Luke Ryan Blog | The Singularity — a layman’s view

November 10, 2011

Luke Ryan Blog — November 10, 2011 | Luke Ryan

This is a summary. Read original article in full here.

Exponential. If you could sum up the complex concept of The Singularity into a single word it would be that word, Exponential. My introduction to The Singularity theory came from a TED video I watched some years ago that my father recommended featuring an eccentric genius named Raymond Kurzweil (below).

Ray talked a lot about the exponential growth of technology and how Moore’s law allowed his company to time their innovative products launches well into the future.

He talked about a time in the not-so-distant future when we as a people will merge with the non-biological intelligence we have created — and from that moment forward all bets are off. It will be a time when technological progress will advance at an alarming rate, leaving anyone who has not merged with the machine behind in a trail of dust.

This concept really got my whacked out brain thinking of the infinite possibilities that we may see in our lifetime.

I had questions for my new buddy Ray:

  • If and when The Singularity happens how would we ever know we’ve entered it?
  • What are the challenges humanity will face as we approach this radical transformation?
  • Is The Singularity inevitable and, if so, how can the average person prepare for it?
  • At what point in our “merge with the machines” do we lose what we think of today as our individuality?
  • What role will “Snooki” play in our robotopian future?

I plan on interviewing Ray for my Web series In the Mix in the not-so-distant future, so please send me any questions you would like to pose to him and I’ll incorporate as many as I can into my interview. I’m also happy to start a discussion in the comments below about the theory of The Singularity and what it will mean for us and where we are headed. […]