Part 19 (1/2)

If it is possible to engineer new universes and establish contact with them, this would provide yet further means for an intelligent civilization to continue its expansion. Gardner's view is that the influence of an intelligent civilization in creating a new universe lies in setting the physical laws and constants of the baby universe. But the vast intelligence of such a civilization may figure out ways to expand its own intelligence into a new universe more directly. The idea of spreading our intelligence beyond this universe is, of course, speculative, as none of the multiverse theories allows for communication from one universe to another, except for pa.s.sing on basic laws and constants.

Even if we are limited to the one universe we already know about, saturating its matter and energy with intelligence is our ultimate fate. What kind of universe will that be? Well, just wait and see.

MOLLY 2004: So when the universe reaches Epoch Six {the stage at which the nonbiological portion of our intelligence spreads through the universe], what's it going to do? So when the universe reaches Epoch Six {the stage at which the nonbiological portion of our intelligence spreads through the universe], what's it going to do?

CHARLES DARWIN: I'm not sure we can answer that. As you said, it's like bacteria asking one another what humans will do. I'm not sure we can answer that. As you said, it's like bacteria asking one another what humans will do.

MOLLY 2004: So these Epoch Six ent.i.ties will consider us biological humans to be like bacteria? So these Epoch Six ent.i.ties will consider us biological humans to be like bacteria?

GEORGE 2048: That's certainly not how I think of you. That's certainly not how I think of you.

MOLLY 2104: George, you're only Epoch Five, so I don't think that answers the question. George, you're only Epoch Five, so I don't think that answers the question.

CHARLES: Getting back to the bacteria, what they would say, if they could talk- Getting back to the bacteria, what they would say, if they could talk- MOLLY 2004: -and think. -and think.

CHARLES: Yes, that, too. They would say that humans will do the same things as we bacteria do-namely, eat, avoid danger, and procreate. Yes, that, too. They would say that humans will do the same things as we bacteria do-namely, eat, avoid danger, and procreate.

MOLLY 2104: Oh, but our procreation is so much more interesting. Oh, but our procreation is so much more interesting.

MOLLY 2004: Actually, Molly of the future, it's our human pre-Singularity procreation that's interesting. Your virtual procreation is, actually, a lot like that of the bacteria. s.e.x has nothing to do with it. Actually, Molly of the future, it's our human pre-Singularity procreation that's interesting. Your virtual procreation is, actually, a lot like that of the bacteria. s.e.x has nothing to do with it.

MOLLY 2104: It's true we've separated s.e.xuality from reproduction, but that's not exactly new to human civilization in 2004. And besides, unlike bacteria, we can change ourselves. It's true we've separated s.e.xuality from reproduction, but that's not exactly new to human civilization in 2004. And besides, unlike bacteria, we can change ourselves.

MOLLY 2004: Actually, you've separated change and evolution from reproduction as well. Actually, you've separated change and evolution from reproduction as well.

MOLLY 2104: That was also essentially true in 2004. That was also essentially true in 2004.

MOLLY 2004: Okay, okay. But about your list, Charles, we humans also do things like create art and music. That kind of separates us from other animals. Okay, okay. But about your list, Charles, we humans also do things like create art and music. That kind of separates us from other animals.

GEORGE 2048: Indeed, Molly, that is fundamentally what the Singularity is about. The Singularity is the sweetest music, the deepest art, the most beautiful mathematics.... Indeed, Molly, that is fundamentally what the Singularity is about. The Singularity is the sweetest music, the deepest art, the most beautiful mathematics....

MOLLY 2004: I see, so the music and art of the Singularity will be to my era's music and art as circa 2004 music and art are to ... I see, so the music and art of the Singularity will be to my era's music and art as circa 2004 music and art are to ...

NED LUDD: The music and art of bacteria. The music and art of bacteria.

MOLLY 2004: Well, I've seen some artistic mold patterns. Well, I've seen some artistic mold patterns.

NED: Yes, but I'm sure you didn't revere them. Yes, but I'm sure you didn't revere them.

MOLLY 2004: No, actually, I wiped them away. No, actually, I wiped them away.

NED: Okay, my point then. Okay, my point then.

MOLLY 2004: I'm still trying to envision what the universe will be doing in Epoch Six. I'm still trying to envision what the universe will be doing in Epoch Six.

TIMOTHY LEARY: The universe will be flying like a bird. The universe will be flying like a bird.

MOLLY 2004: But what is it flying in? I mean it's everything. But what is it flying in? I mean it's everything.

TIMOTHY: That's like asking, What is the sound of one hand clapping? That's like asking, What is the sound of one hand clapping?

MOLLY 2004: Hmmm, so the Singularity is what the Zen masters had in mind all along. Hmmm, so the Singularity is what the Zen masters had in mind all along.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

Ich bin ein Singularitarian

The most common of all follies is to believe pa.s.sionately in the palpably not true.-H. L. MENCKEN Philosophies of life rooted in centuries-old traditions contain much wisdom concerning personal, organizational, and social living. Many of us also find shortcomings in those traditions. How could they not reach some mistaken conclusions when they arose in pre-scientific times? At the same time, ancient philosophies of life have little or nothing to say about fundamental issues confronting us as advanced technologies begin to enable us to change our ident.i.ty as individuals and as humans and as economic, cultural, and political forces change global relations.h.i.+ps.-MAX MORE, ”PRINCIPLES OF EXTROPY”

The world does not need another totalistic dogma.-MAX MORE, ”PRINCIPLES OF EXTROPY”

Yes, we have a soul. But it's made of lots of tiny robots.-GIULIO GIORELLI Substrate is morally irrelevant, a.s.suming it doesn't affect functionality or consciousness. It doesn't matter, from a moral point of view, whether somebody runs on silicon or biological neurons (just as it doesn't matter whether you have dark or pale skin). On the same grounds, that we reject racism and speciesism, we should also reject carbon-chauvinism, or bioism.-NICK BOSTROM, ”ETHICS FOR INTELLIGENT MACHINES: A PROPOSAL, 2001”

Philosophers have long noted that their children were born into a more complex world than that of their ancestors. This early and perhaps even unconscious recognition of accelerating change may have been the catalyst for much of the utopian, apocalyptic, and millennialist thinking in our Western tradition. But the modern difference is that now everyone notices the pace of progress on some level, not simply the visionaries.-JOHN SMART

A Singularitarian is someone who understands the Singularity and has reflected on its meaning for his or her own life.

I have been engaged in such reflection for several decades. Needless to say, it's not a process that one can ever complete. I started pondering the relations.h.i.+p of our thinking to our computational technology as a teenager in the 1960s. In the 1970s I began to study the acceleration of technology, and I wrote my first book on the subject in the late 1980s. So I've had time to contemplate the impact on society-and on myself-of the overlapping transformations now under way.

George Gilder has described my scientific and philosophical views as ”a subst.i.tute vision for those who have lost faith in the traditional object of religious belief.”1 Gilder's statement is understandable, as there are at least apparent similarities between antic.i.p.ation of the Singularity and antic.i.p.ation of the transformations articulated by traditional religions. Gilder's statement is understandable, as there are at least apparent similarities between antic.i.p.ation of the Singularity and antic.i.p.ation of the transformations articulated by traditional religions.

But I did not come to my perspective as a result of searching for an alternative to customary faith. The origin of my quest to understand technology trends was practical: an attempt to time my inventions and to make optimal tactical decisions in launching technology enterprises. Over time this modeling of technology took on a life of its own and led me to formulate a theory of technology evolution. It was not a huge leap from there to reflect on the impact of these crucial changes on social and cultural inst.i.tutions and on my own life. So, while being a Singularitarian is not a matter of faith but one of understanding, pondering the scientific trends I've discussed in this book inescapably engenders new perspectives on the issues that traditional religions have attempted to address: the nature of mortality and immortality, the purpose of our lives, and intelligence in the universe.

Being a Singularitarian has often been an alienating and lonely experience for me because most people I encounter do not share my outlook. Most ”big thinkers” are totally unaware of this big thought. In a myriad of statements and comments people typically evidence the common wisdom that human life is short, that our physical and intellectual reach is limited, and that nothing fundamental will change in our lifetimes. I expect this narrow view to change as the implications of accelerating change become increasingly apparent, but having more people with whom to share my outlook is a major reason that I wrote this book.

So how do we contemplate the Singularity? As with the sun, it's hard to look at directly; it's better to squint at it out of the corners of our eyes. As Max More states, the last thing we need is another dogma, nor do we need another cult, so Singularitarianism is not a system of beliefs or unified viewpoints. While it is fundamentally an understanding of basic technology trends, it is simultaneously an insight that causes one to rethink everything, from the nature of health and wealth to the nature of death and self.

To me, being a Singularitarian means many things, of which the following is a small sampling. These reflections articulate my personal philosophy, not a proposal for a new doctrine.

We have the means right now to live long enough to live forever.2 Existing knowledge can be aggressively applied to dramatically slow down aging processes so we can still be in vital health when the more radical life-extending therapies from biotechnology and nanotechnology become available. But most baby boomers won't make it because they are unaware of the accelerating aging processes in their bodies and the opportunity to intervene. Existing knowledge can be aggressively applied to dramatically slow down aging processes so we can still be in vital health when the more radical life-extending therapies from biotechnology and nanotechnology become available. But most baby boomers won't make it because they are unaware of the accelerating aging processes in their bodies and the opportunity to intervene.In this spirit I am aggressively reprogramming my biochemistry, which is now altogether different than it would otherwise be.3 Taking supplements and medications is not a last resort to be reserved only for when something goes wrong. There is already something wrong. Our bodies are governed by obsolete genetic programs that evolved in a bygone era, so we need to overcome our genetic heritage. We already have the knowledge to begin to accomplish this, something I am committed to doing. Taking supplements and medications is not a last resort to be reserved only for when something goes wrong. There is already something wrong. Our bodies are governed by obsolete genetic programs that evolved in a bygone era, so we need to overcome our genetic heritage. We already have the knowledge to begin to accomplish this, something I am committed to doing.My body is temporary. Its particles turn over almost completely every month. Only the pattern of my body and brain have continuity.We should strive to improve these patterns by optimizing the health of our bodies and extending the reach of our minds. Ultimately, we will be able to vastly expand our mental faculties by merging with our technology.We need a body, but once we incorporate MNT fabrication into ourselves, we will be able to change our bodies at will.Only technology can provide the scale to overcome the challenges with which human society has struggled for generations. For example, emerging technologies will provide the means of providing and storing clean and renewable energy, removing toxins and pathogens from our bodies and the environment, and providing the knowledge and wealth to overcome hunger and poverty.Knowledge is precious in all its forms: music, art, science, and technology, as well as the embedded knowledge in our bodies and brains. Any loss of this knowledge is tragic.Information is not knowledge. The world is awash in information; it is the role of intelligence to find and act on the salient patterns. For example, we have hundreds of megabits of information flowing through our senses every second, the bulk of which is intelligently discarded. It is only the key recognitions and insights (all forms of knowledge) that we retain. Thus intelligence selectively destroys information to create knowledge.Death is a tragedy. It is not demeaning to regard a person as a profound pattern (a form of knowledge), which is lost when he or she dies. That, at least, is the case today, since we do not yet have the means to access and back up this knowledge. When people speak of losing part of themselves when a loved one dies, they are speaking quite literally, since we lose the ability to effectively use the neural patterns in our brain that had self-organized to interact with that person.A primary role of traditional religion is deathist rationalization-that is, rationalizing the tragedy of death as a good thing. Malcolm Muggeridge articulates the common view that ”if it weren't for death, life would be unbearable.” But the explosion of art, science, and other forms of knowledge that the Singularity will bring will make life more than bearable; it will make life truly meaningful.In my view the purpose of life-and of our lives-is to create and appreciate ever-greater knowledge, to move toward greater ”order.” As I discussed in chapter 2, increasing order usually means increasing complexity, but sometimes a profound insight will increase order while reducing complexity.As I see it the purpose of the universe reflects the same purpose as our lives: to move toward greater intelligence and knowledge. Our human intelligence and our technology form the cutting edge of this expanding intelligence (given that we are not aware of any extraterrestrial compet.i.tors).Having reached a tipping point, we will within this century be ready to infuse our solar system with our intelligence through self-replicating nonbiological intelligence. It will then spread out to the rest of the universe.Ideas are the embodiment and the product of intelligence. The ideas exist to solve most any problem that we encounter. The primary problems we cannot solve are ones that we cannot articulate and are mostly ones of which we are not yet aware. For the problems that we do encounter, the key challenge is to express them precisely in words (and sometimes in equations). Having done that, we have the ability to find the ideas to confront and resolve each such problem .We can apply the enormous leverage provided by the acceleration of technology. A notable example is achieving radical life extension through ”a bridge to a bridge to a bridge” (applying today's knowledge as a bridge to biotechnology, which in turn will bridge us to the era of nanotechnology).4 This offers a way to live indefinitely now, even though we don't yet have all the knowledge necessary for radical life extension. In other words we don't have to solve every problem today. We can antic.i.p.ate the capability of technologies that are coming-in five years or ten years or twenty-and work these into our plans. That is how I design my own technology projects, and we can do the same with the large problems facing society and with our own lives. This offers a way to live indefinitely now, even though we don't yet have all the knowledge necessary for radical life extension. In other words we don't have to solve every problem today. We can antic.i.p.ate the capability of technologies that are coming-in five years or ten years or twenty-and work these into our plans. That is how I design my own technology projects, and we can do the same with the large problems facing society and with our own lives.

Contemporary philosopher Max More describes the goal of humanity as a transcendence to be ”achieved through science and technology steered by human values.”5 More cites Nietzsche's observation ”Man is a rope, fastened between animal and overman-a rope over an abyss.” We can interpret Nietzsche to be pointing out that we have advanced beyond other animals while seeking to become something far greater. We might regard Nietzsche's reference to the abyss to allude to the perils inherent in technology, which I address in the next chapter. More cites Nietzsche's observation ”Man is a rope, fastened between animal and overman-a rope over an abyss.” We can interpret Nietzsche to be pointing out that we have advanced beyond other animals while seeking to become something far greater. We might regard Nietzsche's reference to the abyss to allude to the perils inherent in technology, which I address in the next chapter.