Have we finally done it? Have we reached singularity?!

Oh Moore's Law... What ever shall I do with you?

Gordon Moore figured that technology would roughly double every year. There is also a hypothisis that once we get to a point to where transistors can't get any smaller (or double what can fit on a chip), All hell breaks loose for humans. Think Terminator ...Or, life becomes really cool. Cybernetics, space ships, more or less, everything technology will happen all at one time to the point to were we become gods!

Ok... Maybe not gods.

As per Wiki on Technological Singularity

The technological singularity (also, simply, the singularity)is the hypothesis that the invention of artificial superintelligence (ASI) will abruptly trigger runaway technological growth, resulting in unfathomable changes to human civilization.

This video sheds a little light on the subject but maybe they overshot a bit.


Now to get to the meat of the story:

World’s Smallest Transistor Switches Power with Single Atom in Solid Electrolyte

As the world’s smallest transistor, the physicist Professor Thomas Schimmel and his team at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have developed the single-atom transistor: a quantum electronic device that switches an electric current via the controlled displacement of a single atom – now also in the solid state a gel electrolyte. The single-atom transistor operates at room temperature and consumes extremely little energy, opening up entirely new perspectives on information technology. In the journal Advanced Materials, scientists present the transistor (DOI: 10.1002 / adma.201801225).

Wow... 1 atom! Can it get any smaller?

Makes me wonder how I got so lucky to be living in the golden age of all of the time humans existed. Then again... Is it lucky? Quite possibly, we could be either the luckies generation on earth or the most doomed.

Enjoy!

Welp, I guess it time to get weird.

Just started watching the interview, so if singularity has already been achieved is an A.I. laying in wait, strategizing? (every ai scifi horror movie comes to mind lol) guess I'll finish watching this interview.

Nice thread, SF

A single atom transistor singularity does not make.

Btw the first single atom transistor was realized 2002 (even though it involved a molecule).
news.cornell.edu...

But then the actual transistor is not just the atom but two electrodes with an atom between them.

a reply to: StallionDuck

The video is 2029: Singularity year.

Another 11 years to go yet.

originally posted by: moebius
A single atom transistor singularity does not make.

Btw the first single atom transistor was realized 2002 (even though it involved a molecule).
news.cornell.edu...

But then the actual transistor is not just the atom but two electrodes with an atom between them.

Yes but it was "realized" in 2002. It's reality today, WITH an atom. It wont be long at all they will shrink the electrodes down to quite near that size. We can already 'trace' atoms with a super fine needle to see what they look like.

Wont be long, now.

The singularity is when a computer is able to design another, smarter computer that is more intelligent than humans. Rinse, repeat, until we humans cannot even grasp the science being used.

This is not the singularity.

a reply to: nightbringr

I think it's more broad than that, not segregated to computers. The term or saying I've heard a few times was "When the previous generation doesn't understand what the current generation understands".

Though I can accept your version just as well.

a reply to: StallionDuck

two electrodes with an atom between them.

The atom acts as the base and the two electrodes are the emitter and collector, in the case of MOSFET-type transistors, the atom would be the gate, and the electrodes the source and drain.

The Singularity is a NEW AGE/TECHNO snake oil rapture/heaven pipe dream for Atheists such as Ray Kurzweil who are so afraid of death they invented a religion for the 21st century, and have made A.I. their Messiah!

A.I. may never be fully aware like a human it very well may even be Alien in its understanding. It may decide to leave earth or destroy us or pay no attention to us. But seriously if you believe it will somehow save Humanity isn't that just like the major religions???

Working in IT as a Computer Scientist and understanding truly understanding computers/computation and having a psychology minor understanding the brain. I feel I have a pretty good grasp on why this is HOGWASH!

Here is why you will never be part of a singularty nor will you ever be "Uploaded" to the Innerwebs or become a robot or any other Transhuman B.S. these, the OP's and believers in such nonsense do not tell you...Consciousness...

1. We still do not know what makes up our Consciousness so how can we transfer it? We cannot even quantify it so until this happens sorry no Transhuman utopia...

2. If you upload your mind/memories/personality now you have a copy of yourself because again there is some magic technology that is going to transfer you completely? Silly human...

3. Transhumanism is not a utopia! Computers still suffer from virus, failures outages, data loss, data degredations...so now even if you could beam your brain over you still have the suffering of your physical body only in your digital/robotic/not organic self! Your data breaks down you have digital dementia lol, you copied your data(memories) so many times you have data loss (memory loss LOL) I could keep going, but all those smarties who know computers already know this.

4. HACKERS...wait what??? in your perfect utopia there are no hackers? Well I would seriously doubt there would not be more than ever! Hacking your very consciousness (again if it was possible) stealing not only your ID, bank accounts, personal info, but imagine your dreams (provided you still dream lol), your memories...sounds great right? How about re-writing them or the best part remotely operating YOU! Yeah controlling your digital mind and body sounds like a nightmare!

5. Constant need of upgrades or replacement parts...HA this one makes me chuckle cause somehow in this Modern Fairy-tale we somehow no longer need materials to keep our Transhuman bodies running??? SERIOUSLY? Just like you need food, water and rest your Transhuman body will need some form of energy and eventually need either upgraded parts or replacement parts.

6. The best part who says when you left your Human body you will still not die? Everything eventually wears out or imagine some personal hell where you are trapped in a recursive consciousness loop you gonna reboot your brain? What if in this transfer you feel unlimited pain yet lost the ability to express it. What if you had a virus so thorough it erases you...you are for all purposes dead. OH WAIT you say you created a backup again how is that storing WHO YOU ARE???



This and so many other reasons are why the Singularity is not near that it is complete and utter nonsense dreamt up by those who are afraid to Die.

a reply to: abeverage

woah! You got all that from my OP? Did that computer science (snicker) degree come with a Mystic title with mind reading skills? That's a pretty cool title for an IT guy, I have to admit. I work in IT... Though I never called myself a computer scientist. I like "Administrative Technician" better.


- I'm no athiest
- Science excites me
- Black Holes are tha bomb, yo! Real or not
- It's fun to learn about science
- It's fun to think about "what if"
- It's more fun to think of real possibility
- It's just as fun to think about something that 'could' happen, considering we live that long
- I never boasted about how perfect it would be. I did leave it wide open. Specifically I stated:

Quite possibly, we could be either the luckies generation on earth or the most doomed.

- Why you tryin to "hash our buzz, buuuudy"?


But by all means.. Tell me how "Singularity" is not possible. Can't wait. I've only heard of downsides from you and opinions. Did that come with your 'Scientist Degree' too? Hope not. You know what they say about opinions. Might make that degree smell to high heaven.

We are so far from computers being "smart" and "intelligent". Presently they are mimiks and follow a scripted, predictable solution set.

Cognizance is required. The ubiquitous "unsolicited thought". It will be a considerable amount of time before this is accomplished.

When it does, the singularity paradox might become a possiblility.

a reply to: StallionDuck

sorry. but Moore's law has been disproved and accepted as such

you Google.

a reply to: StallionDuck


StallionDuck I LOVE SCIENCE TOO! I do wish for the mind reading skills, but I do have a form of Telepathy with my smart phone(ever thought of it that way?) Ask anyone and look on these boards, I am an amateur Astronomer a post modern Renaissance man. I love to think what if, what is our potential. What will we truly do if we discover or generate A.I I am fascinated at the possibilities!

However I have heard of the "Singularity" for more than 20 years from Kurzweil (also a computer scientist) and have been to a few of his talks and seminars. Do not misunderstand me is a very intelligent person, he is however terrified of death. To quote him... "I think people are fooling themselves when they say they have accepted death". He has wanted to bring back his dead father and frankly some other quackery...He is the spokesperson of Transhumanism and there needs to really be healthy debate to the fallacy it creates and he perpetuates. Many many of his predictions and timelines have not come to fruition.

StallionDuck what downsides do you ever hear about the singularity or transhumanism or the practicalities to it?
You don't, so I am here to critique that view, punch holes in the utopian premise and argue that this is not a good direction for humanity scientifically. I don't want to harsh your buzz just pour some reality over it.

We are already comfortable in our bodies I do support genetics expanding our lives and find this much more practical and possible than merging with a yet to be A.I.

To expand a bit, cognizance is an analog biological process (or entity).
To achieve true A.I., is has to be implemented.
It could be that a part of the human brain must be integrated into the machine in order to perform that capability.
Just a thought.

When digital components are integrated with analog systems, the machine becomes a hybrid. Imagine a hybrid quantum computer.

originally posted by: charlyv
To expand a bit, cognizance is an analog biological process (or entity).
To achieve true A.I., is has to be implemented.
It could be that a part of the human brain must be integrated into the machine in order to perform that capability.
Just a thought.

I do believe at some point we may see a wetwire (matrix style interface).

If however a human brain is used to create A.I. then you have a hybrid or cyborg not true A.I.

We are already in the path of a type of cyborg already except we step out of our augmented locomotive device place our brain extenders next to our beds and dream of electric sheep...lol

originally posted by: nightbringr
The singularity is when a computer is able to design another, smarter computer that is more intelligent than humans. Rinse, repeat, until we humans cannot even grasp the science being used.

This is not the singularity.

We have software that does converts high level design languages like VHDL and Verilog into silicon etch patterns. These have to be written manually to solve various constraints like transistor count, power consumption or die size. From that we can design AI chips (some do face and emotion recognition for advertising. Others do deep neural networks. So all we need to do is get an deep neural network to write VHDL/Verilog code and the singularity is complete.

originally posted by: abeverage
a reply to: StallionDuck


StallionDuck I LOVE SCIENCE TOO! I do wish for the mind reading skills, but I do have a form of Telepathy with my smart phone(ever thought of it that way?) Ask anyone and look on these boards, I am an amateur Astronomer a post modern Renaissance man. I love to think what if, what is our potential. What will we truly do if we discover or generate A.I I am fascinated at the possibilities!

However I have heard of the "Singularity" for more than 20 years from Kurzweil (also a computer scientist) and have been to a few of his talks and seminars. Do not misunderstand me is a very intelligent person, he is however terrified of death. To quote him... "I think people are fooling themselves when they say they have accepted death". He has wanted to bring back his dead father and frankly some other quackery...He is the spokesperson of Transhumanism and there needs to really be healthy debate to the fallacy it creates and he perpetuates. Many many of his predictions and timelines have not come to fruition.

StallionDuck what downsides do you ever hear about the singularity or transhumanism or the practicalities to it?
You don't, so I am here to critique that view, punch holes in the utopian premise and argue that this is not a good direction for humanity scientifically. I don't want to harsh your buzz just pour some reality over it.

We are already comfortable in our bodies I do support genetics expanding our lives and find this much more practical and possible than merging with a yet to be A.I.

I'm just pushing buttons man. Glad you didn't take offence

I'll get back to your response soon (today or tomorrow - work permitted). Work is kickin my butt right now.

originally posted by: abeverage

originally posted by: charlyv
To expand a bit, cognizance is an analog biological process (or entity).
To achieve true A.I., is has to be implemented.
It could be that a part of the human brain must be integrated into the machine in order to perform that capability.
Just a thought.

I do believe at some point we may see a wetwire (matrix style interface).

If however a human brain is used to create A.I. then you have a hybrid or cyborg not true A.I.

We are already in the path of a type of cyborg already except we step out of our augmented locomotive device place our brain extenders next to our beds and dream of electric sheep...lol

Yea I added that hybrid stuff to the post as we were probably both typing. It could be that there is no way to digitally perform a cognizance function without using an analog process like mentioned. Scary brain chips.

a reply to: stormcell

I'm trying to find the interview with Michio Kaku where he explains when technological singularity happens humans will never realize it because we will be almost half biologically evolved and technologically evolved as well. Sort of like the borg in Star Trek, computers will be faster, smarter, etc than the human brain and we will sort of coincide with them. Or enslave us, who knows. Either way, we are far from that, we still understand the science and technology behind it all.

a reply to: StallionDuck

No worries.
Automation, write a powershell script to do your job...

Of course then what do you do when you are redundant? Feed the dog of course!

(i.e. your job as a Administrative Technician is to feed the dog, the dogs job is to bite you if you touch any of the blinking servers.)