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They’re impossible with our current technology and understanding of physics. The idea is what’s beyond that. Access to a realm outside of time is just the sort
by travisjungroth 3y ago
They’re impossible with our current technology and understanding of physics. The idea is what’s beyond that. Access to a realm outside of time is just the sort of thing that could cause a singularity.
- Retric 3y agoSaying impossible under our current understanding of physics is a massive understatement. It’s would require not just new physics but a very very specific kind of universe with zero evidence in support of it. Suggesting the singularity is physically possible is roughly like suggesting that human telekinesis is possible, ie physics would need many very interesting errors.
- travisjungroth 3y agoI don’t think it’s an understatement. I mean, I literally called it impossible. And at all times our understanding of physics is our current understanding. I don’t mean to downplay it at all. It would be an overhaul of understanding of the universe bigger than all changes in the past put together. It would blow general relativity out of the water.
- losteric 3y agoThis rhetoric around singularities is a little funny, because the singularity of blackholes (going to infinite density) is recognized to indicate knowledge gaps around how blackholes work... lines going to infinity is not necessarily taken literally. Same goes for the technology singularity. Anyway, imo the event horizon is more interesting. That's where the paradigm shift happens - there is no way to escape whatever "comes next". (Note - some people confusingly use "singularity" to refer to the phase between the event horizon and "infinity")
- JohnFen 3y agoWhat's beyond that is science fiction. If there is anything "beyond" that at all, I think it's pretty safe to say that any idea we have as to what it would be is very unlikely to be anywhere near the realm of correct.
- travisjungroth 3y agoYes, literally science fiction. That’s where this topic comes from. > In 1993 Vernor Vinge drew on computer science and his fellow science-fiction writers… But I don’t think it’s worth completely writing off as if we couldn’t possibly know anything. Progress outside of time would resolve the issue I resolved to. I’m not saying it could actually be done or doesn’t cause a million other issues. It’s an idea for a solution, but it’s completely unrealistic, so you shelve it.
- JohnFen 3y agoIt's absolutely worth engaging in wild speculation, yes! The trouble is when some people start to forget that it's wild speculation and begin to treat it as if it has actual predictive value.