We Alone Cannot Comprehend

Singularity; generally used to refer to everything within a single point.  In this instance however, we are not talking about a singularity, rather the Singularity, the point at which human creation surpasses human intelligence (more specifically the Time Magazine article found here, “2045: The Year Man Becomes Immortal”).  While not the most incredulous idea, it is certainly a possible path for the future; a path most certain to be viewed as a dystopia.  While it is quite possible that human’s will continue to exist “humanity – our bodies, our minds, our civilizations – will be completely and irrevocably transformed” (Grossman 1).  This definition here is what makes a dystopia, not the tragic nature of its construction or foundation, but the changes that will inevitably be brought to our current definition of humanity.  Take for example the novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, a world in which everyone (for the most part) is happy.  This idea would certainly be welcome by most, until they learn about the changes humanity has undergone.  Sure society is happy, but that is only because it has been perfected to the point that humans are genetically engineered and subconsciously trained to be happy, to function as an assembly line, and to give up some of the most fundamental teachings our current definition of humanity is built upon.  Does being always happy outweigh living in a society built upon the idea of “[carrying] at least half your mortality in a bottle” (Huxley 238)?  Even more simply put: do the giants outweigh the losses?  In most cases it depends on the person you talk to, but nonetheless, the point stands relevant.  The same question can be asked of the coming Singularity.  Do the gains outweigh the losses?  Well let’s take a look at some of the proffered gains.  The most obvious is, of course, vast, even near infinite, knowledge and understanding given to the human race thanks to the exponential growth from super-intelligent computers.  The most controversial however, is the idea of everlasting life.  The ability to life forever, whether granted by pill, by becoming a cyborg, both, or even any other conceivable idea would certainly become available to humanity if knowledge reaches a point of nigh-infinite expansion.  The loss however is something that cannot and will not be wholly answered until that day is reached, as until then, ironically enough, we will not possess a clear enough picture to solve the question ourselves.  Perhaps Grossman himself expresses the concern the best, “By beating death, will we have lost our essential humanity?”  Humanity: that which defines us as human; that which makes us what we are; that which we cannot hope to comprehend alone.