Building an ideology is not easy work.
For over a year now, I have been creating a working definition and sitting with an abstract idea of a type of singularity I call the personal (or inner) singularity, along with a framework of other types of singularities to go with it.
I can imagine that at least once in your life in recent years, you’ve heard someone say, “the singularity is coming!” or “the singularity is already here!” But you might sit and wonder, “What the heck does that mean?” What is it?!
I know I did a few years ago.
When I became a partner at a science, defense, and tech news outlet, The Debrief, 6 years ago, I remember our first podcast host, Michael Mataluni, mentioning it all the time, but I had no idea what he really meant. I thought it was some fancy science term until I dug a little deeper and realized it was more elaborate than I first thought.
What the Hell Is the Singularity?
Oxford Dictionary traces the word back to Late Latin (singularitas and singularis) meaning “alone (of its kind).” Or Etymonline suggests “a being alone,” “single, solitary,” or“one, one to each, individual, separate.”
That means my working definition of a personal, or inner, singularity rings true to the word’s origins. And, well, I think that gives my concept a little more legitimacy.
Humans are unique. You, reading this, are one of a kind. Unlike anything that has come before you, and unlike anything that will ever come after you.
Isn’t that the beauty of being human? Being different. Being something so uniquely you that you could never be perfectly replicated on Earth.
Not your DNA. Not your experiences. Nothing.
(Well, unless they clone you, but that’s not really you! It’s a copy of you).
You. Your makeup, to say the least, is singular.
The Singularities That Shape Us: Inner, Human, Technology & Culture — The Convergence Singularity
The goal of this Substack will be to cover the five main types of singularities I feel are pretty dominant today in society: Inner, Human, Technology & Culture, and the last will be The Convergence Singularity (another word I’ve coined), where all five of these singularities intersect with each other at a pinnacle point, and when they do, does that shift humanity and then ultimately shift who we are as a person?
I look to explore, answer, and challenge the questions below.
Inner Singularity
The self (me, myself, and I)
The inner singularity within all of us is shaped by our memories, synchronicities, anomalous experiences, traumas, life experiences, and personal beliefs, everything that makes us who we are and, ultimately, what makes us tick.
I believe that as we watch humanity grow, evolve, and learn more about ourselves, we are also becoming the people we were meant to be. And if you’re watching closely, an inner, personal singularity is happening within each of us, a point where all these experiences, beliefs, memories, and discoveries begin to converge.
The personal evolution of who we are and who we are becoming. How our internal and external experiences intersect with the world around us and how these four singularities intersect within my own life and experiences.
Who are you becoming? Or who am I becoming? Something changes you.
Human / Collective Singularity
The human condition. Being human.
How our definition of “human” changes as we alter our thinking, bodies, minds, lifespans, relationships, and capabilities.
From AI, BCIs, longevity, psychedelics, human rights, consciousness, genetic engineering, human augmentation, and other developments that challenge our understanding of what it means to be human. The collective evolution of humanity alongside these changes.
What does it mean to be human?
Technological Singularity
The machines. The Tech. The Science.
The frontier (or edge) systems we’re creating from AI, robotics, quantum computing, synthetic biology, BCIs, and potentially AGI.
This concept for my Substack doesn't necessarily lean toward the traditional idea of a single moment when AI becomes smarter than humans. Instead, it’s a broader exploration of civilization's accelerating technological transformation. How the technologies humans create may, in turn, reshape how we think, behave, and live.
What are we creating and what will it create in us?
Cultural Singularity
The world we create together.
How technology, globalization, social and political movements, and media are changing human values and reshaping collective identity and society.
From gender and cultural wars, misinformation, disinformation, fake news, religion, politics, art, social media, and generational differences (young vs. old thinking). Taking a deeper look at different cultures, ideas, identities, and worldviews.
What happens when the world our generation and the next inherit no longer looks or feels like the world we should be creating? Who knows the right way?
The Convergence Singularity
Where all four singularities intersect. The place where your understanding of reality fundamentally changes.
What happens when changes within the individual intersect with changes in humanity, technology, and culture? Looking at how these singularities shape us, the world we live in, and how they influence and shape each other.
What happens when these singularities converge? Is this the convergence point of an inner and worldly paradigm shift?
The Big Picture Idea
If the Inner Singularity changes who we are,
the Human Singularity changes what it means to be human,
the Technological Singularity changes what we can create,
and the Cultural Singularity changes the world we create together,
That is the Convergence Singularity.
An Invitation to Find Your Own Singularity. Framework of this Substack
This Substack will be formatted to cover my personal journey and anecdotes, journalists’ articles, field reporting, essays, all expressing different types of singularities, but also my inner one, as you follow along as I watch my own personal inner singularity converge at a point. Let’s just hope I make it there. 🙂
I thought it would be best to create a synopsis of these definitions that I can refer back to in my writing, for new readers or those who have followed my work from the beginning. This ideology is open to interpretation, and I would love to hear from you all. If you think I’m onto something, if you feel I’m way off the mark, or if you want to tell a story here about yourself or someone else you know and their singularity, or share a research paper, article, or anything you want that fits into these categories. I would love to collaborate.
This Substack is not only my journey, but it’s all of ours, and I’m open to sharing this space with you too. DM me anytime on social media, comment, or email me (details in my bio).
Chrissy Newton, journalist for science, technology, and defense news outlet The Debrief and the founder of VOCAB Communications. She currently appears on The Discovery Channel and Max and hosts the Rebelliously Curious podcast, which can be found on YouTube and on all audio podcast streaming platforms. Follow her on X: @ChrissyNewton, Instagram: @BeingChrissyNewton, and chrissynewton.com. To contact Chrissy with a story, please email chrissy @ thedebrief.org.
As I read about the convergence, I feel reminded again of the words of Thomas Campbell. In the context of a universal consciousness, the idea that lowering entropy is fundamental.
A sort of return to something more simple in any way you can imagine leading to coherence of a system that results in outcomes of reality. Influenced by the thoughts, emotions, and actions of everyone at once. Sort of like a BCI, but the interface is invisible to the eye. And we aren't sure what 'the computer' actually is.
My view is that the unique ideas each person share can actually be puzzle pieces that someone else is missing. So the more of us sharing our thoughts forms a picture; reduces entropy. Perhaps a convergence as you describe!
Can't wait to see how you approach this in your upcoming writing!