It dates from a popular nonfiction book in the '70s, "Future Shock" by Alvin Toffler, who based it on non-fictional library research.
Some of the trend-lines inflected in the '80s, sparing us from a singularity in the '90s. I'm still holding out to see of the S-curve will flatten, or we'll get another rise.
My guess is that it will rise again, the the internet has the effect of amplifying human intelligence.
It' s so not-news that older scientists don't care. Younger scientists don't read old books.
On Mon, 7 Jun 1999 22:26:04 EDT Pvthur@aol.com writes:
>Just curious as to how far this notion has caught on in classical
>scientific
>circles. (astronomy, evolutionary biology, seti)
>
>-or-
>
>When will "The Singularity Cometh" be an article on 60 Minutes?