In 2005 noted futurist Ray Kurzweil released his far-reaching and controversial book The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology. In it, Kurzweil proposes that humanity is on the verge of the next phase in our evolution – the Singularity – in which our minds and bodies will be augmented with technology. Kurzweil’s Singularity theory revolves around four postulates: the Singularity exists and is attainable, technology is progressing towards the singularity at an exponential rate, the functionality of the human brain is quantifiable in terms of the technology that we can produce in the near future, and that developments in the life sciences will extend human life to the point that Baby Boomers will live long enough to see the results of exponential growth in technology – notably, that it will interest with and eventually surpass the processing power of the human brain.
As proof that this is not science fiction but is in fact all happening, I present to you Exhibit A: Vanilla Ice‘s new line of stylish, yet functional chandeliers:
As Man evolved, his use of tools went through three basic phases: Find, Use and Discard, Repair and Reuse, and ultimate Creation. Vanilla Ice (whose real name, Rob Van Winkle, is an equally good White Rapper name), is proof of technology’s profound impact on the human mind. Following his musical career, Ice – thanks to the technological miracle that is ITT Tech’s Online Tradesman Certification program – morphed into a technologically advanced independent contractor, harnessing the power of television to highlight and even further his carpentry skills. His home improvement show on DIY Network, The Vanilla Ice Project, became a hit, prompting Ice to move from Repair to the next next stage of technological progression: Creation. He went from this:
To this:
To sum up: Vanilla Ice, one-time mediocre one-hit wonder rap “star”, is now an electrical engineer/designer. As foretold by Science.
Read More: Home Improvement With Vanilla Ice & Bronson Pinchot. Wait, What?
About Jason Avant
