The Singularity of Technology

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I don't believe in the singularity, but I do believe in the sinkularity when everyone is connected. And I think the singularity is here right now, more or less, or it's happening as we speak. A cell phone and a cell tower is cheaper than a toilet and plumbing and a waste processing system. So you have this leapfrogging happening where people are getting smartphones even though they might not be very literate. They're getting that even though they don't have an improved water source or plumbing systemthat we would recognize as modern. That's amazing. It's part of your optimism portfolio, right? Yeah.

The Earth is heating up, and it’s our fault. But human beings are not always complete idiots (occasional contrary evidence notwithstanding), and sometimes we can even be downright clever. Dare we imagine that we can bring our self-inflicted climate catastrophe under control, through a combination of technological advances and political willpower? Ramez Naam is optimistic, at least about the technological advances. He is a technologist, entrepreneur, and science-fiction author, who has been following advances in renewable energy. We talk about the present state of solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources, and what our current rate of progress bodes for the near and farther future. And maybe we sneak in a little discussion of brain-computer interfaces, a theme of the Nexus trilogy.

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Ramez Naam worked for 13 years at Microsoft, helping to develop early versions of Outlook, Explorer, and Bing. He founded Apex Technologies, which develops software for use in molecular design. He holds 19 patents. His science-fiction trilogy Nexus was awarded several prizes. He is chair of Energy and Environmental Systems at Singularity University.

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