"We were burning whales": a viral reflection on standing at the singularity's edge
geoffwolfe · x · 2026-10-25
A widely resonant reflection from Andrew McCalip: 150 years ago we hunted whales for light, yet within a few lifetimes we conquered flight, split the atom, walked on the moon, and now stand on the verge of manufacturing intelligence greater than our own.
He suggests recorded human civilization may be merely a peculiar interlude between biological evolution and something altogether different — "we may actually live to witness the singularity." Quoting the centuries it will take blue whale populations to recover, he marvels at the absurdity: "We were burning whales, for God's sake."
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