The Singularity

        Lev Grosssman's article 2045:The Year Man Becomes Immortal discusses the issues regarding "The Singularity", the prediction that eventually computers will become too intelligent and advanced for humans. At first, I thought that the idea of man merging with machine to be a bit unsettling, mainly because I feel that it is too alien of a concept for me to accept. It is true that the combination of the two could result in many advancements in technology and humanity, and it is also happening today: nanotechnology allows for the creation of glow-in-the-dark tattoos that allow diabetic patients to check their sugar levels. But at the same time, I feel that there is a point at which progress will destroy our humanity and thus make us into human machines just like in Brave New World.
        Being human, to me, means having emotions like anger, hate, happiness, sadness, and love, because having these emotions allows us to differentiate ourselves from machines. In Brave New World, John stabbed Pope because he hated him and his mother's promiscuity. But John lived in the Savage Reservation, where there is still some humanity left. Now, if it were the World State, there would be no such thing as anger just artificial happiness; one could have anyone he/she wanted and it would not anger one person at all, because there would be no exclusivity  (love is just a means to an erotic end).
        I think merging of man and machine is a double-edged sword. Sure, it can greatly help us by prolonging our lifespans, and it can make us look younger and become stronger. I myself could live longer and travel around the whole world. But "...the idea of significant changes to human longevity...seems to be particularly controversial. People invested a lot of personal effort into certain philosophies dealing with the issue of life and death...that's the major reason we have religion." (Grossman). With this void in religion there would be no god just a "Ford", and that's where there is a conflict with progress progressing too far. If we could hypothetically speaking "cheat" death, then what are heaven and hell for?
        I believe in progress, but not the kind of progress that will get us to where Brave New World is.