A pound of cure...

Get a kit: http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/index.html

Make a plan: http://www.ready.gov/america/makeaplan/index.html

Be Informed: http://www.ready.gov/america/beinformed/index.html

As they say, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Don't put it off... Don't be lazy... Please don't take precautions for granted. Imagine and consider different emergency scenarios that are applicable to your personal living situation. All of us should not only have emergency supplies and a disaster plan implemented for home use, but also at work, on the highway and for taking ourselves on the road when evacuation is necessary. So, get your house in order, stock up your spaces and places, and pack an emergency travel backpack to have at the ready. Do it for yourself... do it for your loved ones.

At the bare minimum, there's no excuse not to have the following on hand:

Water... and, sealed in water tight containers...
A good, portable, battery operated radio
Flashlights
Batteries for radio and flashlights
Candles
Matches and lighters

As we witnessed with technology dependent Japan, communications were initially shutdown via cell phones and computers, making battery operated radios a necessity. ... be aware and prepare.

Additional preparedness links:

http://www.fema.gov/areyouready

The links provided here are only intended as a jumping off point and a caring nudge. I have a feeling that our best bet is to use common sense while compiling valuable advice and information from many sources combined.

Singularity

I do not underestimate the power of exponential growth in technology... We're experiencing the compounding reality of it every day. The biological, psychological, sociological, theological and ethical implications of developing technology is wildly profound. Computers are getting faster, faster — that is, the rate at which they're getting faster is increasing, causing me to wonder if humans will be able to keep up mentally and adjust fast enough to properly handle the pace.

I can't help but think that we certainly risk outsmarting ourselves one day, and maybe not in a good way. In all the excitement, will we be self-aware and patient enough to step back and contemplate the ramifications of our creations? Hard to say... we're such impulsive, greedy creatures. We just may be too clever, by far...

The following link is to a fascinating read at Time.com entitled "2045: The Year Man Becomes Immortal". The article delves into the idea that we're approaching a moment when computers will become intelligent, and not just intelligent but more intelligent than humans, and how when that happens, humanity — our bodies, our minds, our civilization — will be completely and irreversibly transformed...

Reference: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2048138-1,00.html

Additional reading:

A robot called Geminoid...

- What is a human?
- What is presence?
- What is a relation?
- What is identity?

Year of the Beard