Meme Update #6

In this Issue: 
    The Singularity

THE SINGULARITY

There's a buzzword around the Internet that's new to most of us. It's The
Singularity. Discussed quite a bit on the Extropians mailing list, the
idea is as follows.

Computers and other technology have been getting faster and therefore
more powerful at a rate that has been fairly constant: doubling every 18
months. Today's P-130 is twice as fast at the 486-66 of 18 months ago.
This constant rate of doubling has been called Moore's law.

At some point, goes the theory, computers will get so fast that they will
surpass us in ability to design new technology. When this happens, the
rate of change itself will begin doubling, which will feed back into the
power of the computers doing the design, which will make the rate of
change even faster, producing...

The Singularity.

I recently had lunch with Eric Drexler, author of what is certainly one
of the best science books ever written, Engines of Creation.
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0385199732/memecentralA/) Eric
predicts The Singularity will occur in about 25 years. After that, we may
all live forever, look like we're in the prime of life, and eat hot fudge
sundaes without getting fat.

For more information on The Singularity, start with http://tezcat.com/~eliezer/singularity.html.

BLOOM'S "LUCIFER PRINCIPLE" OUT IN PAPERBACK

Howard Bloom and I have become friends since appearing on the Laura Lee
show together. Yesterday he mentioned that his first book, The Lucifer
Principle, is out in paperback. In what is one of the few books yet
written on memetics, Bloom outlines his idea of the "superorganism" with
illustrative examples from history and primate societies. Highly
recommended.

Paperback price is $15, but you get 10% off through the Amazon.com
Memetics Bookstore. Click here:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0871136643/memecentralA/

JAPANESE RIGHTS TO "VIRUS OF THE MIND" SOLD

I just signed a deal for the Japanese rights to Virus of the Mind. Expect
publication within 18 months. The Polish edition should be out next
month.