Vingean Singularity
Wednesday, September 1, 2004 9:13 PM
topics:
definitions
books:nf
transhuman
related posts
Vernor Vinge's seminal paper "The Coming Technological Singularity: How to Survive in the Post-Human Era."
Within thirty years, we will have the technological means to create superhuman intelligence. Shortly after, the human era will be ended.
Is such progress avoidable? If not to be avoided, can events be guided so that we may survive? These questions are investigated. Some possible answers (and some further dangers) are presented.
Despite the commonly held belief that the Singularity rests on the creation of an Artificial Intelligence, Vinge's vision of the event rests on the premise of the development of something broader, i.e. the creation of entities with greater than human intelligence. While these may be AI's, Vinge identifies several other possible triggers:
Large computer networks (and their associated users) may "wake up" as a superhumanly intelligent entity.
- Computer/human interfaces may become so intimate that users may reasonably be considered superhumanly intelligent.
- Biological science may provide means to improve natural human intellect.
TechnologicalSingularity
Sunday, August 29, 2004 7:39 PM
topics:
definitions
related posts
From the Wikipedia article on Technological Singularity:
Technological singularity is a term with multiple related, but conceptually distinct, definitions. One definition has the Singularity as a time at which technological progress accelerates beyond the ability of current-day human beings to understand it. Another defines the Singularity as the culmination of some telescoping process of accelerating computation taking place in this universe since the beginning of human civilization or even life on Earth. Yet another defines the Singularity as the emergence of smarter-than-human intelligence, and subsequent cascading consequences that are not possible to predict or, perhaps, guide or even influence.
LightningChaser
Sunday, August 29, 2004 7:21 PM
topics:
definitions
related posts
In Ken MacLeod's novel Newton's Wake, a "lightning chaser" is someone with (an almost pathological) fascination with TransHuman technology. In MacLeod's universe such individuals are viewed with distrust, due to the particularly cataclysmic nature of the Singularity in humanity's past.
Lightning Chasers may not be interested in provoking a Singularity themselves, though they can't seem to resist exploring and tinkering with TransHuman technology whenever they find it. This often leads to disasterous results, ranging from the lightning chaser becoming "infected" by the technology being studied up to provoking a new, local Singularity.
about lightning chaser
Sunday, August 29, 2004 6:47 PM
topics:
definitions
related posts
LightningChaser is a link blog concerning what may be the most significant event in human history since the rise of sentience: a TechnologicalSingularity. Since first reading about the Singularity at least a decade ago, it's been an obsession of mine. I regularly seek out more information about the potential for such an event; this blog is the web-based reflection of the notes I keep connected with this study.
Unlike many other blogs, LightningChaser is not intended to editorialize (much) or to be a journal. Rather, it is primarily a record of my research into a topic - a list of links to articles I've read, and want to be able to easily reference again at need. In this way, LightningChaser is reminescent of the original concept of the weblog, i.e. an annotated list of interesting web sites.
In other ways LightningChaser is very unlike a weblog, and more like a wiki. Posts are extensively categorized and crosslinked. Again, the intent is to facilitate easy recall of a particular topic and explore related articles.
colophon
LightningChaser is edited on an Apple Macintosh 15-inch PowerBook G4. Most writing is done in Eastgate Systems Tinderbox, hands down the best note keeping software in the world. Occasionally, notes are first written on a Palm Tungsten T3, and transferred later into Tinderbox.
Candidate articles are often identified via RSS feeds using Net News Wire and via several mailing lists.
RSS feeds for all new posts and for specific topics are available. Additionally, a full archive of past posts is available, or can be viewed per topic.
LighningChaser is (hopefully) valid XHTML. The stylesheet is deliberately simple so the site is easily readable on mobile devices like PDA's and mobile phones.
