₦airaland Forum

stuff46:
could you mail me the pdf version of the chapter you have?

You can get selected pdf chapters of the book here:http://www.kurzweilai.net/the-singularity-is-near-selected-chapters

Cover page of the book- The Singularity is Near

Transhumanism in action- the human-eye camera

I like reading a lot and I know I am not the only one. Currently, I am reading: "The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology" by Ray Kurzweil.

This book takes the reader on a journey into the world of transhumanism- a world where human and machine become one. According to this award winning author and futurist, very soon, we as humans would be able to alter the ageing process and "conquer" death. We would be able to use technology to hack biology. I find this book fascinating because it discusses a point in time when there will be such an exponential increase in technology such that would lead to technological singularity.

Isn't it interesting that (as predicted by Kurzweil) by 2045 we will be able to communicate with one another via our thoughts without the need for phone or other handheld devices? By then, smartphones may be outdated technology and the in-thing would be chips wired through our brains, veins, and bodies. It's kinda weird to think that these will make us cyborgs and help us read other people's thoughts. Have you ever wondered how possible it would be to be able to download someone's else's thoughts on computer and present them as evidence(s) againts that person in a criminal proceeding before a court of law? How about hacking into other people's brains, minds etc? Think about the possibility of "thinking machines" who will tell us that we are committing murder for destroying them.

There are so many ideas discussed in this book and I have attached a pdf version of the first chapter of this book to this thread for your enjoyment. . This man (google him and watch him on Youtube) is not another time-wasting author. He has predicted with accuracy some of the advancement in technology we enjoy today. He invented a reading device for the blind. If you are one who is interested in Artificial Intelligence, nanotechnology, science, robotics, computer, genetics, biology, reading, learning new things, etc, this book is a must read.

I was wondering whether there are others out there who would like to read this and other books and then we can come together and discuss. I was thinking (assuming there isn't currently anything of such on Nairaland) of something along the line of a Nairaland Readers Club where we agree to read a particular book over a period of time and meet on Nairaland to experience the thrill of sharing ideas and opinions with other readers worldwide as we ponder over the hidden messages and our place(s) in what we read.

What do you think?

Please drop some thoughts and suggestions.

Thanks for reading.

Pic of Ray Kurzweil- author of The Singularity is Near, How to Create A Mind, and other books- and award winning scientist.