Great Mambo Chicken and the Transhuman Condition: Science Slightly over the Edge

324 Pages·1990·4.96 MB·English

by  Ed Regis

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Great Mambo Chicken and
the Transhuman Condition
Science Slightly Over the Edge
ED REGIS
A
VV
Addison-WesleyPublishingCompany,Inc. -
Reading, Massachusetts Menlo Park, California NewYork
DonMills, Ontario Wokingham, England Amsterdam Bonn
Sydney Singapore Tokyo Madrid SanJuan
Paris Seoul Milan Mexico City Taipei
Acknowledgmentofpermissionsgrantedtoreprintpreviously
publishedmaterialappearsonpage301.
Manyofthedesignationsusedbymanufacturersandsellersto
distinguishtheirproductsareclaimedastrademarks.Where
thosedesignationsappearinthisbookandAddison-Wesley
wasawareofatrademarkclaim,thedesignationshavebeen
printedininitialcapitalletters (e.g.,SillyPutty).
.LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Regis,Edward, 1944—
Greatmambochickenandthetranshumancondition : science
slightlyovertheedge/EdRegis.
p- cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferences.
ISBN0-201-09258-1
ISBN0-201-56751-2 (pbk.)
1. Science—Miscellanea. 2. Engineering—Miscellanea.
3.Forecasting—Miscellanea. I.Title.
Q173.R44 1990
500—dc20 90-382
CIP
Copyright© 1990byEdRegis
Allrightsreserved. Nopartofthispublicationmaybe
reproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmitted,inany
formorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,
recording,orotherwise,withoutthepriorwrittenpermission
ofthepublisher. PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica.
TextdesignbyJoyceC. Weston
Setin 11-pointGalliardbyDEKRCorporation,Woburn,MA
- 123456789-MW-9594939291
Secondprinting,October 1990
Firstpaperbackprinting,August 1991
For WilliamPatrick

Contents
The Mania... .. 2... 2 ee ee ee eee ]
— Truax ..... oe ke ke ee 10
H Home on Lagrange. . . «© - eee ee te es 44
N
Heads Will Roll . . . 2... 2... ee ee + 76
O
W
Omnipotence, Plenitude & Co. . . . ... ; . . . 109
F&F
Postbiological Man. . © 2 2 7 ee ee ee es 144 .
n
a The Artificial Life 44H Show... 2... ee. 177
A
N Hints for the Better Operation ofthe Universe . . . . 207
A
O Death ofthe Impossible... .....---. '. 238
Laissez le Bon TempsRouler . . . . . 2. s. .. . 266
O0O
Epilogue... ..... re 280
Acknowledgments . 2.) eee ee ee ee 290
Selected Sources ..... . eee te ee ee 291