The Singularity – lately I’ve been hearing and reading about the Singularity in various places and most recently the August issue of “Popular Science”. (Unfortunately they don’t have that article on the web yet, but as soon as they will put it up I will link you guys to it.)
Anyways, the idea of the Singularity is very interesting, and I would like to hear your ideas about it since it is an idea that deals closely with computer science. For those who don’t know what the Singularity is I’m putting a short explanation below:
The Singularity is a term coined by Vernor Vinge a computer scientist and sci-fi writer who’s now a professor at San Diego University. The following is straight out of popsci: “We’re living through a period of unprecedented technological and scientific advances,” Vinge says, “and sometimes soon the convergence of fields such as ai and biotechnology will push humanity past a tipping point ushering in a period of wrenching change. After that moment – the Singularity – the world will be as different from today’s world as this one is from the Stone Age.”
So basically what we’re talking about here is things as uploading minds into artificial bodies which could stand the forces of speeds close to that of the speed of light, etc etc.
What do you guys think? How soon will this happen? Will it ever happen?
some more reading:
Vernor Vinge on Singularity
The Singularity links