# Singularity ahead?



## Jayaprakash Satyamurthy (Mar 12, 2004)

*SINGULARITY*: The postulated point or short period in our future when our self-guided evolutionary development accelerates enormously (powered by nanotechnology, neuroscience, AI, and perhaps uploading) so that nothing beyond that time can reliably be conceived.

The concept of a singularity seems to be taking hold of many people's thoughts and certainly is appearing in many sf stories lately. In the light of the accelerating rate of technological growth, it does seem as if we are poised for a some epochal shift in the not-too-distant future. Or does it?

Vernor Vinge thinks it may be ahead, but not necessarily: http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/faculty/vinge/misc/singularity.html

These people are firmly convinced the singularity is on the way and are on the lookout for it: http://www.singularitywatch.com/

Are these signs of a real change ahead or just another variant of millenial fervour? What do you think?


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