A subtle yet significant concept for any discussion in transhumanism is that from a purely "computational intelligence" point of view, the intelligence of man has been surpassed since the 1950s or early 60s. I remember my Mother’s mechanical calculator (adding machine) that could multiply faster than I could. I don’t know if you can remember the “chi-ching, chi-ching, chi-ching” of those machines as clearly as I can, but they were pretty darn fast in their time.

In a 1996 match with IBM's Deep Blue that Kasparov lost his first game to a computer at tournament time controls in Deep Blue - Kasparov, 1996, Game 1. This game was, in fact, the first time a reigning world champion had lost to a computer using regular time controls. However, Kasparov regrouped to win three and draw two of the remaining five games of the match, for a convincing victory.

In May 1997, an updated version of Deep Blue defeated Kasparov 3½-2½ in a return match. The latter claimed that IBM had cheated by using a human player during the game to increase the strategic strength of the computer. A documentary mainly about the confrontation was made in 2003, titled Game Over: Kasparov and the Machine. IBM keeps a web site of the event. While not an official world championship, the outcome of the match was taken by some to mean that the strongest player in the world was a computer. Today, the most sophisticated computerized chess machines almost always out do the humans.

Kind of makes you wonder whether computational intelligence is the secret to intelligence at all. Hmmm?