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The Singularity

The Singularity is a common matter of discussion in transhumanist circles. There is no clear definition, but usually the Singularity is meant as a future time when societal, scientific and economic change is so fast we cannot even imagine what will happen from our present perspective, and when humanity will become posthumanity. Another definition is used in the Extropians FAQ, where it denotes the singular time when technological development will be at its fastest. Of course, there are some who think the whole idea is just technocalyptic dreaming.

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Other Sites
Books
See Also

What is the Singularity? by Dani Eder.
Technological Singularity by Vernor Vinge.
Teknologisk Singularitet (Article from Gateavisa 1994, in Danish).
Singularity Article by Vernor Vinge.
Notes on a Presentation by Dr. Vernor Vinge by John Graves.
The Limitations of the Singularity
Staring Into The Singularity by Eliezer S. Yudkowsky. A dramatic, original and somewhat irritating essay about what the Singularity means.
Singularity Analysis: A Series of Educated Guesses by Eliezer S. Yudkowsky.
Singularity discussion from sci.nanotech.
When will the Singularity Occur? (From the Extropians FAQ)
Paths to the Singularity by Daniel G. Clemmensen. About the Singularity and the events leading up to it, with a discussion of the >Web idea.
The Socio-technological Singularity in Principia Cybernetica.
Surviving the Singularity by Steve Alan Edwards (21C Scanning the future). About the singularity and the transhumanist views about it.
Singularity by Scott R. Turner. A computer-moderated PBEM game based on the Singularity idea.
Is a singularity just around the corner? By Robin Hanson, Journal of Transhumanism 2, June 1998. The economics of Singularity growth.
A Critical Discussion of Vinge's Singularity Concept. Edited by Robin Hanson.
Arterati on Ideas: Vinge's View of the Singularity. Extropy Online, Natascha Vita More.
Simple Equations for Vinge's Technological Singularity Hans Moravec. Some simple growth equations, showing the appearance of a singularity given fairly broad assumptions about accelerating technological growth.

Other Sites

Singularity. An organisation dedicated to those technologies which are most likely to take mankind to Singularity.
Singularity Club. A mutual aid society for Transtopian Singularitarians.
The Low Beyond. Papers by Eliezer Yudkowsky.

Books

Damien Broderick, The Spike. Reed Natural History ISBN: 0730104974

Vernor Vinge, True Names (1980, short story reprinted in True Names and Other Dangers, Baen Books 1987), Marooned in Realtime (1986), A Fire Upon the Deep (1992).

See also

Philosophy Page
Intelligence Increase Page
Information Management
Posthumanity Page