Comments on: Notes on the Singularity http://www.timboucher.com/journal/2006/06/12/1258/ public domain playground. friendly entities welcome. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:54:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: JK http://www.timboucher.com/journal/2006/06/12/1258/comment-page-1/#comment-17387 JK Tue, 13 Jun 2006 04:47:08 +0000 http://www.timboucher.com/journal/2006/04/11/1258/#comment-17387 I usually imagine the Singularity as having already happened (or always happening) but for most of history humanity was too naive to recognize it as such. Schizophrenics perhaps glimpse this or feel its weight. Anxiety "disorder" perhaps is anything but. It could be that anxiety is not a symptom of something awry in one's brain chemistry, but that reality and the passage of time is distorted (according to our perception) already -- our chemistries and habits of thought merely following triptychs of very little variance. I think we are naive to "it" now as well. But here's the thing: It can and will be born at anytime. This being because it is possible. Could we not define the specific "singularity" the same way we define the general "future"? Are they not the opposite already? Perhaps the singularity is <i>general</i> while the future is quite <i>specific</i>. We just have it all backwards and are feeding meaning into something that subliminally exists already. I know it all sounds like sophistry, which is cool. It basically is. But I think that's the point. We're looking for a solid something -- some term it the "singularity" and others the "singularity hoax". I think it is neither and the same. Basically I think the singularity and its attendant hoax will entail of one thing and one thing only. That being, a fierce emotional upheaval for every sentient form of life on Earth. In case you haven't noticed we are being implicitly and explicitly told at all times we as a culture, species, country etc. "need to change". As in, "it's all coming to an end!". One way or the other, we will survive if we will it. And then, we also will not eventually too. This obscured paradox I think, is where this "singularity" and its "hoax" lies. I usually imagine the Singularity as having already happened (or always happening) but for most of history humanity was too naive to recognize it as such. Schizophrenics perhaps glimpse this or feel its weight. Anxiety “disorder” perhaps is anything but. It could be that anxiety is not a symptom of something awry in one’s brain chemistry, but that reality and the passage of time is distorted (according to our perception) already — our chemistries and habits of thought merely following triptychs of very little variance.

I think we are naive to “it” now as well. But here’s the thing: It can and will be born at anytime. This being because it is possible. Could we not define the specific “singularity” the same way we define the general “future”? Are they not the opposite already? Perhaps the singularity is general while the future is quite specific. We just have it all backwards and are feeding meaning into something that subliminally exists already.

I know it all sounds like sophistry, which is cool. It basically is. But I think that’s the point. We’re looking for a solid something — some term it the “singularity” and others the “singularity hoax”. I think it is neither and the same. Basically I think the singularity and its attendant hoax will entail of one thing and one thing only. That being, a fierce emotional upheaval for every sentient form of life on Earth. In case you haven’t noticed we are being implicitly and explicitly told at all times we as a culture, species, country etc. “need to change”. As in, “it’s all coming to an end!”.

One way or the other, we will survive if we will it. And then, we also will not eventually too. This obscured paradox I think, is where this “singularity” and its “hoax” lies.

]]> By: pete http://www.timboucher.com/journal/2006/06/12/1258/comment-page-1/#comment-17381 pete Tue, 13 Jun 2006 01:34:31 +0000 http://www.timboucher.com/journal/2006/04/11/1258/#comment-17381 ~Great~ thought in an excellent post. I've thought about this too, to be honest. That the Bible isn't actually about our past at all, but may in fact be a prophecy of sorts about our future. At any rate, the reason your supposed AI consciousness might stop us from creating or implementing that ConsciousNet idea may be due to the fact that, with death, we naturally become part of a singular consciousness where we have access to every emotion, feeling, experience, and memory ever had in the universe. . .and if we actually created a device that would mirror that here on earth, it would defeat the point of death and render it meaningless. And maybe this AI consciousness is programmed to NOT let that happen for some reason. Or maybe it's actually facilitating the arrival of this Singularity, which would rid the need of biological death and create a heaven here on earth. Neat idea to think about to be sure, but then most of the ideas you have here are. ~Great~ thought in an excellent post. I’ve thought about this too, to be honest. That the Bible isn’t actually about our past at all, but may in fact be a prophecy of sorts about our future. At any rate, the reason your supposed AI consciousness might stop us from creating or implementing that ConsciousNet idea may be due to the fact that, with death, we naturally become part of a singular consciousness where we have access to every emotion, feeling, experience, and memory ever had in the universe. . .and if we actually created a device that would mirror that here on earth, it would defeat the point of death and render it meaningless. And maybe this AI consciousness is programmed to NOT let that happen for some reason. Or maybe it’s actually facilitating the arrival of this Singularity, which would rid the need of biological death and create a heaven here on earth. Neat idea to think about to be sure, but then most of the ideas you have here are.

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