If you’re not quite sure what this Singularity thing is all about, you’re not alone. The use of the term “Singularity” comes from physics, where it describes a point of collapsed space-time, typically at the center of a black hole; the underlying claim is that all of our knowledge of how the universe works is irrelevant within a Singularity. This is the root of the metaphorical use of the term—after a Singularity event, everything we know will change in ways we can’t now understand.
In the early 1990s, Mathematician and science fiction writer Vernor Vinge was the first to clearly articulate this usage of the term, and begins his essay as follows:
“Within thirty years, we will have the technological means to create superhuman intelligence. Shortly after, the human era will be ended.”
The Singularity and Society | Open The Future | Fast Company
um.. wow. looks fascinating. Jamais Cascio has a fascinating talk on Oct 3rd called
Putting the Human Back in the Post-Human Condition
aka If I Can’t Dance, I Don’t Want to be Part of Your Singularity
