Steamwonk

It has been claimed that humanity is experiencing a Singularity. This is generally thought of in terms of a curve:

This curve is a singularity because the value of Y/X is undefined at higher values of x. This curve is also described as mathematically “not well-behaved”, or “goes to infinity”.

Ray Kurzweil is a well known author espousing the claim of a singularity in human affairs.

The best reference I found for this term, and meme, is an essay given at a NASA symposium by Vernor Vinge, 1993, The Coming Technological Singularity: How to Survive in the Post-Human Era. Vinge notes that Stan Ulam first used the term singularity in a 1958 Mathematical Bulletin tribute to John von Neumann.

The timeline implies the 1990’s brought an epiphany of information, leading to movies like the Terminator and the Matrix, which promoted this meme to the global stage. Vinge was most concerned in his treatment of this topic with the advance of artificial intelligence. Many of us who consider this Vinge Singularity real, believe that while it particularly applies to technology, it encompasses all aspects of human knowledge. We can label the axes of the curve:

Many of us who consider this Vinge Singularity real, believe that while it particularly applies to technology, it encompasses all aspects of human knowledge. We can label the axes of the curve:

STEAMWONK

What is the Singularity