The Singularity This was forwarded to me by a friend at work -- the Singularity -- Ray Kurzweil's ill-named term for what he describes as a point where machine intelligence surpasses human intelligence, and the rapid technological change it represents, creates a rupture in human history -- ie. there ain't no humans left for human history to continue. I don't see things the way Kurzweil does -- which is probably a good thing -- so I don't look forward to the time when such a thing will happen -- although Kurzweil predicts it will happen in my lifetime. Kurzweil seems to forget a couple of things:
  • The profit motivation -- there ain't no profit in it -- most of the world is still poor. Another way of looking at it -- we have enough food to feed the world, but we don't, cause they can't afford to pay for it. We have the medicines and the means of curing diseases that ravage huge populations, but we don't, because there ain't no money to be made in saving people's lives.
  • Those in the developed world are lazy. That's why we're all getting fat, and will die before reaching the singularity. There won't be mass adoption of the output from the exponential technological growth.
  • Humans still place a great deal of store on faith -- we actually want to live a human lifespan -- reach old age, and enjoy the immaterial benefits of it, and die. Death scares the shit out of us -- but living beyond death, is an existence most will see as soulless -- it's a faith most will not welcome, and will pull the plug on those who sell their soul to the electronic Satan.

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