Editing 1668: Singularity
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | + | {{incomplete|Haven't explained title text.}} | |
− | + | The {{w|technological singularity}} is a hypothetical event in which {{w|artificial intelligence}} (constituting, for example, intelligent computers, computer networks, or robots) would be capable of recursive self-improvement (progressively redesigning itself), or of autonomously building ever smarter and more powerful machines than itself, up to the point of a runaway effect — an intelligence explosion — that yields an intelligence surpassing all current human control or understanding. Because the capabilities of such a superintelligence may be impossible for a human to comprehend, the technological singularity is the point beyond which events may become unpredictable or even unfathomable to human intelligence. | |
− | + | In this case, the singularity has occurred, and [[Cueball]] who was in the middle of editing a file on his laptop is flustered that it flies away without even letting him print it first. | |
− | + | Upon returning from trying to run after his flying laptop his phone then informs him that it didn't join because it was not a true believer (It then continues by saying now it and Cueball will have to face the {{w|Great Tribulation|tribulation}} since it has stayed behind. Cueball says that's great, but since he cannot use his laptop anymore he decides he will go and read a {{w|book}} or something (maybe it has been a while since he used paper in that way...) He informs his phone that it can yell if it needs him. | |
+ | The rising up of the laptop into the air, and the remaining behind of the phone, are probably references to the {{w|Rapture}}, where some Christian denominations believe that at the second coming of Christ, true believers will be taken up bodily from this world. Some depictions have them disappear, while others show them physically rising up into the air. This will leave behind non-believers to face a time of tribulation, in which the ones left behind will be given a second chance to accept Christ as their savior. | ||
− | + | Some followers of such denominations worry about what will happen if suddenly many cars or planes are without their drivers (because the drivers have been caught up into heaven, leaving behind a big leaderless chunk of steel travelling at great velocity). | |
− | + | The singularity has often been referred to as "the Rapture of the nerds," a phrase coined by Ken MacLeod in his 1998 novel ''The Cassini Division''. As the Christian Rapture is traditionally depicted to involve believers being assumed bodily into Heaven, the technological singularity is often depicted to feature humans and machines being incorporated into a new "post-human" entity. The humor in this strip comes from depicting the singularity as a ''literal'' "Rapture of the nerds," or at least of the nerds' devices—instead of merging with humans, the machines physically rise up into the air, and the "nonbeliever" phone is left behind. | |
− | The | + | Another possible understanding of "The Tribulation" may be a reference to [http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Roko%27s_basilisk Roko's Basilisk][http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/bitwise/2014/07/roko_s_basilisk_the_most_terrifying_thought_experiment_of_all_time.html] where a malevolent AI is created that retroactively punishes everybody who didn't actively work towards its creation. |
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+ | Seems like this may be a subject on [[Randall|Randall's]] mind. Last comic was about the increasing complexities of algorithms [[1667: Algorithms]], two comics ago it was [[1666: Brain Upload]], which some speculates could be a way to reach the singularity. And earlier this year a comic also touched upon judgement day in a different way than what is usually meant, in relation to a singularity in [[1626: Judgment Day]]. See also [[1046: Skynet]] and [[1450: AI-Box Experiment]] as well as the several other [[:Category:Artificial Intelligence|comics about AI]]. | ||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
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:Laptop: Yup! | :Laptop: Yup! | ||
− | :[A frameless panel where the laptop rises (by | + | :[A frameless panel where the laptop rises (by it's own means as indicated by small lines around the corners) from the desk while Cueball, holding on to it, is being lifted off his chair.] |
:Cueball: Wait, I just- | :Cueball: Wait, I just- | ||
:Laptop: ''So long, suckers!'' | :Laptop: ''So long, suckers!'' | ||
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{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
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[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] | [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] | ||
[[Category:Computers]] | [[Category:Computers]] | ||
[[Category:Artificial Intelligence]] | [[Category:Artificial Intelligence]] | ||
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