"Singularity is Near" by Ray Kurzweil

[diwana]

Re: “Singularity is Near” by Ray Kurzweil

@Niksik

Last night I watched a documentary based on scientist, inventor and futurist, Ray Kurzweil’s book, “Singularity is Near.” If you’ve been following the advancements of Science and Technology, Kurzweil is a much revered figure in this field. He’s the inventor of the flatbed scanner and portable audio readers for the blind, just to mention a few significant achievements.

Here’s a few key points. The goal of this thread to start a discussion that stems from the following predictions and thoughts flavored with your thought process. Read carefully please.

• The most powerful phenomena in the universe is intelligence.
• **Pretty much any problem can be overcome by leveraging science and technology.
  **- There are 3 main areas that control our existence: GENETICS, NANO-TECHNOLOGY and ROBOTICS (artificial intelligence).
• In a few years, a few decades, machines will match human intelligence.

GENETICS (a few examples for discussion):

• Not too long ago, life expectancy was 25 years. That was our genetic “program” but **we’ve been able to “re-program” our genetic set up and have increased the life expectancy.
  **- Genes = sequences of data
• The cell membrane is made of a certain substance that depletes with time so you can replace it with a supplement containing that substance.
• The obesity gene can be “turned off.”
  **
  NANOTECHNOLOGY (a few examples):
  - tiny devices the size of our blood cells** **that will be planted inside of humans
  **- **they will download appropriate software and fix version 1 of our bodies, ailments, etc.

**ROBOTICS (a few examples):

• Best source of artificial intelligence: the human brain itself
• **We will recreate artificial intelligence that are real people
  **- It is essentially an expansion of the mind by interfacing with technology

FInally,

• These trends are exponential.
• What is singularity? It’s much like the tear in the fabric of space-time inside a black hole…and then everything becomes one with each other.
• Eventually we will transcend humanity.

Kurzweil has many critics who feel he is naive to think that there aren’t any possible negative consequences of such advancement. **But then, there is this: It is not a matter of whether it is good or bad; it is going to happen. Anyone who resists it, resists evolution.
**
(The above points are based on my understand of what I have seen and read thus far. Please feel free correct me if I have misunderstood some points)

DISCUSS PLEASE.
(Madam CM, if you think this thread is more suited in Science & Nature, please move there. There’s a lot of technology in it so that’s why I chose this forum)

**How has he proved these red parts to be true?

**These are claims which are not entirely proven.

1- We have not reprogrammed ourselves to live longer. We simply have removed external factors which lead to early death/shorter life.

2- We have not really been sble to turn off obesity gene, instead we have modified the expression of the obesity gene, if indeed it is a true obesity gene,… by changing our life style such as modulationg the sleep pattern. No convincing evidence that we have turned obesity gene off.
**
Every bad factor or habit can be modulated by suggestion, coersion and positive/negative reinforcement and it does not really mean the gene itself has been turned off or on.**

**Playing with subcellular level structures, including gene structure or function is not a trivial matter.
**
3- The tiny objects and software transfer concept is old. It is called pills and medicines.

We already have been modulating the function of cells and functions of sub celluar structures by using various chemicals called drugs.

This ‘software concept’ off course needs further explanation.

4- Intelligence is mostly innate and then it is acquired based on the learning and practicing simple to complex tasks.

Using various methods perhaps it is possible to enhance human brain function. This needs further explanation by the book as well.