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Author Topic:   Technological Singularity
jmrozi1
Member (Idle past 5893 days)
Posts: 79
From: Maryland
Joined: 12-09-2005


Message 1 of 12 (321557)
06-14-2006 6:35 PM


Technological Singularity refers to the exponentially increasing rate of technological progression, and that at one point an “event horizon” will be reached. Event horizon in this scenario doesn’t refer to the boundary in spacetime at which the escape velocity required for a given mass has reached the speed of light, but the time at which intelligence can be augmented, whether through AI (like in the movie “I, Robot”), or through augmenting the human brain (for example, an evolution of gene therapy technology applied to the brain).
At first I cast this away as just another crackpot theory, but the more I think about it the more I start to worry. There are many developing fields such as nanorobotics that could easily create a path to brain augmentation. If, for example, the nanobots were programmed to replace some random irreducible brain part with a more efficient computer part given the same functionality, the door has been opened to endless possibilities that would inevitably lead to this "event horizon".
I'm very interested in hearing if anyone has other more reasonable theories in support of singularity, but would also like to discuss its plausibility as well as the potential consequences of an event horizon being reached.

Replies to this message:
 Message 2 by Admin, posted 06-16-2006 8:21 AM jmrozi1 has replied
 Message 5 by kuresu, posted 06-17-2006 3:42 PM jmrozi1 has replied
 Message 11 by Modulous, posted 02-17-2008 8:28 AM jmrozi1 has not replied

  
Admin
Director
Posts: 12998
From: EvC Forum
Joined: 06-14-2002
Member Rating: 2.3


Message 2 of 12 (322144)
06-16-2006 8:21 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by jmrozi1
06-14-2006 6:35 PM


This doesn't seem to relate to the creation/evolution debate. If you agree I'll put this in [forum=-14].

--Percy
EvC Forum Director

This message is a reply to:
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Replies to this message:
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jmrozi1
Member (Idle past 5893 days)
Posts: 79
From: Maryland
Joined: 12-09-2005


Message 3 of 12 (322285)
06-16-2006 1:01 PM
Reply to: Message 2 by Admin
06-16-2006 8:21 AM


Agreed. For some reason I forgot that I could just post this directly into that kind of forum.

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Admin
Director
Posts: 12998
From: EvC Forum
Joined: 06-14-2002
Member Rating: 2.3


Message 4 of 12 (322325)
06-16-2006 2:28 PM


Thread moved here from the Proposed New Topics forum.

  
kuresu
Member (Idle past 2513 days)
Posts: 2544
From: boulder, colorado
Joined: 03-24-2006


Message 5 of 12 (322627)
06-17-2006 3:42 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by jmrozi1
06-14-2006 6:35 PM


never heard of this technological singularity, but I've noticed that we get more advanced every year with our technology. Not sure I agree with the definition of the singularity. It seems to me that this singularity is where we stop increasing our technology, but that could be because I'm none too familiar with singularities to begin with.
In other words, I don't see how augmenting or rpelacing the brain is a singularity, because even then our tech knowledge would still increase. The exponential makes sense though. All of history to develop wheel. fourthousand years after that we have plane. 60 years later, we're on the moon. forty years later we're . . . okay, so nothing incredibly new in manned space, but we got awesome computers. next decade, your nanobots.

All a man's knowledge comes from his experiences

This message is a reply to:
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Replies to this message:
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jmrozi1
Member (Idle past 5893 days)
Posts: 79
From: Maryland
Joined: 12-09-2005


Message 6 of 12 (322630)
06-17-2006 4:07 PM
Reply to: Message 5 by kuresu
06-17-2006 3:42 PM


Superhuman Intelligence
Too see a version of singularity fully explained, try here: singularity
I'll sum up some of the key ideas:
(1) The acceleration of technological progress will inevitably lead to superhuman intelligence.
(2) Superintelligent entities will better at developing intelligence than their predecessors, and the children of their technology will be better yet.
(3) The end of humanity will inexorably follow from this pattern of exponential intelligence acceleration.

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Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 7 of 12 (446797)
01-07-2008 9:26 AM
Reply to: Message 6 by jmrozi1
06-17-2006 4:07 PM


Re: Superhuman Intelligence
Sounds kinda scary to me!

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Earendil
Junior Member (Idle past 5866 days)
Posts: 11
Joined: 01-27-2008


Message 8 of 12 (451606)
01-28-2008 5:09 AM


Singularitary? This sounds very similar to Transhumanism which affirms the desirability of fundamentally improving the human condition(increasing human INTELLECTUAL, physical and psychological capacities) and eliminating undesirablilties of the human condition(such as stupidity and aging) by developing technology.
I'm actually a firm advocate for this. Things like brain-computer interfaces and neuropharmacology can augment our intelligence. This can be a catalyst for human evolution and can make us experience our emotions with much more.. richness?
Of course, transhumanists do study the potential dangers that these technological advancements pose to us and the entire world. I believe if they study these carefully, this event horizon can be achieved without having accidents occuring.
(I thought Singularitatianism or however you spell it advocates the developing of smarter-than-human intelligence, I may be wrong.)

Replies to this message:
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jmrozi1
Member (Idle past 5893 days)
Posts: 79
From: Maryland
Joined: 12-09-2005


Message 9 of 12 (454336)
02-06-2008 1:03 PM
Reply to: Message 8 by Earendil
01-28-2008 5:09 AM


It's kind of funny to see a reply after such a long time off of what I thought was a dead topic. It's also funny to see that I used to write like a complete jerk (well, maybe I still do), but on to the point: Transhumanism is only a subset of technological singularity, but on the other hand, I think it's the most interesting and likely one to happen. The thing is, if most first world countries are anything like the United States, a religious background will make it very difficult to be progressive in this field.
The more people you have in a democratic nation, the more conservative it becomes, and with over 300 million people...well you get the idea. There are, of course, many other hurdles that will need to be passed, such as how to experiment on something as vital and complex as the brain. Imagine that someone's brain is replaced, neuron by neuron, with a more efficient computer part. Later, some drunk at a party decides to play a prank and runs a powerful magnet next to his head. If there's anything I've learned from Hollywood, this will either kill him or, more likely, turn him into an evil cyborg supervillain.
There's also this great misunderstanding about how intelligence can be increased, so the more I look in to it, the more I become skeptical that this kind of singularity is possible (even though people much better versed in singularity than me wrote books about how it's inevitable). But you've got the right idea about the singularity I was talking about, and I agree that Transhumanism will be very helpful as long as it's developed responsibly.

This message is a reply to:
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CK
Member (Idle past 4127 days)
Posts: 3221
Joined: 07-04-2004


Message 10 of 12 (454341)
02-06-2008 1:42 PM
Reply to: Message 5 by kuresu
06-17-2006 3:42 PM


http://www.accelerando.org/book/
e-version of a book that covers many of those issues.
quote:
It seems to me that this singularity is where we stop increasing our technology,
I think it's more we become irrelevent to the improvement of our technology.

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Modulous
Member
Posts: 7801
From: Manchester, UK
Joined: 05-01-2005


Message 11 of 12 (456320)
02-17-2008 8:28 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by jmrozi1
06-14-2006 6:35 PM


In the news
Ray Kurzweil says nanobots would
quote:
"make us smarter, remember things better and automatically go into full emergent virtual reality environments through the nervous system".
I'm sure that his appearance on the BBC news website was nothing to do with his upcoming film Singularity is near. OK, maybe I'm a little cynical. Anyway - seems like this old topic might be rising into the memesphere to see if it captures any imaginations.
I still want the flying cars I was promised.

This message is a reply to:
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Replies to this message:
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ICANT
Member
Posts: 6769
From: SSC
Joined: 03-12-2007
Member Rating: 1.5


Message 12 of 12 (456433)
02-18-2008 12:29 AM
Reply to: Message 11 by Modulous
02-17-2008 8:28 AM


Re: In the news
Hi Mod,
You didn't order yours yet? They are only 178k.
Delivery date now in 2010.
You can find it at: Fairly realistic flying car offered for 2009 delivery The Register
God Bless,

"John 5:39 (KJS) Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."

This message is a reply to:
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