What's the last question?

Translated from Dutch. View the original post here

For years I have been following the website Edge.org in which 1 question was asked each year until 2018.

A few examples:

• 2015 What do you think about machines that think?
• 2013 What should we worry about?
• 2009 What will change everything?
• 2006 What is your dangerous idea?
• 2007 What are you optimistic about?
• 2004 What's your law?

Prominent scientists reacted to that during the year.
When I read on this site I almost go crazy with the intelligence of these people.
After 20 years, they stopped the demand of the year.

The last question was, “What is the last question?”
https://www.edge.org/responses/what-is-the-last-question


Here are a few examples of the responses to this question:

• Can human intuition ever be reduced to an algorithm?
• Can we acquire complete access to our unconscious minds?
  
• Is there a subtle form of consciousness that operates independent of brain function?
  
• How can the few pounds of grey goo between our ears let us make utterly surprising, completely unprecedented, and remarkably true discoveries about the world around us, in every domain and at every scale, from quarks to quasars?
  
• What knowledge and know-how are our descendants at risk of forgetting as our species passes through future evolutionary bottlenecks?
  
• What will happen to human love when we can design the perfect robot lover?
  
• What is the upper limit for how malleable the human mind and our emotions can actually be?
  
• Why is it so hard to find the truth?
• What will be the use of 99% of humanity for the 1%?
• Is scientific knowledge the most valuable possession of humanity.
  
• How does a thought become a feeling?
  
  
  

I am also considering asking Yoors the question of 2021 as from 1 January.

So it's not some scientific or elitist thing.
Yoors doesn't do that. Everyone should be able to participate.


Anyone can then answer them in a post throughout the year.
Together we vote for the best contributions.


What question do you think that should be in 2021?


—

I have been following the Edge.org website for years, where 1 question was asked every year until 2018.

A few examples:

• 2015 What do you think about machines that think?
• 2013 What should we worry about?
• 2009 What will change everything?
• 2006 What is your dangerous idea?
• 2007 What are you optimistic about?
• 2004 What's your law?

Prominent scientists responded to this during the year.
When I read on this site I almost go crazy because of the intelligence of these people.
After 20 years they stopped asking for the question of the year.

The last question was, “What is the last question?” https://www.edge.org/responses/what-is-the-last-question


Here are a few examples of the responses to this question:

• Can human intuition ever be reduced to an algorithm?
• Can we acquire complete access to our unconscious minds?
• Is there a subtle form of consciousness that operates independent of brain function?
• How can the few pounds of gray goo between our ears let us make utterly surprising, completely unprecedented, and remarkably true discoveries about the world around us, in every domain and at every scale, from quarks to quasars?
• What knowledge and know-how are our descendants at risk of forgetting as our species passes through future evolutionary bottlenecks?
• What will happen to human love when we can design the perfect robot lover?
• What is the upper limit for how malleable the human mind and our emotions can actually be?
• Why is it so hard to find the truth?
• What will be the use of 99% of humanity for the 1%?
• Is scientific knowledge the most valuable possession of humanity.
• How does a thought become a feeling?
  
  
  
  

I am also considering asking the question of the year 2021 for Yoors from 1 January.

So it's not some kind of scientific or elitist thing.
Yoors does not do that. Everyone should be able to participate.

Anyone can answer them in a post throughout the year.
And together we vote for the best contributions.

#YoorsYearlyQuestion2021