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The Singularity

One day a machine will blink into consciousness
Illustration: Bryan Christie Design
BiomedicalTopicTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

Waiting for the Rapture

Technological convergence will change our lives but won’t make them indefinitely long

5 min read
Image: Bryan Christie Design
BiomedicalTopicTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

Signs of the Singularity

Hints of the singularity’s approach can be found in the arguments of its critics

13 min read
Singularity chart showing who's who
ComputingTopicTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

Who’s Who in the Singularity

A guide to the singularity true believers, atheists, and agnostics

2 min read
Image: Courtesy Pablo de Heras Ciechomski, Ph.D. Copyright all rights reserved 2006–2008, Visualbiotech Sarl (www.visualbiotech.ch), Switzerland
BiomedicalTopicTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

The Consciousness Conundrum

The wetware that gives rise to consciousness is far too complex to be replicated in a computer anytime soon

14 min read
Can Machines Be Conscious?
BiomedicalTopicTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

Can Machines Be Conscious?

Yes—and a new Turing test might prove it

15 min read
Photo of Rodney Brooks
ComputingTopicTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

I, Rodney Brooks, Am a Robot

A powerful artificial intelligence won’t spring from a sudden technological “big bang”—it’s already evolving symbiotically with us

11 min read
Image: Philippe Van Nedervelde/E-SPACES/CG4TV
SemiconductorsTopicTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

Rupturing The Nanotech Rapture

Biological nanobots could repair and improve the human body, but they’ll be more bio than bot

10 min read
Rodney Brooks on the Singularity: Neither Heaven nor Hell
Artificial IntelligenceTopicTypeSpecial ReportsVideo

Rodney Brooks on the Singularity: Neither Heaven nor Hell

Rodney Brooks on why the evolution of superhuman intelligence will be a slow process

1 min read
Image by Bryan Christie Design
RoboticsTopicTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

Economics Of The Singularity

Stuffed into skyscrapers by the billion, brainy bugbots will be the knowledge workers of the future

16 min read
Screenshot of the timeline.
RoboticsTopicTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

Singular Simplicity

The story of the Singularity is sweeping, dramatic, simple--and wrong

6 min read
photo of David Adler
BiomedicalTopicTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

Reverse Engineering The Brain

David Adler dreams of a Google map for the human brain

8 min read
ComputingTopicTypeSpecial ReportsNews

Un-assuming The Singularity

Given the current state of computer science and robotics, it’s hard to understand how ”the singularity” meme has become lodged in the serious discourse of the technosphere

3 min read
Tapping the Computing Power of the Unconscious Brain
BiomedicalTopicTypeSpecial ReportsVideo

Tapping the Computing Power of the Unconscious Brain

Neuroscientist Paul Sajda, of Columbia University, uses the human vision system for computerized image sorting

1 min read
Teaching Machines to Watch Blade Runner
Artificial IntelligenceTopicTypeSpecial ReportsVideo

Teaching Machines to Watch Blade Runner

Christof Koch explains how we can use visual illusions and scenes to explore the difference between our conscious and unconscious perception

1 min read
How to Prepare for the Singularity
Artificial IntelligenceTopicTypeSpecial ReportsVideo

How to Prepare for the Singularity

Vernor Vinge on the run-up to the singularity and what technologists can do to engineer the best outcome for humans

1 min read
ComputingTopicTypeSpecial ReportsNews

A Bit of Theory: Consciousness as Integrated Information

It's essential that we determine to what extent different neural architectures can generate integrated information

5 min read
Singularity Index
ComputingTopicTypeSpecial ReportsNews

Singularity Index

Depictions of the singularity, as seen through the lens of pop culture

2 min read
ComputingTopicTypeSpecial ReportsAnalysis

Do You Need a Quantum Computer to Achieve Machine Consciousness?

There is no compelling evidence that brains exploit any of the special features of quantum mechanics

1 min read
ComputingTopicTypeSpecial ReportsNews

Tech Luminaries Address Singularity

Ten technologists share their views on the Singularity

8 min read
ComputingTopicTypeSpecial ReportsNews

Ray Kurzweil and Neil Gershenfeld: Two Paths to the Singularity

Why both scientists believe we are on the event horizon of a technological singularity

3 min read