Existential Hope Worldbuilding Course
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Vocabulary
Description text if needed
Term
Definition
Worldbuilding
The process of constructing an imaginary world, often for novels, films, games, or other creative works. It involves developing consistent geography, history, cultures, languages, and rules that govern how the fictional universe functions.
Existential Hope
A philosophical concept focusing on positive futures for humanity and civilization. It involves envisioning and working toward desirable futures where humanity flourishes, often mentioned as a complement to addressing existential risks.
Existential Risk
Threats that could cause human extinction or permanently destroy humanity’s potential for future development. Examples include nuclear war, engineered pandemics, unaligned artificial superintelligence, and catastrophic climate change.
AGI
Artificial General Intelligence. An advanced form of AI that would have the ability to understand, learn, and apply knowledge across a wide range of tasks at a level equal to or exceeding human capabilities, unlike current narrow AI systems that excel only at specific tasks.
ASI
Artificial Superintelligence. An AI system that surpasses human intelligence across virtually all domains, including scientific creativity, general wisdom, and social skills. Unlike AGI (which matches human capabilities), ASI would be significantly more intelligent than humans and potentially capable of recursive self-improvement.
CRISPR
Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats. A revolutionary gene editing technology that allows scientists to make precise changes to specific DNA sequences. It works like molecular scissors to cut, delete, or replace specific sections of DNA.
mRNA
Messenger RNA. A single-stranded molecule that carries genetic code from DNA to the cell’s protein-making machinery. Recently gained prominence through mRNA vaccines (like those for COVID-19) that instruct cells to produce proteins that trigger an immune response.
BCIs
Brain-Computer Interfaces. Devices that establish a direct communication pathway between the brain and an external device, allowing people to control computers or other technologies using their thoughts. They can be invasive (implanted in the brain) or non-invasive (worn externally).
EEGs
Electroencephalograms. Tests that detect electrical activity in the brain using small metal discs (electrodes) attached to the scalp. They measure voltage fluctuations resulting from ionic current within neurons and are commonly used to diagnose conditions like epilepsy.
DAOs
Decentralized Autonomous Organizations. Blockchain-based entities governed by smart contracts and the collective decisions of their members rather than by centralized leadership. They operate transparently with rules encoded on a blockchain, allowing for distributed decision-making.
UBI
Universal Basic Income. A government program in which every citizen or resident receives a regular financial stipend regardless of their income or employment status. Proposed as a solution to economic inequality and technological unemployment.
Knowledge Work
Labor that primarily involves developing or using knowledge rather than physical effort. Knowledge workers include programmers, physicians, researchers, engineers, designers, and other professionals who manipulate information rather than physical objects.
TMS
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. A non-invasive procedure that uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain, often used to treat depression and study brain function. It involves placing an electromagnetic coil against the scalp to deliver a magnetic pulse.
Post-scarcity
A theoretical economic condition where goods, services, and information are abundant and available to all people. In such a society, advanced technology would automate production to the point where all or most goods could be produced with minimal human labor.