
want ten years of prosperity,
grow trees. If you want 100
years of prosperity, grow
people. --- Old Chinese Proverb
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5. Growing People
» To grow people, you must first
learn what they are made of
» Evolutionary biologists view
human consciousness as an
enormously complex firmware
sub-routine
» That firmware is spelled out in
30,000 genes of DNA software
» Although we are making strides,
scientists have little knowledge
of the genes that spell out the
complex neurology of our brains
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6. What We Do Know
» A simple code or formula can produce
complex patterns, for example
» Weaving patterns
» Chaos patterns
» There is no other logical explanation for
how brains are pre-wired for such an
extensive array of behaviors
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7. Terminology & Analogies
Software Firmware Hardware
Computer Operating Logic circuits Input/Output
Example system; burned into aspects such
Applications chips as display
Human Learned DNA-defined Behavioral
Example ways to use neural paths expressions
neural paths like moving
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8. Why Do We Have So Many
DNA Codes if the Code is Just
Suppose to Replicate Itself
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9. Answers to the Key Question for
Evolutionary Biologists
» Nature frustrates its own
programming, in order to evolve and
promote survival
» DNA molecules enable DNA to copy
itself and create a host body, that
produces more copies
» Replication occasionally scrambles the
code
» Scrambled DNA is usually destroyed
by molecules that digest useless DNA
» Some scrambled DNA gives rise to
new DNA codes and new host forms
» In short, DNA does more than simply
replicate itself, it replicates DNA
coding, not only DNA codes
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10. Scrambled DNA is the
Catalyst for Evolution
If the scrambled
DNA changes the
host’s structure, new
species may be born
http://www.artdiamondblog.com/images/FishMissingLinkFossilSmaller-thumb.jpg
http://www.sanparks.org/parks/kruger/elephants/about/evolution.php
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11. To An Evolutionary Biologist,
History Looks Like This
» First there were nothing but
gases
» The gases collided for eons and
eventually formed molecules
from which later came DNA
» DNA began reproduction and
scrambling process
» A purpose for life was created, Art by Andrew C. Stewart
http://www.solarvoyager.com/images/art/New%20Earth%20by
%20Andrew%20C%20Stewart.jpg
its self-perpetuation, for that is
what it does
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12. All About Self-Replicating
Code and the Environment
» First came RNA
» Then DNA
» DNA that permitted no “goof-
ups,” became extinct as the
environment that nurtured the
original DNA turned hostile
» The purpose of life is to
replicate the replication
process, of which RNA & DNA
http://www.nature.com/embor/journal/v7/n1/images/7400609-f1.jpg
are just examples
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13. Status Quo is Not an Option
“But Natural Selection, we shall hereafter see,
is a power incessantly ready for action…”
- Charles Darwin
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14. Where to Go From Here
» At the end of eons of “goof-
ups” sits Homo Sapiens Sapiens,
but history has taught us that it
shouldn’t stop there
» Dangers await those who don’t
evolve, such as:
» Floods
» Diseases
» Global catastrophes
» Another form of reproduction
may be our best solution; BNA
instead DNA
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15. What is BNA?
» Beme Neural
Architecture (BNA)
» Bemes are the smallest
units of beingness that
comprise our sense of
self
» Elements of our
Mannerisms,
Personality,
Recollections, » BNA is a to-be-determined set of
Feelings, Beliefs, mindware that enables our sense of
Attitudes, Values self to be digitally realized from our
bemes
» Synthetic Consciousness; Synthetic
Life
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16. Mind Is Deeper
Than Matter
» The beme is mightier
than the gene
» We’re not our bodies;
we are our minds
» Genes are not essential for
our minds
» Our minds can be
represented as bemes
» BNA can operationalize
our bemes
» BNA can handle
reproduction
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17. DNA vs. BNA
Beme
Neural
Architecture
» Slow to reproduce » Rapid and unlimited
reproduction
» Limited survival in
» Various bodies to
new environments
chose from, for
» Susceptible to survival in many
disease and limited environments
lifespan » Unlimited lifespan
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18. Is BNA Reproduction Consistent
With Nature’s Purpose
» Nature’s “purpose” is to
create self-replicating codes
» Software reproduction is
faster than wet biology,
BNA is a more efficient way
to replicate
» Shifting from genes to
bemes is consistent with
what life has always done
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19. My Avatar, My Self
» Re-creation of the human mind in
a digital world has already begun
» Re-creation of the human “body”
has already begun
» The melding of your mind to your
digital body is the next logical step
» www.MyCyberTwin.com where a
virtual version of you can conduct
autonomous conversations
» www.SecondLife.com where entire
virtual communities are built
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20. The Turing Test
Was Just the Beginning
Ray Kurzweil points out that artificial intelligence
is already all around us, in…
» Our cars
» Airplane gate systems
» Computer guiding software
» Video game opponents
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21. Where Can We Place The
Uploaded Consciousness
QuickTimeª and a
H.264 decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Video from Hanson Robotics in Richardson, TX
http://www.hansonrobotics.com
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22. Can Or Should We Alter Our Code
» There are those who
believe we should not
» They fear the results of
translating life to a digital
form
» Darwin would not have
been one to fear the
endless possibilities
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23. Humans Are Active Agents of
Evolution
A new variety raised by man will be a far
more important and interesting subject for
study than one more species added to the
infinitude of already recorded species.
-Charles Darwin
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24. Darwin Would Say ‘Yes’ To
Improving Our Program
In his own words, it would be far more ‘important
and interesting’ to see on which evolutionary path
our high level of intelligence can take us.
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25. Best Darwinian Reasons For and
Against BNA Reproduction
» FOR » AGAINST
» It can greatly extend » We may inadvertently
our reproductive create “monster minds”
lifetimes, thereby » It may diminish our
serving evolution’s motivation for
prime directive reproduction, thereby
» It can reduce the risk of undermining diversity
consciousness and proclivity
extinction caused by a
global catastrophe
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26. Why the Positives Outweigh
the Negatives
» Our society already has » Per evolutionary biology,
institutions designed to deal the desire to reproduce
with DNA-based “monster ourselves is innate and we
minds”; the same could be are unlikely to cease
translated to a “monster » Most astrobiologists and
mind” BNA-based individual geologists agree that global
catastrophes are inevitable
» Therefore it is imperative to
find ways to continue life
» Digital life is easier to
transport between stars
» Digital life is easier to back-
up redundantly
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27. Cyber Sapiens
...We will no longer be Homo sapiens,
but Cyber sapiens--a creature part
digital and part biological that will
have placed more distance between
its DNA and the destinies they force
upon us than any other animal ... a
creature capable of steering our own
evolution....
Chip Walter. Thumbs, Toes, and Tears, Walker & Co. 2006. Excerpted on KurzweilAI.net on October 25, 2006.
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28. Becoming Transbeman
» Uploading consciousness allows
one to avoid unwanted death
» Digital conscious beings can live
longer and impart wisdom to
unlimited generations
» Multiple forms for conscious life
» Virtual reality
» Mechanical bodies
» Regenerated flesh
People who transcend » According to evolutionary biology,
biological & electronic
human boundaries
this transbeman development
should be highly favored by natural
selection.
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29. Defy Death
The most compelling argument for
BNA reproduction is defying death
» Some accept death as inevitable and
reason for its necessity
» Claiming boredom with life
» Drain on social resources
» These are not relevant to a
transbeman
» Millennia-long life spans allow you to
explore millions of books, musical
instruments, the universe, whatever
meets your fancy
» Resources are more plentiful,
because the new transbeman body
would require less maintenance than
a DNA-based life
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30. Darwin on Varieties
We have also seen that it is the most flourishing or
dominant species of the larger genera within each class
which on an average yield the greatest number of varieties,
and varieties, as we shall hereafter see, tend to become
converted into new and distinct species. Thus the larger
genera tend to become larger; and throughout nature the
forms of life which are now dominant tend to become still
more dominant by leaving many modified and dominant
descendants. -- Charles Darwin
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31. » Darwin’s theory was developed
without any known code, so he
was unlikely to be hung up on
DNA as the only code for life.
» He would have likely agreed that
because Beme Neural
Architecture (BNA) codes could
replicate and diversify, they
would stand a good chance of
thriving in a supportive
environment.
» Were he to accept Kurzweil’s
Law of Accelerating Returns, he
would have concluded that
BNA-based life would dominate
the destiny of the human species.
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32. Expanding the Varieties of
Homo Sapiens Sapiens
» BNA-based life will encourage
mind-expansion beyond the
abilities of DNA-based life
» Reproduction of the mind
may allow the knowledge of
each generation to be
imparted immediately and
then built upon
» Life would no longer be
limited to earth, therefore
experiences would be endless
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33. Beme-Based Life Forms Can
Also Clone Their Consciousness
In addition to combining bemes
with another for reproduction, you
would be able to self-replicate
» This would help avoid any
catastrophe to one’s substrate
» Each new version of you would still
be a unique individual due to his/her
experiences
» Multiple versions would make it
easier to release one of your EveR-2 Muse, Humanoid Robot by
KITEC (Korea Institute of Industrial
conscious copies onto an
Technology) in Seoul, Korea
interstellar spaceship http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-
News.asp?NewsNum=882
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34. Could Multiple Copies
Destroy Autonomy?
Artwork by: Kristina Abraham <http://www.kristinabraham.com/Straight%20Off%20the%20Assembly%20Line.jpg>
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35. Autonomy
» The quality or state of being independent,
free, and self-directing
» Independence from the organism as a whole
in the capacity of a part for growth,
reactivity, or responsiveness
autonomy. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary. Retrieved July 5, 2007, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/autonomy
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36. Autonomy Is Built Into the Process
» Since bemes are personalized bytes
of information based on the
emotions, mindset and experiences
of an individual, they create a highly
unique consciousness
» By definition, each conscious being
would be autonomous
» Individual beings
» Individual experiences
» Individual lives
» Though related, just as DNA-based
children are different than their
parents, so would beme-based
children, and clones
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37. So What Would Darwin Think
» It is promulgation of a self-replicating code
that sits atop the apex of life’s purpose
» DNA is a tool that enabled life to create a
superior self-replicating code -- BNA
» The BNA code will be capable of both
nanotechnologically creating all that came
before it and diversely transcending a
universe of challenges of which DNA
might not survive
» So what would Darwin think…
» That BNA is just another step in the
http://www.let.uu.nl/~Rosi.Braidotti/personal/teachin
evolution of life, with good odds for g.htm
success
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38. Adaptation is the Natural Progression
“…in short, we see
beautiful adaptations
everywhere and in
every part of the
organic world.”
- Charles Darwin
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