Latest news with #singularity
Irish Times
a day ago
- Science
- Irish Times
Embracing infinity: could surreal numbers shape the future of physics?
Imagine Earth were to shrink to the size of a marble. We might be in trouble, but the planet would continue its smooth course around the sun while the moon would maintain its orbit, circling Earth once a month. Isaac Newton proved Earth's gravitational pull would be the same even if all the mass were concentrated in a single point. But the density at that point would be infinite, a condition physicists and mathematicians call a singularity. Such singularities are found in black holes, stars that have collapsed under their own weight. According to general relativity, mass concentrations curve space-time, inducing the force of gravity. With enough matter in a small enough volume, gravity becomes infinitely strong. In 1916, just months after Albert Einstein's general relativity appeared, Karl Schwarzschild discovered a solution of the equations with a singularity. Decades later, this idea led to the theory of black holes, crushed stars with spherical boundaries that trap anything falling inside, including light rays. READ MORE There is now abundant evidence that black holes exist, but do they really represent space-time singularities? Most physicists believe the singularities are mathematical artefacts, and would vanish in a more fundamental theory incorporating quantum effects. Physical equations enable us to predict the future, but singularities imply a lack of predictability; theory just breaks down. It was hoped that quantum effects would eliminate infinities, but current versions of quantum gravity are plagued with singularities. It seems that infinite quantities are inherent and unavoidable. [ Beyond the big bang: Irishman's universal evolution theory challenges accepted cosmology Opens in new window ] German physicist Hermann Weyl opened his essay, Levels of Infinity, with the statement 'mathematics is the science of the infinite'. Infinity is at the core of mathematics. We can gain a first impression of it by placing all the counting numbers, 1, 2, 3 ... in a row stretching towards the right without end. Including the negative integers extends the row to the left. But there are gaps in the row, crying out to be filled. We can insert an infinity of fractions between any two whole numbers but, while the gaps become ever-smaller, their number grows without limit: they never go away. Towards the end of the 19th century, two mathematicians, Richard Dedekind and Georg Cantor, found ways to define quantities known as real numbers, filling all the gaps and producing a mathematical continuum. But this may or may not correspond to the points on a physical line; we have no way of knowing whether we have too few or too many numbers for these points. Cantor proved many startling results. There is not just one infinity, but an entire hierarchy of transfinite quantities, increasing without limit. Around 1970, John Conway discovered an entirely new way of defining numbers, which includes all the familiar numbers, all Cantor's transfinite numbers and a breathlessly vast universe of new numbers, both infinitely large and infinitesimally small. These are the surreal numbers. [ Likely site of new 'gas giant' planet found by research team led by Galway scientists Opens in new window ] So far, the surreal numbers have not been used in physical theories. But this is typical; new mathematical developments often find applications only years or decades after their discovery. Given that fundamental physical theories involve singularities, and infinite quantities are natural elements of the surreal numbers, these exotic numbers may prove valuable in future theories of quantum gravity. Perhaps physicists should embrace infinity rather than trying to banish it from their theories. Peter Lynch is emeritus professor at the School of Mathematics & Statistics, University College Dublin. He blogs at
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Elon Musk Rival? Ray Kurzweil's Beyond Imagination Lands $100M Deal As Tesla, Nvidia, Meta Race Toward AI-Powered Humanoid Robots
Ray Kurzweil, the AI futurist best known for predicting the rise of the singularity, is taking a major step toward turning science fiction into industrial reality. His humanoid robotics company, Beyond Imagination, has secured a $100 million investment from Gauntlet Ventures in a Series B round that pushes the startup's valuation to $500 million, Reuters reports. Founded alongside scientist, entrepreneur, and filmmaker Harry Kloor, Beyond Imagination is building Beomni, an advanced humanoid robot developed for deployment in high-demand industrial settings, according to the company's website. Reuters says that the startup is also working on a universal operating system called Aura, designed to streamline communication and functionality between humans, robots, and legacy machinery. Don't Miss: Hasbro, MGM, and Skechers trust this AI marketing firm — 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. Kurzweil's long-held vision of a future dominated by intelligent machines is moving from bookshelves to production lines. His prediction that artificial intelligence would exceed human intelligence by 2045 once raised eyebrows, Reuters reports. According to Bloomberg, AI startups raised a record $97 billion in funding in 2024 alone, making artificial intelligence one of the most heavily backed sectors in venture capital. According to Gauntlet Ventures co-founder Oliver Carmack, the decision to back Beyond Imagination stemmed from the company's capacity to address a looming global issue: the skilled labor shortage. The startup's bot, with its AI-driven adaptability, is being positioned as a solution for industries like pharmaceutical manufacturing, chip fabrication, and automotive assembly, sectors that demand high precision and long-term workforce support, Reuters says. Beyond Imagination is currently testing its humanoid robots and seeking enterprise partners for deployment in industrial settings, aiming to help revolutionize U.S. manufacturing through AI-driven automation, according to Reuters. Trending: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — The company isn't short on heavyweight support. According to Beyond Imagination's website, its advisory board includes former Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) CEO Paul Jacobs, motivational speaker and business strategist Tony Robbins, and former Paramount Pictures Chair Jim Gianopulos. Their backing, combined with Gauntlet's $100 million investment, sets Beyond Imagination apart in a market flooded with robotics startups vying for capital and attention. According to Reuters, Gauntlet Ventures is the sole investor in this Series B round, a bold show of confidence in both Kurzweil's vision and the company's near-term commercial potential. This latest funding round comes at a time when several major players are entering or expanding their own robotics divisions. Tesla's (NASDAQ:TSLA) Optimus robot, Meta's (NASDAQ:META) AI systems, and Nvidia's (NASDAQ:NVDA) development tools are all pushing the industry forward. Kurzweil's company is positioning Aura as a system designed to integrate humans, robots, and legacy machinery, Reuters the hype, progress in robotics has remained slower than in conversational AI. According to Vox, while chatbots and other language-based AIs have surged ahead, powered by vast amounts of readily available training data from text, images, and video, physical robots remain years behind. Unlike language models, which can be trained in parallel across millions of central processing unit cores and datasets scraped from the internet, robots need to learn by interacting with the physical world in real time, Vox says. As industrial sectors look for automation that delivers beyond traditional robotics, Beyond Imagination may lead that charge with fresh capital and an AI strategy focused on industrial deployment. Read Next: Invest where it hurts — and help millions heal:.Image: Shutterstock Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Elon Musk Rival? Ray Kurzweil's Beyond Imagination Lands $100M Deal As Tesla, Nvidia, Meta Race Toward AI-Powered Humanoid Robots originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sam Altman Says 'Can't Wrap Our Heads Around' The Size Of The AI Revolution, Calls For 'Humility And Caution' To Guide The Future
OpenAI chief Sam Altman told a Senate Commerce panel that the artificial-intelligence boom "will be at least as big as the internet, maybe bigger," a shift so profound that even its architects "can't quite wrap our heads around" where it leads. What Happened: Pressed by Sen. John Fetterman about the so-called singularity — the moment machines outstrip human intelligence — Altman replied, "I am incredibly excited about the rate of progress, but I also am cautious ... I feel small next to it," calling AI "among the biggest, maybe the biggest technological revolutions humanity will have ever produced." Trending: Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary called Missing Ring his biggest mistake — don't repeat history — . He stressed that society will adapt, "figure how to use these tools to do things we could never do before," yet must approach the new era "with humility and some caution."For Altman, the path remains thrilling but opaque: "These are going to be tools capable of things we can't quite wrap our heads around ... some people call that singularity ... it feels like a new era of human history."Why It Matters: The remarks came during a hearing on U.S. competitiveness in AI that also featured executives from Microsoft, AMD and CoreWeave, according to Reuters, urging lighter regulation and heavy infrastructure spending to keep pace with China. According to a separate report by The Washington Post, lawmakers of both parties echoed those fears while probing skyrocketing power demands from data centers and the risk of AI-generated deepfakes. Altman's uncertainty highlights a broader debate over super-intelligence once championed by futurists like Ray Kurzweil and, more recently, flagged by ex-Google chief Eric Schmidt, who predicted AI could put a "smartest human in every pocket" by 2031. Former OpenAI employees warned last year that the company was sidelining safety, a worry that soon echoed in Washington. Five senators wrote to Altman at the time demanding details on how the firm plans to keep its powerful AI models in check. The lawmakers flagged alleged retaliation against internal whistleblowers and pressed Altman to prove safety remains a priority as OpenAI partners with the U.S. government. Their letter joined a growing chorus of experts, including co-founder Elon Musk, who say unchecked AI could carry grave risks for humanity. Sam Altman | Photo courtesy: jamesonwu1972 / Read Next: Invest where it hurts — and help millions heal: Invest in Cytonics and help disrupt a $390B Big Pharma stronghold. 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. You can invest today for just $0.30/share with a $1000 minimum. Send To MSN: Send to MSN UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Sam Altman Says 'Can't Wrap Our Heads Around' The Size Of The AI Revolution, Calls For 'Humility And Caution' To Guide The Future originally appeared on
