Chapter 16- Last Off-Ramp Before Armageddon

“The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” – 1 Corinthians, 15:26

According to this article, the “Last Off-Ramp Before Armageddon” is the societal singularity, or a drastic change in the lives of humans (such as advent of farming was to hunters and gatherers). This article suggests that this drastic change will be in the area of genetics, nanotechnology, or robotics. Kurzweil believes it will be specifically in artificial intelligence. If indeed the supposed Armageddon we are facing is an energy crisis, then I believe Kurzweil’s arguments are a little too science fiction for me. Not only is artificial intelligence an indeterminable amount of years away, but it would also have to be accepted by society and mass marketed to everyday consumers before his predictions could become reality. However, I do find his theory on singularity more viable. Unfortunately, the energy crisis is here. It has already begun. We don’t have time to wait for this sort of technology to solve our problems. In fact, there are much simpler solutions to many of our energy related problems.

I also believe the idea of putting a stopper on human mortality is outlandish at best, at least in the near future. Our bodies are like a computer. Eventually, over time, the parts simply wear out and need replacement. Sure, we can perform heart surgery and knee replacements, but what happens when you need both knees replaced, a new heart, and a kidney transplant? Then, it is time to throw the old system away and make room for the new. After all, what kind of quality of life can a human expect undergoing so many operations? Perhaps, Kurzweil is implying that human death can end because our minds will all be linked on one big “system.” (Remind anyone of the buggers?) If so, at what point would all humans consent to having their individuality taken away? I believe that the beginning to of end of death might be found in genetic alteration. Overall, I'd like to do some more research into Kurzweil's work; he has some viable theories and I'd like to better separate his ideas from Sumner's. (Final Paper topic perhaps...)