This promises to be a bit of a change from yesterday’s post on the mountain climb! I was still pretty tired last night, hitting the sack early and up early as well this morning before the household stirred.

I read a lot, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. I probably spend about two hours a day, usually in the early morning, reading dozens of different articles on a wide range of subjects. I seek different opinions and perspectives, from sources that are both popular and well known to the more esoteric stuff commonly found in professional journals. The latter can sometimes be a stretch as I try to comprehend the complexities of physics or economics or energy policy and the like. One of my favorite topics is science as I try to keep up with such a rapidly changing discipline.

And just as scientists are seeking a Unified Field Theory, sometimes called the Theory of Everything (TOE) in order to pull all sorts of disparate physics concepts into one explanation, I am seemingly on the same trajectory. I guess that makes me a fan of explanation rather than just going with the flow. I don’t know if that’s good or bad.

So, this morning, I found myself reading some articles on science, including one on the theoretical point at which a very large planet’s mass and gravity creates its own fusion, transforming it into a star. Pretty fascinating. But that’s not what I felt called to write about.

It was another article I read that made me remember one of my previous posts, on anxiety, which included a piece about potential existential threats to humanity. As a Jesus-follower, the concept of existential threats to humanity has an interesting twist. We’ll have to see if I’ll get to that.

It’s this thing called the “Singularity.” A very hot topic on the science fiction circuit for some time now, it’s rapidly approaching reality. I don’t think I can go a day reading about scientists predicting this or that without one of them addressing some version or other on the general concept. I suspect the vast majority of people have never heard of the term but almost everyone has been introduced to it in one form or another. So, how does it fit into the general theme of these essays? Why does it intrigue me so?

Let’s see. From the article:

The idea of the “Singularity” has been around since the early 1950s, when computer/math genius John von Neumann told a friend that all the changes he had seen in his lifetime regarding the “ever-accelerating progress of technology and changes in the mode of human life,” made him think that mankind was “approaching some essential singularity in the history of the race beyond which human affairs, as we know them, could not continue.”

As the general theme of this blog has a whole lot to do with what it means to be human, von Neumann’s prediction is an attention-getter. Now, everyone is talking about it. Musk and Zuckerberg seemingly speak of it daily. Hollywood is enamored with it, although without naming it specifically. Physicians and technicians genuinely drool over the possibilities as vistas for advancement open up with dizzying speed. Its allure is as tantalizing as it is frightening. So, what is it, really?

Well, let’s go to my handy dandy simplistic dictionary, which says, the Singularity is

The hypothetical moment in time when artificial (not human) intelligence and other technologies have become so advanced that humanity undergoes a dramatic and irreversible change.

Dramatic and irreversible change to humanity. Now, that should get our attention.

Now, my geek side would be happy to take some time to really break this down into its component parts but I’ll leap ahead.

You see, nearly every technological advancement we are making is in the cause of helping humans lead a better life. I think that about sums it up. Technology is supposed to make us safer, healthier, more powerful and efficient, and happier. It is supposed to extend our lifespan while simultaneously solving mysteries and opening up possibilities. It is DNA sequencing in the interest of solving diseases and growing more crops or in bionics and robotics to enhance our natural abilities and replace damaged body parts or in artificially intelligent transportation systems such as cars, trucks and planes that will get us and our goods there faster and more safely. We are developing artificial wombs and cloning mammals on the road to being able to create ourselves artificially. Some even predict we will approach immortality, able to regenerate every organ. Of course, there are military implications as well. After all, we humans have a propensity to act inappropriately and there seems to be no sign of that abating.

As humans become more artificial and “manufactured” while robots (machines) become more natural and “human,” the lines become blurred. Think Blade Runner, Star Trek: Next Generation and the Terminator franchise, among so many movies and novels it’s hard to keep track.

The Singularity is when the two become one. Man and machine fuse together and there’s no going back. Who does not want an artificial limb to replace the destroyed one? Who does not want an artificial eye or ear or heart if it will enhance and prolong a quality life? The march forward continues apace with the demand. As many futurists predict, we will not know the moment of Singularity except in retrospect.

Honestly, I have not read one person who says it won’t happen. And almost all of those immersed in these kinds of things say it will happen anywhere from the late 2020s to the 2040s. Possibly in my lifetime and certainly in the lifetime of our children.

So, what to make of this?

As a geek, a lot of this is exciting. I like the new technologies on our cars that can automatically brake, sense adjacent objects, recommend routes and so forth. I like that powerful hand held computer we all own and sometimes make phone calls from. I like this smooth laptop device that allows me to type quickly, make corrections and share what I want with others. I like my friend, the MRI machine, that can detect a miniscule anomaly in a key artery or the infections threatening my brain. I like the drugs that keep my diseased lungs functioning. I like to think that the diseases such as cancer and dementia that have killed or crippled friends and family members might be solved before they destroy me and so many others.

On the other hand, this is all very frightening. I happen to believe that there’s something very special about being human and that we are poised on the cusp to losing that.

I happen to have no desire to live forever in this earthly existence. I think mankind’s best chance at a future is what we discover when we look inward or outward only as far as the people and things around us. I think it’s a nice distraction to consider exploring other worlds but not at the expense of exploring our own hearts and ability to relate to one another. After all, geekdom is a hobby not a vocation. And, here’s the proof.

As we all get turned into geeks, fascinated by the power of machines and their ability to supposedly enhance our lives (see above description of enhanced life), there is positively no evidence that any of this makes us more loving or content. In fact, the level of unhappiness and anxiety increases alongside advancing technologies. As humans rely more and more on technology, we rely less and less on one another. Ironically, as technology connects us in the most amazing ways, we are simultaneously becoming disconnected with one another. Faces glued to screens, fingers tapping away, volumes of information flowing in and out of us constantly, becoming “friends” with hundreds of people but deep friends to none or very few … I suggest we are in danger of becoming robotic and losing the essence of what it means to be human. And, we are all simultaneously being seduced and threatened by it.

As the power of what we may loosely call science (and one of its offshoots: technology) increases geometrically, we are quickly outpacing our ability to consider consequences. In other words, it takes on a life of its own. I remember reading that sometime in the late 1800s, people were predicting that we would soon run out of things to patent. In other words, we were close to our limits on innovation. Now, I’m convinced we are innovating at such a rapid rate, we just might innovate ourselves out of existence.

As one who reflects on these kinds of things, I wonder what it all will mean. I hesitated to even write on the topic when it popped into my consciousness this morning. After all, my post from yesterday was of a completely different stripe. I wonder if our species will slowly and ironically just slip away in the pursuit of immortality. Maybe no one or no thing will actually miss us.

And then there’s my faith. A faith that struggles to stand against these manufactured edifices and innate drive to always improve our condition. A faith that says we’re completely missing the point. A faith that is not conflicted by efforts to improve the quality of life but not at the expense of losing our souls. For those who do not believe in such a thing as a soul, there is no issue. Jesus is just myth, a kind of pablum from a tired old age. Look instead at the brilliant future that lies ahead! Look at all of the possibilities! Decry archaic human constructs like faith while investing in human constructs like machines.

We need to ask ourselves what “quality of life” really is. We need to ask ourselves what we’re willing to give up in order to get that thing, whatever it is. In the end, we need to determine for ourselves what is really true in all of this.

Yes, I have a strong geek side and have always loved science and technology. Yes, I’m fascinated by discovery and all that opens up for us. But, none of it can compete with the truth that transcends all of it. I certainly do not have all of the answers but continue to believe I have the ones that count. Others are free to differ.

So, at the end of what can come across as a somewhat dark essay, I remain immensely hopeful. You see, my hope is not in the things listed on this page. My hope is in the reality I see each day that brings me joy and wonder. And this reality is just a wisp of the greater one that surrounds us and will, ultimately, fulfill those of us who seek it. There is nothing in any of this that dissuades me from the path I have chosen and that has now chosen me.

Indeed, I’m a huge fan of Singularity. In fact, it’s already happened. Humankind has been irreversibly changed forever. In this case, it’s not about a man-machine, it’s about a God that became man for a specific reason. There’s the Singularity. If you haven’t already done so, you might consider taking some time to read the four Gospels carefully. Think about them. Ask questions about them. Consider what they mean. Place them up against the relentless march of science and the effort to perfect our species. As a geek and long time lover of science and technology, I’ve made my choice. Blessings, Brad