First off, if you're going to talk about 'Singularity' it would be helpful to define it--or one would think. I felt as if it were another "World's best blond joke" circle 'jerk'..."The Singularity is an era in which our intelligence will become increasingly nonbiological and trillions of times more powerful than it is today—the dawning of a new civilization that will enable us to transcend our biological limitations and amplify our creativity...Ray Kurzweil book site"

That said, I think it has already happened, so not to worry. We are already "talking" using our computer brains with more supporting data at our fingertips than we ever imagined. And naughty pictures. Let's not forget naughty pictures. We've already transcended the biological limitations of even the most advanced perv of the pre-1980's era.

Sorry! I wasn't sure I was even in a position to define it, not having read the book.

And the advances in porn are indeed impressive.

I wasn't criticizing you, dear girl! Mr. Dean talked about the subject at length without ever defining what-in-the-heck he was talking about! I assume he thinks everyone should know. Or anyone that counts. Your summary was quite appropriate--indeed what I've come to expect from you. I was a little disappointed the link was NOT broken, however. I know you do that on purpose! I'm beginning to think you don't care! Sniff!

Sometime soon, I'll serve up a whole bouquet of broken links, and you, Jeff of BA, and Desert Cat can tease me mercilessly about it ;)

Should I be reading about the Singularity, or will it just make my head hurt? I think I'll wait until someone puts out a graphic novel about it. That sounds less threatening.

Oh please! Enough with the gender stereotypes already. ;P

Okay--I'll be literal-minded for a moment, here, because I have been accused of playing the dumb bimbo when it suits me:

I'm a proofreader, so I spend a lot of time reading boring stuff just looking for typos and other irregularities.

So when I look at the kind of close reading that other bloggers do of certain passages, I just throw up my hands in disgust. It's not that I couldn't do it: it's that I have a life. I'm not earning lawyer-money, so I don't have to put up with lawyer-bullshit.

(Also, as you know I'm so arrogant that I feel I've got nothing to prove ;) )

I kid! I kid!

I'm sure it's not what you meant, but y'know, reading it literally...

On the topic, it certainly sounds interesting, but likewise, I'm not *sufficiently* interested to read the book.

(offhand dismissal)
In all likelihood the author had a point he wanted to make, and found sufficient data to make the point.
(/offhand dismissal)

My favorite example of "way too much book to support its thesis"? Guns, Germs and Steel. I gave him a few chapters to get into the meat of his discussion, but he kept talking around it.

So I went away ;)

I'll wait and read about the Singularity on the newsblogs, 'cause if I read about things that haven't happened yet I'll just end up disappointed. Like my flying car. Where the flip is my flying car!?

I know. There they were on the Jetsons, big as life. And we were supposed to have had them like, decades ago.

I'm going to go into full-on Asperger's Syndrome mode here, and ignore the jokes for a literal answer.

Sure, read about it. Kurzweil's stuff is probably the best, since he chewed the idea most and first. I personally have a hard time with a thesis that reminds me a bit too much of 2010's "Something's going to happen... something wonderful," but that's probably just me being old and cranky.

If you want a more reasonable singularity, try this one on:

Doctors announce a treatment that will extend productive, vigorous human life by 100 years. It costs $75,000,000 per person, and it will be decades before it comes down significantly.

Tempting, but like most, I can't afford it. And I'm afraid I'd get bored.

My grandmother always said she didn't want to live after she could no longer drive. In my case, it's reading and writing. My singularity: on day x, I'm too old to log on to the internet. On day X + 1, I'm dead.

Easy peasy.