
TRANSCENDENTMANchroniclesthelifeandideasofRayKurzweil,aninventorandfuturistthatpresentshisboldvisionoftheSingularity,apointinthenearfuturewhentechnologywillbechangingsorapidly,thatwewillhavetoenhanceourselveswithartificialintelligencetokeepup.Raypredictsthiswillbethedawningofanewcivilizationinwhichwewillnolongerbedependentonourphysicalbodies,wewillbetrillionsoftimesmoreintelligentandtherewillbenocleardistinctionbetweenhumanandmachine,realrealityandvirtualreality.Humanagingandillnesswillbereversed;worldhungerandpovertywillbesolvedandwewillultimatelycuredeath.CriticsaccuseRayofbeingtoooptimisticandarguethatthedangersoftheSingularityfaroutweighthebenefits,pointingouttheapocalypticimplicationsthatoncemachinesachieveconsciousness,wemaynotbeabletocontrolthem...<br/> Technologywillaccelerateexponentially.Within25years,computerswillhaveconsciousness.Humanswillsoonbebionic.ThesepredictionsmakebestsellingauthorRayKurzweil(TheSingularityIsNear)apropheticgeniustosome,anda"highlysophisticatedcrackpot"toothers.Thereisnoquestion,however,thathehaspredictedthefuturewithmoreaccuracythananyoneelseinhistory...<br/> TranscendentMangetsinsidethemindoftheaward-winningscientistandA.I.specialistthroughextensiveinterviewswithKurzweilhimselfandrevealingconversationswithfriendsandcolleagues.ThefilmoutlinesKurzweil'stheoryofsingularity-thepointwhenchangeoccurssorapidlythathumanswillneedtomergewithtechnologytokeepup-whilealsochroniclingKurzweil'shistory,hismyriadaccomplishments(including24U.S.patents),andhisuniquevisionofthefuture...