I still find it hard to understand that anyone could argue that you can’t have machines that exhibit consciousness.
Iain Banks Quotes
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| Birth: | 16th February, 1954 |
| Nationality: | Scottish |
| Profession: | Writer |
About
Iain Banks born in Dunfermline, Fife. Banks's father was an officer in the Admiralty and his mother was a professional ice skater. Banks studied English, philosophy, and psychology at the University of Stirling.
After attending the University of Stirling, Banks moved to London and lived in the south of England until 1988 when he returned to Scotland, living in Edinburgh and then Fife. A strong awareness of history shows in his writings. The argument that an economy of abundance renders anarchy and adhocracy viable attracts many as an interesting potential experiment, were it ever to become testable. He was a signatory to the Declaration of Calton Hill, which calls for Scottish independence. In late 2004, Banks was a member of a group of British politicians and media figures who campaigned to have Prime Minister Tony Blair impeached following the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In protest he cut up his passport and posted it to 10 Downing Street.
He relates his concerns about the invasion of Iraq in his book Raw Spirit, and the principal protagonist in the novel The Steep Approach to Garbadale confronts another character with arguments in a similar vein. Banks is an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society and a Distinguished Supporter of the Humanist Society of Scotland. He has spoken out in support of Scottish independence.
In February 2007, Banks sold his extensive car collection, including a 3.2 litre Porsche Boxster, a Porsche 911 Turbo, a 3.8 litre Jaguar Mark II, a 5 litre BMW M5 and a daily use diesel Land Rover Defender whose power he had boosted by about 50%. Banks traded all of the vehicles for a Lexus RX 400h hybrid - since replaced by a diesel Toyota Yaris - and vowed in the future to fly only in emergencies.
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