Adam Becker's book More Everything Forever rigorously critiques techno-utopian visions of artificial general intelligence, space colonization, the singularity, cryogenics, and immortality. As a lifelong enthusiast of 1950s "Golden Age" science fiction, with a career in Silicon Valley chip design and involvement in the L5 Society, MIT's lunar Mass Driver projects, and solar power satellite studies, I eagerly anticipated this book. My passion for space opera and early engagement with Yudkowsky's Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality made the book's topics profoundly personal.
Becker, a scientist, delivers compelling arguments supported by robust citations, deepening my skepticism about these utopian ideals. The book's detailed debunking of overhyped technologies—such as the limitations of current generative AI or the centuries-distant feasibility of space colonization—is both convincing and sobering. However, Becker's analysis falters in two areas. First, the book speculates on the motivations and beliefs of billionaires and thought-leaders, ascribing questionable intent to their ambitions. Second, the book presents Becker's social justice values as universal truths, using them to critique the philanthropy and philosophical contributions of these movements, which weakens the book's otherwise strong scientific foundation.
Despite these flaws, the book is a vital reality check. While I agree that immortality and AGI, as currently envisioned, are far-fetched, I believe dreamers drive progress. The book overlooks tangible achievements from these movements, such as advanced reusable rockets, low-cost space technologies, life-changing prostheses, orthoses, and neurological innovations. These breakthroughs show that lofty ideas, however distant, yield real-world impact. Sic itur ad astra—thus one journeys to the stars. This book is essential for those balancing scientific realism with humanity's drive to transcend. 4/5 Stars.
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