Sure people may laugh at this coming event and say we have nothing to worry about. But they only reason they say that is because they know so little of the potential out comes. Look at the way people are acting like chooks with there heads cut off with regards to global warming because temptures may rise a few degree in the next hundred years. Big yawn!Its mearly a sideshow when you compare it to the potentially bad out comes of singularity.

Hey Jack. Yeah you are right the sky is the limit and as you point out with improving our bodies and over all health we are entering a stage of very rapid advancement. The singularity will help to advance all sciences if we use it right. Its an exciting time to be alive.

“There would be two sub-species. Normal humans and those who wanted (and could afford) upgrading.” Affording it wont be a problem for as you with most things they go down in price as we find better/smarter ways to develop and manufacture them.But the god-botherers as you call them will not want to touch this technology with a 10 foot pole and thus will sadly not benefit from these great scientific advances due to there own ignorance.

Raymond Kurzweil is on the fore front of predciting the outcomes of the singularity. "Kurzweil first defines the Singularity as a point in the future when technological advances begin to happen so rapidly that normal humans cannot keep pace, and are "cut out of the loop." Kurzweil emphasizes that this will have a profound, disruptive effect on human societies and on everyday life, and will mark the end of human history as we know it. In place of normal humans, Strong Artificial Intelligences and cybernetically augmented humans will become the dominant forms of sentient life on the Earth. The Singularity will be initiated once self-improving Artificial Intelligences (sentient, highly intelligent computer programs capable of quickly redesigning themselves"

"But the god-botherers as you call them will not want to touch this technology with a 10 foot pole and thus will sadly not benefit from these great scientific advances due to there own ignorance."

That's fine with me if they don't....in fact i wouldn't expect different considering their fits when it comes to things like stem cell research. But we should be wary of underestimating the shallowness of their faith or hypocrisy when it comes to these things. I've read that they vehemently objected to the invention of the pacemaker. Now look at the lack of their religious convictions on that.

I for one welcome the coming of our new superintelligent overlords. I'd like to remind them that as a trusted member of the community, I can be helpful in rounding up others to toil in their underground sugar caves, or whatever they're into.

EasyTimes,
Do not worry! Humanity will not pass from one stage to the other in one moment. It will take some time, enough to learn how to control and double control super humans. If humans can create a super human then sure they can create an other kind of super human with very specif instructions and abilities to control and if necessary destroy the super humans. The humans who will create the super humans the same humans will put the limits and create the special humans who could control other super humans. Be sure there will be many limits, red lines, internal and external switches to avoid high risks. I trust million times more the scientists, when they work on open sources, as with DNA, than politicians like Bush.
Be sure when real we will be in this stage then probably the human society and human genetic engineering will be in a high level.
I think, today humanity is not enough mature to learn some truths and of cause do not have the basic structure, law and civilization to handle not only genetic human engineering but even more simple things.
We are at the very begin from our history but already we start to put some basic questions. At least we know some basic limits between them the non avoidable end of the planet earth.

Can anyone identify a new gene that has directed evolutionary trends in humans over the past 5,000 years?

I have a close friend whose father was a head hunter in West Irian before he became Christian. She is now working in the Philipines as a micro biologist in tropical diseases. She has several Masters degrees in sciences, language and theology. The super brains are already here and they have not been spoiled by western norms.

Interesting topic, but it's already happened. "The Matrix" was actually a documentary. More seriously, it's fascinating to consider the possibilities.

"Can anyone identify a new gene that has directed evolutionary trends in humans over the past 5,000 years? "

A bit more than 5000 years, but the sickle-cell allele springs to mind, off the top of my head.

Philo's always claiming to know nameless leading scientists, yet doesn't seem to have much scientific understanding. Speaking of which, how's the miracle boy going after his consultations with his specialists and physicians, Philo?