Two Films on the Topic of the Singularity that Lies Ahead

The technological singularity, when considered rigorously, is something of a framework for thinking about the future of human engineering and the capabilities of the tools we build. It is of interest to supporters of healthy life extension for the same reasons as any consideration of the future of biotechnology: we want to gain a better idea of (a) what it will take to create foreseeable medical technologies of rejuvenation, and (b) whether it is possible or plausible for these advances to arrive within our remaining lifetimes. It is self-evident that agelessness is possible in the long run, given what we know about our biology and the laws of physics:

Imagine living in a body fashioned from "designer cells" that can never age or get sick; and sporting a mind that thinks millions of times faster than today’s brain. ... experts believe that nanotech, biotech, infotech, and cognitive science advances [could] create this future.

But will the first effective rejuvenation technologies arrive in time for us to benefit? Therein lies the all-important question. Thus you will find some considerations of the singularity back in the Fight Aging! archives, such as:

On this topic, two forthcoming films examine the singularity concept:

'Turning Into Gods' - Jason Silva's Documentary on the Singularity (Trailer)

[Jason Silva's] upcoming documentary, Turning Into Gods aims to get its audience believing in the promise of technology, to spread a sense of techno-optimism. The documentary will follow Silva as he interviews the leading minds of our day, and seeks to understand (and revel) in the vast potential of the near future.

The Singularity is Near Premieres at Breckenridge Festival of Film

The feature-length documentary film presents the daring arguments from Kurzweil's New York Times bestselling book, "The Singularity is Near." He predicts that with the ever-accelerating rate of technological change, humanity is fast approaching an era in which our intelligence will become trillions of times more powerful and increasingly merged with computers. This will be the dawning of a new civilization, enabling us to transcend our biological limitations. In Kurzweil’s post-biological world, boundaries blur between human and machine, real and virtual. Human aging and illness are reversed, world hunger and poverty are solved, and we cure death.

You might also take a look at Jason Silva's short film The Immortalists, and an interview with Silva at h+ magazine.

Comments

I have to give Kurzweil credit for boldness of vision...but at the same time I wish he would focus more on aging and less on merging with machines. I saw him speak and it was 90% graphs and technobabble, with only one tiny allusion to aging at the end. It was honestly kind of scary even to me, and I doubt that it added anything to the anti-aging donation pool.

Posted by: Will Nelson at June 3rd, 2010 2:39 PM
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