Recently I returned to one of my favorite authors Iain M. Banks and his book The Algebraist. Albeit a 'space opera' of grand scale it follows the interactions between different but predominantly feudal human civilizations, the Nasqueron Dwellers, and artificial intelligences. The Algebraist puts forward a very interesting concept by dividing these sentient races into the "Slow" and the "Quick"."The Quick" designates all species of sentient beings who experience life at around the speed human beings experience it, in contrast to "Slow" species, who experience life at a much slower temporal rate. Represented as the 'Slow' primarily in this book are Dweller individuals who inhabit gas giants akin to Jupiter and live for millions of years, and the species has existed for billions.A central theme in the novel is the issue of interference by "progressive" societies in more "primitive" societies - as is the influence of interstellar travel mechanisms in shaping space-faring civilizations and the mutual adaptation of artificial intelligences and biological species. Each of these influences acting factorially to catapult them forward.To effect, the reader is presented a "future" where many species and civilizations, it would appear, have reached something akin to Kurzweil's 'singularity' either technologically, biologically and in some instances, spiritually.A point is made through the narrative that the exponential approach to a 'singularity' might not always be the utopian state promised. As with our own human experience here on Earth, civilizations - predominantly represented by those considered the 'Quick', come undone, usually by their own undoing when wielding immense technological and biological power, near to or as illustrated past the point of singularity. The seemingly irrevocable condition of avarice is at blame.Contemporaneous to the avarice of the 'Quick' is the existence of the 'Slow' who have had a much longer journey to the point of singularity and seemingly mastered the ability to maintain that state without disaster. Their existence, measured by time as the Quick experience it, is magnitudes slower. And while they have mastered space and time, biology and spirit, it appears they are just as doomed from a different machination. Eccentricity.The Slow, living for millions of years, have collectively become so eccentric as to be beyond reasoning by even the broadest scale. Their minds having been addled by the luxury of extraordinary immense amounts of time to wander.Something tells me that in Banks weaving this story he has touched on something more profound. Be careful what you wish for. To me it seems inevitable that we are heading towards a singularity, whatever form it takes, it will happen. But more of a concern to me is that very close to, and most definitely after that point of singularity, avarice and eccentricity could be rife. Both ultimately doomed states. One that ends in ultimate destruction from wanton desire, the other in a technological and biological nirvana with nothing left to do.Where are we on the curve? At the very broad and flat end, if my imagination is but the measure to go by. in a sense I'm glad, because my imagination is a worthy companion. If there is nothing left to dream, to conceive, to want for, to work for, to understand - then where does consciousness go?Would consciousness develop after the post singular state? Could it?See More