Future of Science and Technology Q&A (November 8, 2024)

The Stephen Wolfram Podcast

Stephen Wolfram answers questions from his viewers about the future of science and technology as part of an unscripted livestream series, also available on YouTube here: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa

Questions include: Do you think AI will ever actually "understand" things like humans do? - Do you think we'll ever understand everything about the universe, or will there always be mysteries? - ​​If there are aliens, they probably have AI, right? - ​​Do you think that the aging process is something "programmed" the same way as the developmental process, or we just have wear and tear more like a car, or something else? - I'm a big fan of the game Cyberpunk 2077, which revolves around the idea of futuristic technology and digital consciousness. Do you think humans being able to digitize their mind or soul would be beneficial to our progression? - Recently, in my job, I've been processing semi-corrupt data from 50-year-old magnetic tape, and we're having to decide on the best way to handle the various types of corruption. What are your thoughts on the present and future of information/data storage and preservation given the sheer volume and the "humidity and mold" that threaten modern digital storage? - If parts of the brain are removed in stages (rather than all at once) and the digital implants are properly synced with the remaining brain parts between each stage, wouldn't this solve the "is it me or not me" problem? - Questions about preservation of things. ​​- I wonder how hungry you would be after waking up after being frozen for 500 years. - Do we know if all human thinking works the same way?