NASA, Google, and some of the foremost authorities in science and technology have teamed up to create a new school, dubbed Singularity University, that is looking to solve “humanity’s grand challenges”. The university is named after the idea of the singularity – an extremely rapid period of technological progress. And damn if it doesn’t sound like the coolest school ever.
The roster behind Singularity University is beyond impressive: it was founded by Dr. Ray Kurzweil (author, technologist, and futurist), Dr. Peter Diamandis (XPRIZE), Pete Worden (Director of NASA Ames), Dr. Robert Richards (co-founder of the International Space University), Dr. Robert Richards (ISU President), Dr. Michael Simpson, and a number of sponsors including Google. And to run the school, Singularity brought on board Salim Ismail, the founder of Yahoo’s innovative Brickhouse team.
Modeled after the International Space University, the school is meant to expose some of world’s the most promising graduate students and professionals to a broad range of cutting-edge technologies and research with subjects including bioinformatics, networking, genetics, law, heath, and entrepreneurship (you can see a full listing of topics covered here).
The first three weeks of each session are devoted to forming a basic understanding in all of the fields, following by three weeks spent seeing how each of these fields can possibly intermingle (for example, you might study how 3D printers traditionally used in prototyping could be used to build organs out of stem cells). The final three weeks of study are spent applying the newly-learned knowlege to solving real-world problems.
Sessions will be held at the NASA Ames Research Campus, near Mountain View, California. Unfortunately, space will be extremely limited – the initial class will consist of around 30 students, with around 100 for the school’s second year. It won’t be cheap either: fees run around $25,000 per student, though there will be scholarships available. There will also be brief sessions available for students who are already in the workforce.
This is really awesome. I have been watching Peter Thiel’s activities in this area for the last year and have been really intrigued by what is happening in this space. It is good to see Google and NASA team up into this controversial space.
I would like to do a summer intern there.. any openings??
Hahah!!
I think we’d all like to just get ourselves into the building, even if we have to clean the toilets.
Then we could have that Good Will Hunting moment and become a Triple Z List intellectual!
I would also like to do an intern, a female one.
I’ll do the winter intern.
Google and Nasa on the same side here makes a lot of sense. I think that if they are truly serious about putting energy and time into this, it is a great thing for the country. Some of the brightest minds working together will be able to take grand ideas and put them to work. Good luck.
@heityoas , LOL !!
University solving “humanity’s grand challenges”…
best of luck!
Last I checked, Kurzweil was an engineer. This singularity stuff is highly suspect, and fashionable in a kind of Wired way. Smart money, that means guys not writing books, is betting against it.
Say what you will about the singularity. I think bringing the world’s brightest minds together for interdisciplinary learning is a great idea.
Even if it’s to solve the world’s “grand challenges” in a 9-week course for $25K?
No disrespect to Kurzweil–I really admire the guy–but this seems like easy money to me.
Education for any significant problem will take a significant amount of time, and I feel that 9 weeks isn’t exactly significant.
@Adam: Where did you get the information that it will be $25K?
Sorry, there was no reply link under Adam’s comment.
@Laura: In Jason’s write-up.
Hm, any commentssss ?- Pradeep
These singularity folks are nutty as loons.
Daves – Feel free to denigrate these geniuses as much as you like. That is your right in a free society. But the next time you find yourself stuck up inside Kurzweil’s singularity don’t come crying for help!
Wow, this is really exciting. I had just blogged about the need for Apple to work towards Singularity at Mac turns 25 but Kurzweil’s Singularity Awaits. But guess what, Google is smarter.
Check out Singularity Hub for more information about the University. Singularity Hub is the number one blog on the web for keeping on top singularity related fields such as nanotechnology, genetics, artificial intelligence, robotics, etc.
I think it’s a good news. Let’s hope the governement or other big corporation stay out of this.
We all know what happened to some of Tesla’s revolutionary inventions…
i like the idea, but its a waste of money i guess
I thought it was kinda cool until I saw Salim Ismail was involved. . . its all smoke and mirrors and a front for making money . . speaking engagements, conference fees, books etc etc . . .
I’m glad to hear the news about the Singularity University which is dedicated to solving humanity’s grand challenges. I applaud their effort.
Interestingly, I’m currently writing a book that focuses on an innovative methodology for solving our greatest challenges. The world has wonderful “vertical” subject experts. However, we lack approaches for organizing multi-disciplinary (horizontal) teams especially for solving extraordinary challenges. Brainstorming is certainly a weak tool for obtaining and generating ideas for tough challenges. The methodology, about which I’m writing, is a simple visual approach that accelerates the generation of breakthrough ideas as well as the preparation of innovative plans and monitoring of performance in an econetwork.
Should anyone be interested in receiving a free copy of this soon-to-be-finished book, please let me know.
Best,
Rod King, Ph.D.
–
P.S.: Should any member of the Singularity University happen to be reading this blog, I’m interested in getting in touch and discussing my methodology which provides a framework for organizing multi-disciplinary teams dealing with apparently impossible problems.
Rod, can we get contact info, I would love a copy of your book. “Simple visual approach” seems to me to be the only way we are going to move forward instead of sliding into the abyss.
Try rodkuhnking[at]sbcglobal[dot]net
I would be interested in reading your book. When do you expect to finish it?
Interesting ideas you have nurturing and I think that it would be a good read. Look forward to it.
Fortunately for us, many of our “grand challenges” already have known solutions. The mission of the university sounds great, but I hope it focuses on implementing known practical solutions and not just on technologically interesting but woefully abstract hypothetical solutions.
This is super great and I am optimistic about what will come of it. I do think there’s a little bit of hubris on the part of NASA and Google people and their tendency to talk about their work as “solving humanity’s hardest problems.” Unfortunately, out toughest problems are not technological ones. I think if anyone, UNESCO has the right to say “solving the world’s hardest problems” for all the work they do in Gaza. But do they get any glory? Hell no.
I think the interdisciplinary aspect is promising but would be curious to see how the private funding works here. What becomes of new inventions? Do they go out into the open or are they sold to the highest bidder?
Good Afternoon. Link Exchange Please.
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“futurist”
LOLz
“the founder of Yahoo’s innovative Brickhouse team”
Innovative, eh? I must have missed that memo.
Ha, they were so “innovative” they were able to innovate themselves right outa a job and that cushy SF office!
asd
Sounds interesting and fee isn’t too bad. So I guess Google will have its own “brain farm”
This is really awesome and interesting! I’m sure millions who know this idea are really waiting for the results.
I would love to join Singularity Univeristy, looking at the board members, it sure looks tough to get in it.
Little futurist , don’t you think??
A ’singularity’ or a ‘neutron star’ for that matter, is a completely imaginary concept, because matter can’t ‘implode’, due to electrostatic repulsion.
The atomic nuclei in moons, planets and suns are pulled more strongly towards the center than the electrons. This sets up an electric field which counteracts the tendency to compress matter.
There is no fusion going on in the center.
The Sun won’t ever ‘burn out’.
So where does the light and heat come from?
Our Sun is basically a ball of homogenous matter, caught in the Z-pinch of only one of countless huge electric currents running through the universe.
The 1-2 million degree temperature of the photosphere is caused by ongoing arcing between the outer and inner plasma layers (Langmuir sheaths), and sunspots are dark because they are temporary holes in the layers and show the slightly cooler, darker interior of the Sun.
http://www.holo...rticle=x49g6gsf
Duh, this is not the singularity they’re talking about. The one they’re talking about is a lot more nuttier and have absolutely no scientific base at all.
Breakthrough technology can not be taught.
But it is nice that someone is offering an opportunity for a bunch of good students to learn more.
Perhaps a few of them will be stimulated or angered by the environment and actually create something new.
Nice to see people getting off their collective asses and coming together to make things happen, instead of clustering around the government trying to touch the master’s robe. With any luck, this will generate the kind of results we’re getting from X-Prize participants. Today, commercial space planes, tomorrow the end of world hunger.
Guess hubris, self-promotion, and self-delusion is still alive and well in the Valley. Gotta love the Kool Aid. Kinda comforting in these hard times.
hmm.. “Humanity’s greatest challenges” … okay lets see them come up with a way for us to abolish currency.
*gasp* wait but then we wouldnt have crime or corruption.. argh.
Link doesnt work for me.
The website was up half an hour back. It went down. Currently it redirects to this link “http://box504.bluehost.com/suspended.page/” and shows this message
Please contact the support department as soon as possible, and please have your site name ready.
The link was working till 30 minutes back but its down now.
Currently its pointing to http://box504.b...suspended.page/
and shows this message
Please contact the support department as soon as possible, and please have your site name ready.
Perhaps I could teach a class for them:
Why you shouldn’t used shared web hosting for your highly advanced science and technology university’s web site.
hahaha. . . they are using a $100 / year shared hosting service . . .hilarious!
they didn’t know they’d be techcrunched.
In the beginning The Singularity created heaven and earth. And the earth was without form, and void: and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of The Singularity moved upon the face of the waters. And The Singularity said, Let their be light: and there was light.
NASA and Google did not pay their hosting bill.
Ooops. Maybe one of the grand challenges they need to solve first is finding a webhost that doesnt crash under load;
This Domain (singularityu.org) Has Been Disabled
——————————————————————————–
For information on restoring your account please call customer service as soon as possible
When/If you call our support help line, please have your site name ready.
Hmmm… “Singularity University” eh? As far as I recall from my physics days nothing ever comes back out of a singularity. Sounds a bit like a high efficiency toilet (for sucking away large amounts of cash!)….
Singularity University sounds awesome to anyone who wants to be in the science or technology field! I hope it all works out!
I like the old fashioned way – a Ph.D. from Caltech is a nice starting point.
Kinda like the DHARMA initiative
This is why Silicon Valley continues to be the most innovative and technologically exciting place on the planet.
On the one hand, this is different, intriguing, and exciting. On the other, I wonder if a Singularity University degree will carry sufficient prestige to attract legions of suitable women eager to marry me.
U.S. News & World Report, please weigh in on this.
Amazing to see how much uncritical reporting of the Singularity is going on. For anyone interested, my thoughts are on my blog:
http://www.psyn...sing-something/
But this isn’t a real university.
You *do* realize it’s not a *real* university, right?
Kurzweil is an engineer, not a biologist or even expert in artificial intelligence. He’s a nut. He’s a cult leader.
http://secondth...luralarity.html
He is also very good at seducing people.
http://secondth...is-fascism.html
They are making Ray Kurzweil the keynoter of the Second Life Community Convention. That discredits SL for many people. Perhaps for many it will discredit Ray Kurzweil. Then it will be worth it. I’m boycotting it, however. It’s morally wrong and scientifically unsound.
Excuse me, but what the heck is “beyond impressive?” And there’s a typo: “HEATH” should be “HEALTH”. I’m sorry, but it’s hard to be impressed by Tech PR types who don’t spell-check their work and who don’t know when their hype is “beyond predictable.”
The problem seems to be less on the technology side but more on how do you make people of power and influence share these resources. Its distribution that makes production looks problematic. how do you prevent a guy with big stick from cornering the goods of these technologies? replicator?