Replies

Economics will limit post-singularity creatures, too. At best they will flood out into space until they run out of resources. At worst they will remain a laboratory curiosity. For most people they won't matter. Unless there comes a turf war between machine and man. It is too easy to underrate man because we each act so dense and stupid a lot of the time, but man will win the turf war. Also, most won't choose to become Borg, mainly because it's going to be a lot of work and not worth the effort. A few might go that route, but they won't amount to much.

What we have in 2102 won't be post-singularity existence, but a much less-developed version, probably with State control of all the citizens like in our worst nightmares.

I'm personally torn on the subject. I figure there might be some natural law that prevents such a thing as the Singularity from taking place. Sort of like the alleged law against paradoxes that prohibits time travel (you know you go back and kill your granddad and therefore would never exist).

But the enthusiasts on this subject are totally convinced to the contrary. So much so that they're already devising a humanitarian philosophy that will help those of them that become transhuman deal with the mere peons that don't- they don't want to treat 'em as serfs dontcha know.

One thing's for sure and this is what ever got 'em started speculating on the topic in the first place- if you plot the advance in computing speed on a linear graph, you see the implications of Moore's Law. If you assume that Moore's Law will remain constant- at some point about 35 years from now the advance in computing speed just shoots straight up through the top of the graph. Whatever happens at that point- even if the Singularity turns out to be a fizzler- it should still be very interesting.

Of course, this is assuming Moore's Law holds up for another 35 yrs.