For BSU English 213, April 24, 2012

2. Today
1. Super quick intro
2. The Singularity : What’s Up With That?
3. Activity: Defining The Singularity in Small
Groups
4. Discussion: Putting it All Together

3. So, Hi…
I’m Phill Alexander, and I’m, as you might
have guessed, visiting today. I’m a PhD
candidate at Michigan State University,
specializing in Rhetoric & Writing. I study
online communities and video gaming.
It’s nice to be here today.
And now, back to class.

4. Kurzweil: Transcendent Man
The organizing idea that is shared in the first
part of the documentary is Kurzweil’s (and
others’) theory of “The Singularity.”
On the surface, it might seem simple, but
what, exactly, is the singularity?
Here’s one way Kurzweil tries to prepare us to
understand it…

6. Another definition
One of the elements of the singularity is
collective intelligence. So for a definition,
let’s consult a technological source of
collective intelligence: Wikipedia.
I know, I know… no student would EVER
use Wikipedia as research. 

8. So…
One key element of Kurzweil’s argument is
that there will be an “intelligence explosion”– a
moment where technology allows for the
creation of something capable of “super
intelligence,” something that will progress
faster than we, as human beings, currently
understand.
He also claims that we cannot truly anticipate
this intelligence, as it will be beyond current
human understanding.

9. That shouldn’t stop…
Kurzweil’s hesitance to think humanity could
understand the super intelligence that would
lead into/be the singularity hasn’t stopped
him from theorizing.
Nor has it stopped other thinkers, be those
theorists, hard scientists, or even
entertainers.
Let’s consider a few scenarios.

10. Networked Devices
Imagine the military develops a single network
capable of running all computers and
computerized equipment in the country. This
software needs to be so sophisticated that it
goes from being an Artificial Intelligence (A.I.)
to having something that seems like sentient
thought.
It then finds a way to communicate with every
networked device on the planet, and the
machines conspire. They realize they don’t
NEED humanity.

11. Sound Familiar?

12. Hive-thinking
We already live in a reality with synthetic
worlds. People regularly login to Second
Life, or video games like World of Warcraft,
to inhabit a world governed by the machine,
capable of things our “real” world isn’t.
These worlds are simulations.
But what if we literally “plugged” our brains
into the virtual world? And what if the
machine turned us into living batteries,
serving as nothing more than audience fuel
cells?

13. Hello, Mr. Anderson.

14. Mind Enhancement
Imagine that researchers find a way to copy
the mind– feelings, memories, abilities– to
hard drives. At the same time, they discover a
way to format and re-write to the human brain.
This allows for not only the removal of/re-
application of a single mind but for brain
hacking—adding memories and skills,
removing ideas, etc.
Using these paired technologies, a business
emerges wherein people become blanks, like
paper dolls, to have various customized minds
written onto them.

16. Science Fiction to
Science Fact
Given, those are fantasy scenarios, but they
represent a future– perhaps a future not so
distant– where something that might be
similar to Kurzweil’s vision of the singularity
has happened (or is happening).
What about something closer to home?

18. Activity
I’d like you to think a bit more about the Singularity. Please split
into groups of two or three.
In your groups, I’d like you to develop a slide to add to this
PowerPoint that is your definition of “the singularity” and/or a
discussion of the implications the Singularity has for our
considerations of the future of digital literacy.
Please keep in mind your course work this semester and
specifically Transcendent Man. Use those ideas and concepts to
inform your responses.
You will have approximately 10 minutes to complete your slide. It
can include any media you can obtain and add to it. When you
finish, email it to me at alexa325 @ msu.edu

19. Meet David…

20. • Your slides here
• Note: we probably will not have time to look
at all of them. I will place this PPT online for
you to look at after class

21. Thank you all for letting me talk with you today!
If you should have any questions or wish to
continue this discussion, feel free to email me:
alexa325 @ msu.edu