The Singularity – get ready for surprising changes in your life

By Dick Pelletier

     Imagine living in an ageless, disease-free body with youthful looks, superhuman strength and a brain that can outthink computers. Now further envision an affluent, happy, crime-free world without dangerous storms, tsunamis, or unbearable weather.

     These are just some of the amazing advances in our lives and world that futurists believe we will accomplish after mid-century when we experience what scientists refer to as the Singularity, a point in time when technologies progress so fast that it becomes nearly impossible to keep up with the changes.

     Experts reason that if computing power keeps doubling every eighteen months, as it has done for the last fifty years, then by late 2020s, computers will equal the performance of the human brain. From there, it is only a small step to a computer that surpasses human brainpower. There would then be little point in our building future computers; ultra-intelligent machines could design better ones, and build them faster. This trend will produce an intelligence explosion unlike anything the world has ever experienced.

     Futurist Ray Kurzweil predicts the Singularity will help us redesign the human body into an almost immortal form, eliminating sickness and unwanted death. “We will create a billion-fold increase in intelligence by strengthening our brains with nanoneurons,” Kurzweil says, “and we will interface our minds directly with machines to absorb additional intelligence created by powerful supercomputers.”

     Other benefits of the Singularity include nanobots that will eliminate earthquakes, control weather, and end global warming. A recent Congressional technology report stated that “Most of today’s problems, including material scarcity, human health, and environmental degradation, could all be solved with tomorrow’s technologies.”

     During the last half of this century, Kurzweil and nano-theorist Robert Freitas predict we will build radical changes into our bodies, making us nearly indestructible, with amazing abilities. Our futuristic body will not require breathable air, food, or water. Extreme temperatures; even bullets and knives will not harm us; yet, high-tech sensors in our “nano-skin” will enhance touch and smell, giving us greater pleasures than we experience with today’s biological bodies.

     And with our neurons processing at supercomputer speeds, we will experience an intelligence boost, enabling fast, clear “thought communication” between each other and the Internet; plus we will run thousands of “what-if” simulations when interacting with others, insuring that we make the best decisions.

     Today, we are in the midst of explosive growth in information technologies which, when merged with the Singularity, will push us to a time when all of the world’s knowledge will be accessible on demand with just our thoughts. Television, telephone, and web content will all be seamlessly integrated and available by thought command anytime.

     Every TV program and movie ever produced can be accessed by just thinking about it. And instead of making phone calls with this futuristic system, you will make “thought calls.” Just think of whom you wish to communicate with, and you’re connected. And with their permission, you will be able to see through their eyes; even share their feelings.

     Though this wild scenario may sound more like fiction than science, experts believe that this is how our “magical future” will unfold after humanity experiences this amazing Singularity.

This article appeared in various print publications and on-line blogs. Comments always welcome.