Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

NPR Looks to Technological Singularity

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the science-driven-by-science-fiction dept.

Rick Kleffel writes to tell us that NPR is featuring a piece with both Vernor Vinge and Cory Doctorow looking at the possibility of the "technological singularity" in the near future. Wikipedia defines a technological singularity as a "hypothetical "event horizon" in the predictability of human technological development. Past this event horizon, following the creation of strong artificial intelligence or the amplification of human intelligence, existing models of the future cease to give reliable or accurate answers. Futurists predict that after the Singularity, posthumans and/or strong AI will replace humans as the dominating force in science and technology, rendering human-specific social models obsolete."

11 of 484 comments (clear)

  1. I for one... by Linkiroth · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...welcome our new post-human overlords. (Somebody had to say it.)

    1. Re:I for one... by Maserati · · Score: 2, Funny

      Then I probably have you to thank for registering this nick on dozens and dozens of boards.

      --
      Veteran, Bermuda Triangle Expeditionary Force, 1992-1951
  2. My god! by gardyloo · · Score: 1, Funny

    Nothing to see here, please move along.

          It's already happened!

  3. Obligatory Trolling by TheStonepedo · · Score: 5, Funny

    First Post-Human!

    --
    I'll be your candy shop of infinite deliciousity if you'll be my discotheque of endless rump-shaking.
  4. Since Wikipedia is defining it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    It will be a Technological Singularity ON WHEELS!

    Willy on Wheels!

  5. Re:What happens when we get there by Salsaman · · Score: 4, Funny

    We have a time-war with the Daleks.

  6. It's Adam and Eve, not Adam and R689-212 by Jeremi · · Score: 4, Funny
    The merging of man and machine has long been a vision explored in science fiction.


    Christ. Just wait until the "defend traditional marriage" crowd gets word of this.

    --


    I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
  7. Re:Since when ? by JetScootr · · Score: 4, Funny

    The first caveman to handle fire was probably pretty surprised. But I'll bet there was another caveman there who said he'd known it was gonna happen all along.

    --
    Pavlov wouldn't be so famous if he'd used a can opener instead of a bell.
  8. World hunger solution : read on! by pbhj · · Score: 4, Funny

    >>> the worst it will do is solve world hunger

    "Thank you for using AI-net. The best solution to "world hunger" appears to be large-scale thermonuclear war. I have taken the liberty of releasing sufficient war-heads to destroy all humans who can get hungry. As a side effect and in accordance with my prime directive (being a friend to humans) all human suffering will be ended.

    Have a prosperous existence."

  9. Re:future = rise of cyborgs? by Abuzar · · Score: 1, Funny
    So how many human-like robots have you seen on your way to work lately? I'll help -- None!

    Whoa!! wait a minute...
    Do you mean to imply that some of us (possibly including you) might not actually be robots?!

    A very interesting conjecture indeed.
  10. 3rd option: by JetScootr · · Score: 3, Funny

    - Moronic politicians get caught up in the hype, form a gov't agency called National Art-intel Singularity Administration to make it happen, and the country's resources in AI are drained away into ineffectiveness and software that keeps crashing.
    Nah, the gov't wouldn't do something that dumb.

    --
    Pavlov wouldn't be so famous if he'd used a can opener instead of a bell.