Singular expectations

There is a concept, with which some of you are familiar, of the “Singularity”. The basic premise, espoused by a movement led by Ray Kurzweil, is that technology is advancing at a hyper-exponental rate.

This premise leads to all sorts of interesting consequences. One consequence,for example, would be that medical technology will soon advance to the point where there will be no disease: Millions of tiny nano-bots will continually course through your bloodstream, efficiently correcting any organic dysfunction they may find.

By Kurzweil’s estimate, we will reach the Singularity around 2045. If you’ve managed to stay alive until that year, advanced technology will then allow you to achieve immortality.

I find my reaction to this scenario to be complex. Even if I make it as far as 2045, I don’t really want to live forever. I just want to outlive Ray Kurzweil.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *