[Joe9T]

I read about this about 10 years ago and it referred to computers taking over and it was going to occur very soon. Anyone can direct me to any info on this on the internet or explain what I am on about.

It was very difficult to get your head around the theory, but when i did, it made sense, but was very alarming.

Anyone know please.

[megalithic]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyenRCJ_4Ww

[Joe9T]

Originally Posted by megalithic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyenRCJ_4Ww

No, not what i am on about. Please, only serious comments, if anyone knows Thanks

[megalithic]

Computers can't take over the world, who's gonna do the manual stuff, like changing ram, hard drives etc.

They'd need at least one robot.

[Joe9T]

It was known as the "point of singularity" i think. i am not bothered whether computers can or cannot, all i want to know is somebody who actually knows what i am referring to.
silly comments ignored from now on.

[megalithic]

Well, ask a silly question.......

[Joe9T]

Originally Posted by megalithic

Computers can't take over the world, who's gonna do the manual stuff, like changing ram, hard drives etc.

They'd need at least one robot.

This is no it, but by "Omega - 1/4 lifetime (2010s)" first computers match brains in terms of raw computing power http://www.idsia.ch/~juergen/history.html

[Joe9T]

Originally Posted by megalithic

Well, ask a silly question.......

It might be silly, thats not the point, all i want to know is what i am referring to... quite simple, not whether its right, wrong, silly, stupid or whatever.

[HeadingNorth]

"Point of Singularity" sounds like the title of an article or book which you must have read concerning the subject; it's not one I recognise. The subject matter, though, has been written about by a great many authors in the last fifty years, taking various views on it. (Some even argued that robots supplanting and exterminating mankind would be a good thing...)

It's theoretically possible for computers to become independently capable, but so far the amount of progress we've made in that direction is barely above zero. It's proven very easy to make computers ever faster and better at number-crunching, but creating machines that can learn for themselves has proven vastly more difficult than expected.

[Conscious]

10010111011001001011011010101101000101011010

[Joe9T]

Something like "computers in a "flash," all coming together and "taking over" and it would happen in a moment and without warning when it happens.

It was really difficult to get your head around, but it did make sense, but yes hard to believe. The article was a VERY interesting read, but it baffled the mind, attempting to understand why it would happen OR HOW. The only thing i can compare it too is trying to understand the infinity of the universe.

[Joe9T]

Originally Posted by HeadingNorth

"Point of Singularity" sounds like the title of an article or book which you must have read concerning the subject; it's not one I recognise. The subject matter, though, has been written about by a great many authors in the last fifty years, taking various views on it. (Some even argued that robots supplanting and exterminating mankind would be a good thing...)

It's theoretically possible for computers to become independently capable, but so far the amount of progress we've made in that direction is barely above zero. It's proven very easy to make computers ever faster and better at number-crunching, but creating machines that can learn for themselves has proven vastly more difficult than expected.

Thanks HeadingNorth for a constructive response!

[HeadingNorth]

Originally Posted by Joe9T

Something like "computers in a "flash," all coming together and "taking over" and it would happen in a moment and without warning when it happens.

I've read science fiction stories based on that principle, but I've never come across anyone who seriously believed it could happen. (Which doesn't mean there are no such people, or that anyone who does believe it is delusional. I can't keep up with every aspect of every field of science - nobody can.)

[1960boy]

This is from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_singularity.

[Cavegirl]

This is a segment of a documentary I watched recently that discusses the 'singularity' as a potential occurrence in 10-20 years time. Dr Hugo de Garis is an expert who works in artificial intelligence and he's very concerned by the idea that a simple household robot could gradually be improved to the point that its intelligence could surpass ours.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jc9abIU-IYg

Another person to research is Ray Kurzweil as he has released a number of books on this subject. A bit more info on him here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Kurzweil

[Phanerothyme]

This is also good
http://www.ted.com/talks/nick_bostro..._problems.html

[fake]

I was going to suggest it may have been Kurzweil.

Not too keen on him though as he seems to suggest it will happen within 40 years despite the lack of technology and using plenty of "ifs" to fit in with his ideas.

[saxon51]

I always understood that 'The Point of Singularity' would involve me and Carol Vordemann sharing the same space ...... whereby I would be inside, outside, above and below her, all at the same time. Thanks for spoiling it for me.