The Boston Globe ran an interesting review on 12/27/98, page L01, entitled: "Can 'intelligent' machines ever be spiritual beings? High-tech prognosticator Ray Kurzweil thinks so," by Chet Raymo. I don't want to download the entire review (even though someone sent it to me in a bulk e-mailing) as I've been called on the carpet recently for possible copyright violations, such as for passing along the Stephen Wright jokes (some of which were apparently by other commedians such as Gallagher and Carlin). (What is the law/ethics of this on the internet? anyone know?). You can track down the review at www.bostonglobe.com but here is a short summary.

Kurzweil, who apparently has an impressive track record for predicting computer breakthroughs, in his new book "The Age of Spiritual Machines" (he is also the author of "The Age of Intelligent Machines," 1990) predicts that a computer will pass the "Turing Test" (where you could have a dialogue with a computer about deep and meaningful subjects and not be able to tell if it is a person or a computer) within 20 years, and exceed the computing power of all humans on earth by 2060. By 2100, he says, computers will be fully conscious, self-aware, and "spiritual" (whatever that means), etc. Check it out. Here is Raymo's description of Kurzweil:

"Kurzweil's credentials as computer guru are impeccable. He is inventor of the first commercially marketed speech-recognition system, the first computer music keyboard capable of accurately reproducing the sounds of real orchestra instruments, the first system that can recognize all forms of alphabetic characters, the first system for text-to-synthesized-speech, and other key developments in making machines behave more like us."

Also, some of you inquired about getting the "con" version of the cloning debate contra my "pro" Op-Ed piece in the Los Angeles Times. Same problem as above with downloading articles, so check out www.latimes.com The author's name is Patrick Dixon.

I should comment on the Fox "Greatest Hoax's Exposed" show last night. On a positive note, at least it DID take a skeptical perspective, which is rare and appreciated. So Fox is to be praised for that (even though they were only doing it because they had previously endorsed many of these claims and wanted to continue milking them). But these were hardly "great" hoaxes. Most were downright silly or ridiculous. A guy in an ape suit makes a fun routine for a David Letterman skit, ala a guy in a bear suit trying to get into a New York nightclub, but the Patterson bigfoot film is hardly one of the greatest hoaxes of history (and we still don't have the smoking gun proving a hoax, but they guy who is said to have been the person in the ape suit sure did walk like that guy in the film). Likewise with the UFO dangling from a string and swinging back and forth. Pathetic and sad that anyone could be taken in by these. If you want to see truly great hoaxes, check out James Randi's A & E special last year on hoaxes, that featured the guy that sold the Eiffel tower for scrap metal, TWICE! Now THAT'S a great hoax. (Don't ask me for a copy since we cannot sell these. You can probably order it through A & E directly.)

As for exposing the alien autopsy film, that part was highly oversold by Fox. They first showed the film we all saw umteen times on Fox, but what they had was a DIFFERENT alien autopsy film that was never shown anywhere, then exposed THAT film as a hoax, with the guy who made it. Okay, what's the connection? That guy says that Ray Santilli, who made the famous film, was the person who contracted with him to make the never-before-seen film. But no proof was offered for a direct connection between the two. Just speculation. Granted, sure sounds fishy, and no doubt Ray Santilli was behind both films, but that is not proof.

Alas, good old Fox continues with its overhyped "documentaries" that tantalize more than they inform. On a humorous note, Penn and Teller, in their FX show "Sin City Spectacular" that ran immediately after the Fox show, continued with their spoof of Fox's "Masked Magician," where Teller in a similar mask exposes the secrets behind such tantalizing tricks as how a can opener works! Last night they "exposed" (but not really) how a magician can "materialize" instantly somewhere else in the room. Very, very funny. The show runs Monday nights at 9pm on the cable network FX (check local listings for times).

Someone inquired about my "Luddite" reference in my Op-Ed piece on cloning. FYI, here is the Oxford English Dictionary's history of the word:

Luddite (lUdaIt), n. (a.)
[f. the proper name Lud or Ludd-ite.
According to Pellew's Life of Lord Sidmouth (1847) III. 80, Ned Lud was a person of weak intellect who lived in a Leicestershire village about 1779, and who in a fit of insane rage rushed into a stockinger's house, and destroyed two frames so completely that the saying "Lud must have been here" came to be used throughout the hosiery districts when a stocking- frame had undergone extraordinary damage. The story lacks confirmation. It appears that in 1811 the nickname Captain Ludd or King Lud was commonly given to the ringleaders of the Luddites.]

A member of an organized band of English mechanics and their friends, who (1811) set themselves to destroy manufacturing machinery in the midlands and north of England.

1811 Hist. Eur. in Ann. Reg. 93/2 The rioters assumed the name of Luddites and acted under the authority of an imaginary Captain Ludd.

1812 Examiner 4 May 277/1 The Luddites at Nottingham..have relinquished their system of frame-breaking. The person known by the name of King Ludd is taken..His name is Walker; he was a collier.

1816 Byron To Moore 24 Dec., Are you not near the Luddites? And down with all kings but King Ludd?

1888 F. Peel Risings of Luddites 32 The names they assumed were Ludds, Ludders, and Luddites.

1897 S. & B. Webb Industrial Democracy (1902) 220 note, We need only remind the reader..of such angry insurrections as those of the Luddites in 1811. b. transf. One who opposes the introduction of new technology, esp. into a place of work.

1970 New Scientist 10 Sept. 549 They [sc. errors] can be prevented by improved systems and organization. But first it is necessary to overcome the professional and official luddites.

1986 Economist 10 May 13/1 By suggesting..that the modern world has lost control of its technology, both [accidents] help to strengthen the hands of Luddites who would halt technology and therefore a lot of economic growth. 2. attrib. or adj. Pertaining to the Luddites.

1812 Gentl. Mag. LXXXII. i. 285/1 The Luddite system.

1814 Ibid. LXXXIV. ii. 387/2 The Luddite ring-leader..dropped dead.

1874 Green Short Hist. x. 4. 806 The Luddite, or machine-breaking, riots.

1957 Ann. Reg. 1956 23 A Labour spokesman..assured the Minister that organized workers were by no means wedded to a Luddite philosophy.

1965 Times 29 Dec. 5 Port capacity can be greatly increased by quick installation of modern equipment if the Indian Government is really determined to override the Luddite resistance of wharf labour.

1976 Survey Summer Autumn 212 The Luddite view..is particularly tempting when it comes to military technology.

1986 N.Y. Times 5 May a10/3 There seemed to be no real desire to turn back, no sweeping Luddite reaction to all technology. Hence Ludditism = Luddism.

1830 Fraser's Mag. II. 426 A bill..for the suppression of Ludditism in Nottinghamshire.

1971 Guardian Weekly 19 June 20 In an uprising against ignorance and psychopathology Ludditism has no place.

1983 Times Lit. Suppl. 18 Mar. 256/4 The blame for world catastrophe is to be placed..on the blind forces of unscientific nature, which might include items like messianic Ludditism.

1986 Financial Times 11 Feb. 38/3 More efficient farmers should not be penalised by institutionalised Ludditism.