Story Idea (involves the Singularity)

[RedAnarchist]

I have an idea for a book which is sci-fi, so there is parts of it that may not be compatible with our current scientific understanding. It's set in the UK sometime in the late 2030s, and there is a corrupt government in power (when isn't there?), and they have a device which would launch the Singularity if activated. One person who knows of the device's existence wishes to get it in order to activate the Singularity, but must get past the government.

1. Does this sound too similar to another book or film? Obviously much of the idea is a typical plot device, but does this singularity device ring any bells? I know there was one in some obscure video game, but it was used for a very different purpose.

2. I realise that the idea of a device which activates the Singularity is probably not that feasible in our universe, but would this be feasible in a more "sci-fi" universe?

3. Is it a good idea for a book? Is it interesting, or is it too contrived?

[Kotze]

Any story always sounds similar to existing stories, if the description is short enough.

If the whole story is about fighting a corrupt government and trying to get that thing activated that makes the singularity happen and at that point the story ends, I think the singularity is basically a MacGuffin. The characters in the story could make their wild guesses about it before it happens, the moment it happens the book ends, the author doesn't need to do any meticulous research, because characters in books are allowed to have wrong opinions.

As for the believability of the singularity concept in general, I agree with those who call it rapture for nerds. There are physical limits to miniaturising circuits and even with a hypothetical quantum computer with unlimited processing speed and storage one would still have the software problem. It would be a wonderful machine, and the revelation of such a thing would be WikiLeaks times 1000 (because it would be capable of instantly cracking public-key encryption), still no computer scientist would know how to make a good simulation of another person's character with it. Same applies to modelling many other things.

In general somebody holding back the singularity reminds me of the idea that all scarcity is artificial ("socially constructed") and that the means to end this are held back by some baddies to exploit us. It's not plausible. In a world where it's physically impossible to get rid off all scarcity and control over means of production is concentrated in the hands of a few, it can make sense from their point of view to artificially create some additional scarcity problems to get compliance, which may even hurt them in the short run, and in the end ensures more riches for them. But in a world where paradise is possible, what motivation do they have to exploit others?

For the story to be plausible, it must be about an innovation that would make society as a whole more wealthy while the baddies can expect that it would make them worse off.

[La Comédie Noire]

How about have it end with it turning out they're already in the singularity? Perhaps he made up the corrupt government and the battle for the singularity because he wanted an adventure.

I like the idea btw,work with it.

[NGNM85]

I have an idea for a book which is sci-fi, so there is parts of it that may not be compatible with our current scientific understanding. It's set in the UK sometime in the late 2030s, and there is a corrupt government in power (when isn't there?), and they have a device which would launch the Singularity if activated. One person who knows of the device's existence wishes to get it in order to activate the Singularity, but must get past the government.

1. Does this sound too similar to another book or film? Obviously much of the idea is a typical plot device, but does this singularity device ring any bells? I know there was one in some obscure video game, but it was used for a very different purpose.

2. I realise that the idea of a device which activates the Singularity is probably not that feasible in our universe, but would this be feasible in a more "sci-fi" universe?

3. Is it a good idea for a book? Is it interesting, or is it too contrived?

The only technology that I can imagine could potentially bring about a Singularity on it's own would be an Artifical Intelligence ('Strong' AI) or, even more far-fetched, a time machine. This AI would pretty much have to be shut off or somehow physically disabled. If it was connected to the internet any encryption or firewall designed to constrict it's movement would be useless. You'd also have to have a plausible reaon for delaying the Singularity. Assuming the Singularity is not catestrophic, in some way, there's nothing any politician, or anyone else, corrupt or otherwise, could want that would not be more easily acquired after the Singularity.

[Black Sheep]

What "singularity" are we talking about?
The Big Bang-ish one?

[NGNM85]

What "singularity" are we talking about?
The Big Bang-ish one?

A Technological Singularity.