...Singularity: Scary or Scarce? American author Vernor Vinge once said, “If the technological singularity can happen, it will,” (Vinge 16). The fear of a singularity has been spread like wildfire over the past couple of decades due to the increased implementation of artificial intelligence into our everyday lives. From SIRI, to Cortana to now Alexa, artificial intelligence is starting to become a crucial part in many people’s lives. The question remains: when will it go too far? The definition for a technological singularity, according to WhatIs.com, “is the hypothesis that the invention of artificial super intelligence will abruptly trigger runaway technological growth, resulting in unfathomable changes to human civilization.” Many computer scientists believe that it is only a matter of time before a singularity forms and the fallout from it can be catastrophic in nature. But, what if you start to examine the other side of the coin? A singularity is a hypothetical, albeit terrifying, scenario but is it truly worth all of the worry? I believe that a singularity is...
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...194-195 Sunlight output is about 10^17 watts, and we only need 10^13 watts. This is 10k more then we currently need. Increased effectiveness of nanotechnology implies energy requirments will only oncrease to 3x10^13 by 2030. We can meed this energy need with 0.0003 of the sun's energy. Solar panals have been relatively inefficient and expensive, but technology is rapidly improving. Stedily advanced for silicon photovoltaic cells from 4% in 1952 to 24% in 1992. Currently around 34% efficiency. Effectiveness above 60% seems attainable. Today it costs $2.75 per watt. The price will fall, and once it does fall below $1.00, it will be competitive for directly supplying electricity to the nations grid. Currently, the price sits as low as $0.70 cents per watt. Once we have molecular nanotechnology based manufacturing, can produce solar panels extremely ineffictively, basically at the costs of raw materials. Could eventually be as inexpensive as a penny per square meter. Could put solar panels everywhere, on buildings, majority of human surfaces. Could put solar satellite into space and beam to earth via microwave. Each unit could provide billions of watts of electricity. Medicine 213 New ECG analysis for long-term unobtrusive monitoring, detect early warning signs of heart disease. AI programs to do pattern recognition and intelligent data mining in development of new drug therapies. Intelligent datamining tools to find new ways to distupt metabolisms...
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...geography made it easier for westerners to advance in social development. After Morris explains a brief look in the past he then focuses on our time and the future we have ahead if trends continue to occur. And according to all the information we know now, the East will catch up to the West in about 2103. But, only if western society stays the same as it is. Morris chooses this estimate because of past trends. He uses an elaborate scoring system that gives a rough estimate to show the amount of change now as opposed to the past. And he concludes that change has occurred 4 times faster now than social development in the past. The world is changing very dramatically and he calls the 21st century of period of time called the singularity. The singularity is the theory that innovations are occurring so fast that it appears to be instant and that we will transcend technology. With advancement in nano-technology, biology will be forever changed in the next 100 years. This is accelerating all the time in alarming ways. After explaining the positive aspects of humanity, Morris changes his focus to the demise of civilizations. He calls it Nightfall, and there are 5 parts of this apocalypse. Every single time there is a big collapse...
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...The phrase ‘technological singularity’ brings up a wide range of topics, ones that are controversial to the public. Many people believe this kind of research is unnatural, and should be stopped before it can start. While others are very open to the idea, believing it can help in many aspects in human development and daily life. Technology has advanced quickly, from bioengineered skin to genomics, which is the custom building of DNA or RNA strands. Humans need to be able to understand the pros and cons of technology taking over our lives as well as our bodies. There are both benefits and complications with bioengineering and singularity, and both are taken with precise consideration by scientists. Benefits of biomedical engineering and singularity With medical engineering people are afraid of inserting objects into their bodies but what they don’t realize is the advantages that could happen. There are multiple possible benefits of biomedical engineering and singularities. The main singularity is medical benefits. In Progress Accelerates Exponentially, Kurzweil...
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...society. The ethical questions that are being asked are needed and to plan ahead for this event in human history will need to be closely considered and controlled. There is also religious considerations, will the religious community embrace or repulse this science? Does this make us more Godlike and are we competing with God by bending his natural ways? I will evaluate both sides of this controversy and leave you to decide based on the information I present. Ray Kurzweil, author of “The singularity is near” explores the possibility and firmly believes that the singularity is nearly here. The technological singularity is a hypothetical moment in time when artificial intelligence will have progressed to the point of a greater-than-human intelligence, radically changing civilization, and perhaps human nature. Since the capabilities of such an intelligence may be difficult for a human to comprehend, the technological singularity is often seen as an occurrence (akin to a gravitational singularity) beyond which the future course of human history is unpredictable or even unfathomable. Included in this...
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...Superintelligence Reflection There are many differences in this paper compared to my first draft. In my first paper I tended to overuse the same pronouns when referring to the author. I also did not compare and contrast the authors as well as I should have and did not supply any possible solutions to the problems the authors wrote about. In this draft I tried to do a better job of inserting quotes without using sentences starting with “this quote…” or “this quote highlights”. Also I gave my view on how we should approach singularity as my solution to the problems and uncertainties discussed in this paper. As a whole I believe this paper is way better than my first. The biggest thing I took away from this assignment is how vital technology has and will be in mankind’s existence today and continued survival. Also my researching skills have improved after the continued practice I had throughout this assignment. Superintelligence A Superintelligence is “any intellect that vastly outperforms the best human brains in practically every field, including scientific creativity, general wisdom, and social skills”; however, this definition leaves open how the super intelligence is implemented – it could be in a digital computer, an ensemble of networked computers, cultured cortical tissue, or something else. The ethical issues surrounding the creation of these machines with general intellectual capabilities that far outstrip those of humans are very different and have far greater...
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...So why does the mention of artificial intelligence conjure scenes of destruction like we just watched? Many of us take a pessimistic view when asked about AI. Today I want to explain to you the biggest fear associated with artificial intelligence, share examples of this technology that is already in successful use, and describe why you should support the development of artificial intelligence. I.) Having already mentioned a few movies that seem to give very negative connotations to the use of artificial intelligence, let’s begin by looking at one of the biggest oppositions facing artificial intelligence, the argument against singularity. a.) What is singularity? According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, singularity is “the quality or state of being singular.” (Merriam-Webster). i.) Pertaining to the field of artificial intelligence singularity is the moment when machines reach a level of intelligence that surpasses that of human intelligence, thus becoming a singular entity void of the necessity of human interaction. b.)...
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...first generation to be intellectually together. The first generation to be limited only by our imaginations. We stand both before and after, balancing on the razor edge of the Event Horizon of the Singularity. That this sublime juxtapositional tautology has gone unnoticed until now is itself remarkable. We're so exquisitely privileged to be living in this time, to be born right on the precipice of the greatest paradigm shift in human history, the only thing that approaches the importance of that reality is finding like minds that realize the same, and being able to make some connection with them. If these books have influenced you the same way that they have us, we invite your contact at the email addresses listed below. Enjoy, Michael Beight, piman_314@yahoo.com Steven Reddell, cronyx@gmail.com Here are some new links that we’ve found interesting: KurzweilAI.net News articles, essays, and discussion on the latest topics in technology and accelerating intelligence. SingInst.org The Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence: think tank devoted to increasing Humanity’s odds of experiencing a safe, beneficial Singularity. Many interesting articles on such topics as Friendly AI, Existential Risks. A SingInst.org/Media Videos, audio, and PowerPoints from the Singularity Summits; and videos about SIAI’s purpose. blinkx.com/videos/kurzweil Videos on the internet in which the word “Kurzweil” is spoken. Great new resource! PRAISE FOR THE...
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...We are lucky because we are the first generation that can observe the full path of technological revolution firsthand - from first mobile phones to tablet PCs, from heavy desktop computers to lightweight ultrabooks. Each of us faces the results of this revolution every day. Enjoying the benefits, we forget what lies behind them. It turns out that rapid technological progress hides a whole bunch of problems, which most of us do not even think about. The very first issue all the inhabitants of our information society suffer from is problems with mental and physical health. Teenagers often spend half a day chatting online, instead of visiting their friends or doing sports. Adults usually use computer for a whole working day. It results in a growing number of teenagers suffering from obesity and hypodynamia, according to American Academy of Pediatrics (2011). Lack of live communication takes away our social skills, makes us feel isolated and depressed. The second problem becomes important when we upload our personal information into the Net. From the time the information got online, our privacy completely depends on interest to us. If some organization becomes interest in our personal data, there is almost one hundred percent assurance that they will find it on the Internet. If some organizations have interest in our personal data, there is almost one hundred percent assurance that they will find it on the Internet - “Our privacy is dead” (Rambam, 2010). The third problem stems...
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...The growing impact of ICT on globalisation There is no doubt that scientific advances and technological change have been, are and will remain in the coming years important drivers of the globalisation process. They have been conducive to the creation, distribution and exploitation (in a positive sense of the word) of knowledge in such a manner that they have served as a major source of competitive advantage, wealth creation and improvement in the quality of life. The growing impact of ICT (information and communications technologies) on globalisation can be evidenced by the fact that it has led to a rapid application of recent scientific advances in new products and processes, a high rate of innovation across various countries, as well as a shift to more knowledge-intensive industries and services, together with rising skill requirements. In this day and age there has been a growing realisation that science, technology and innovation have served as the key to improving a nation's economic performance as well as its citizens' social well-being. For this reason government - irrespective of its political ilk and orientation - must serve as a facilitator, enabling business and consumers to adapt to the demands and opportunities of the new economy. When talking of globalisation one must not only assess it as a phenomenon but stock must also be taken of its vital and important policy implications. The impact of policy changes in any one country or region can be translated via...
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...Week 8: Current Event Four Changes in Technological Progress and its Contribution to Economic Growth This paper addresses this question by looking at how the behavior of labor productivity grew at a significantly faster rate in the late 90's. The New Economy hypothesis to be examined is whether investment in IT caused the acceleration in productivity. The evidence suggests a growing consensus on two conclusions (Feroli 2001). Information technology is an important factor in the recent acceleration productivity growth (Feroli 2001). Both the production and the use of IT contributed to the productivity revival (Feroli 2001). Information-led development (ILD) most commonly refers to a development strategy whereby a developing country makes a primary economic policy focus the creation and development of a national information technology (IT) sector with the express aim of relying on this sector as an engine of growth (Wikipedia, 2009). While forecasting productivity growth is a chancy and often unsuccessful enterprise, there is some reason to believe that the acceleration in labor productivity could persist for several more years (Feroli 2001). This guarded optimism is informed by recurrent them in the literature that investments in IT manifest themselves in higher productivity with a lag of a few years (Feroli 2001). Information technology can affect aggregate labor productivity through two channels: the production...
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...happened during and after that moment. According to the standard theory, our universe sprang into existence as "singularity" around 13.7 billion years ago. What is a "singularity" and where does it come from? Well, to be honest, we don't know for sure. Singularities are zones which defy our current understanding of physics. They are thought to exist at the core of "black holes." Black holes are areas of intense gravitational pressure. The pressure is thought to be so intense that finite matter is actually squished into infinite density (a mathematical concept which truly boggles the mind). These zones of infinite density are called "singularities." Our universe is thought to have begun as an infinitesimally small, infinitely hot, infinitely dense, something - a singularity. Where did it come from? We don't know. Why did it appear? We don't know. After its initial appearance, it apparently inflated (the "Big Bang"), expanded and cooled, going from very, very small and very, very hot, to the size and temperature of our current universe. It continues to expand and cool to this day and we are inside of it: incredible creatures living on a unique planet, circling a beautiful star clustered together with several hundred billion other stars in a galaxy soaring through the cosmos, all of which is inside of an expanding universe that began as an infinitesimal singularity which appeared out of nowhere for reasons unknown. This is the Big Bang theory. Big Bang Theory -...
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...Black Holes and Their Mysteries Black holes are one of the most popular Hollywood science fiction topics also one of the most mysterious entities in space. Astronomers still have many questions regarding the darkest entity in space, black holes, but over time they began to analyze more and more clues and data, and are now able to explain what a black hole really is. Astronomers have come up with theories of the formations of black holes, the component of black holes as well as many other new discovered facts. What is a black hole? There are many theories to this question. Some people believe it is a tunnel for time traveling, others believe it is a portal for teleportation. At this moment there are no scientific proofs to support these believes. There are still countless unanswered questions, questions like what is on the other end of the black hole. Why they exist? Can astronomers fully understand them? These questions may never be answered but here is what astronomers believe. Scientifically speaking a black hole is an area of space that have abnormally large amount of gravity, so much gravity that not even light can escape. There is no certain explanation of the formation of black holes. However astronomers currently have very solid theories of how they are formed. One of which is the theory that is stated by Stephen Hawking claiming that “trillions of black holes were produced in the Big Bang, with some still existing today.” The main theory for larger black...
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...Lovely Professional University, Punjab Course Code MTH251 Course Category Course Title FUNCTION OF COMPLEX VARIABLE AND TRANSFORM Courses with Numerical focus Course Planner 16423::Harsimran Kaur Lectures 3.0 Tutorials Practicals Credits 2.0 0.0 4.0 TextBooks Sr No T-1 Title Advanced Engineering Mathematics Reference Books Sr No R-1 R-2 Other Reading Sr No OR-1 Journals articles as Compulsary reading (specific articles, complete reference) Journals atricles as compulsory readings (specific articles, Complete reference) , Title Higher Engineering Mathematics Advanced Modern Engineering Mathematics Author Grewal, B. S. Glyn James Edition 40th 3rd Year 2007 2011 Publisher Name Khanna Publishers Pearson Author Jain R. K. and Iyenger S. R. K. Edition 3rd Year 2007 Publisher Name Narosa Relevant Websites Sr No RW-1 RW-2 (Web address) (only if relevant to the course) www2.latech.edu/~schroder/comp_var_videos.htm freescienceonline.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html Salient Features Topic videos available Complex Analysis Reference Material Available LTP week distribution: (LTP Weeks) Weeks before MTE Weeks After MTE Spill Over 7 6 2 Detailed Plan For Lectures Week Number Lecture Number Broad Topic(Sub Topic) Chapters/Sections of Text/reference books Other Readings, Lecture Description Relevant Websites, Audio Visual Aids, software and Virtual Labs Introduction Functions of a Complex Variable Learning Outcomes Pedagogical Tool Demonstration/ Case Study...
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...Modeling Assignment – 1 2013 Answer all questions. 1. When the deflections of a statically determinant beam are calculated using singularity functions, it is necessary to know the values of 2 boundary conditions. For each of the beams below, what are the boundary conditions? 2. Calculate the reactions and draw the SFD and BMD for the cantilever beams below. Using singularity functions, calculate the deflection at 2 metres, the deflection at the tip, and sketch the deflected shape. The cross section of the beam is 300 mm deep by 200 mm wide, and it is made of concrete with a Young’s modulus of 30,000 MPa. 4. Using singularity functions, derive (in terms of P) the equation for the upwards deflection at midspan of the beam below. EI = 10 x 106 Nm2 5. Determine the location and value of the maximum deflection for the beam below. How far from the centre is the point of maximum deflection (expressed as a percentage of the span length)? EI = 10 x 106 Nm2 6. Calculate the reactions and draw the shear force and bending moment diagrams for the beam below. EI = 10 x 106 Nm2 (Note that this has four reactions, so the 3 equations of equilibrium do not give sufficient information to solve the problem – it is statically indeterminate. The answer requires you to use the results from questions 4 and 5). 7. For the beam below, use singularity functions to determine an equation for the deflected shape, expressed in terms of x (measured from the left) and EI. If the beam is...
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