The acceleration of technological progress has been the central feature of this century. I argue in this paper that we are on the edge of change comparable to the rise of human life on Earth. The precise cause of this change is the imminent creation by technology of entities with greater than human intelligence. There are several means by which science may achieve this breakthrough (and this is another reason for having confidence that the event will occur):
o The development of computers that are "awake" and superhumanly intelligent. (To date, most controversy in the area of AI relates to whether we can create human equivalence in a machine. But if the answer is "yes, we can", then there is little doubt that beings more intelligent can be constructed shortly thereafter.
o Large computer networks (and their associated users) may "wake up" as a superhumanly intelligent entity.
o Computer/human interfaces may become so intimate that users may reasonably be considered superhumanly intelligent.
o Biological science may find ways to improve upon the natural human intellect.