内容简介

Once in a great while a science fiction story is so visionary, yet so close to impending scientific developments that it becomes not only an accurate predictor, but itself the locus for new discoveries and development. True Names by Vernor Vinge, first published in 1981, is such a work. Here is a feast of articles by computer scientists and journalists on the cutting edge of the field, writing about innovations and developments of the Internet, including, among others: Danny Hillis: Founder of thinking machines and the first Disney Fellow. Timothy C. May: former chief scientist at Intel--a major insider in the field of computers and technology. Marvin Minsky: Cofounder of the MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab. Chip Morningstar and F. Randall Farmer: Codevelopers of habitat, the first real computer interactive environment. Mark Pesce: Cocreator of VRML and the author of the "Playful World: How Technology Transforms Our Imagination." Richard M. Stallman: Research affiliate with MIT; the founder of the Free Software Movement.

作者简介

Vernor Steffen Vinge is a retired San Diego State University Professor of Mathematics, computer scientist, and science fiction author. He is best known for his Hugo Award-winning novels A Fire Upon The Deep (1992), A Deepness in the Sky (1999) and Rainbows End (2006), his Hugo Award-winning novellas Fast Times at Fairmont High (2002) and The Cookie Monster (2004), as well as fo...

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精彩摘录

变化并不总是如此。在人类历史的大部分时间里，父母都希望他们的子孙在和自己的世界一样的世界里长大。在人类历史的大部分时间里，父母知道教育孩子所需要的知识。在那时，对未来的规划比现在更容易。建筑师设计的教堂，需要几百年才能完工。农民们播种橡树籽，用橡树为他们的后代遮阳。今天，启动一个无法在一两个世纪之内完成的项目看上去会很奇怪。今天，任何为期一年以上的计划都是“长期计划”。为什么我们变得如此目光短浅？我们的善意不亚于我们祖先的善意。我们的问题是：我们无法想象未来。技术变革的步伐如此之快，以至于我们不知道会为孩子们留下什么样的世界。如果我们播种橡树籽，我们想象不到未来孩子们是否会坐在橡树下纳凉，甚至想象不到他们是否真的愿意在树下逗留。世界变化太快了，人类在改变，需求也在改变。我们这代人所从事的很多工作是我们的父辈从末想象过的。整个行业，甚至整个国家，都可能在眨眼之间衰落。

——引自章节：过渡时期/人类联结

“数字假名”这一持久的网络角色的产物，它无法被别人伪造，也无法链接到它们所有者的“真名”，它目前主要用于确保言论自由，允许有争议的意见传播，提供不被地方政府封锁的经济交易。由密码朋克团体和其他人部署的这项技术意味着他们的身份、民族，甚至他们所在的大陆都是无法追踪的一一除非他们的所有者选择透露这些信息。这改变了这个世界传统的“拓扑关系，使没有外部政府监管、税收或干预的多样化交流成为可能。

——引自章节：真实的假名和加密无政府状态