Raymond Kurzweil

More and more I am becoming a optimistic futurist, even as the politics of man plumit to truely awful depths. Kurzweil sees the merger of human and technology as inevitable. Its a wild idea with, of course, lots of detractors. But if we can put aside the scary science fiction robotic horror show that shuffles through the mind when we think of a human merger with technology, and ask ourselves what is "natural" for the human? Maybe what is natural for us is to create technologies of greater and greater sophistication, as sophisticated as ourselves.

"An analysis of the history of technology shows that technological change is exponential, contrary to the common-sense 'intuitive linear' view. So we won't experience 100 years of progress in the 21st century—it will be more like 20,000 years of progress (at today's rate). The 'returns,' such as chip speed and cost-effectiveness, also increase exponentially. There's even exponential growth in the rate of exponential growth. Within a few decades, machine intelligence will surpass human intelligence, leading to The Singularity—technological change so rapid and profound it represents a rupture in the fabric of human history. The implications include the merger of biological and nonbiological intelligence, immortal software-based humans, and ultra-high levels of intelligence that expand outward in the universe at the speed of light."

Kurzweil has alot of interesting essays and opinion on his site.

Kurzweil

dig it.