Category Archives: Singularity

April 10, 2017 Rob Farber

Containers are an extremely mobile, safe and reproducible computing infrastructure that is now ready for production HPC computing. In particular, the freely available Singularity container framework has been designed specifically for HPC computing. The barrier to entry is low and the software is free.

At the recent Intel HPC Developer Conference, Gregory Kurtzer (Singularity project lead and LBNL staff member) and Krishna Muriki (Computer Systems Engineer at LBNL) provided a beginning and advanced tutorial on Singularity. One of Kurtzers key takeaways: setting up workflows in under a day is commonplace with Singularity.

Many people have heard about code modernization and are familiar with how it addresses scaling and performance challenges, but code modernization also implies modifying applications so they are mobile and have the ability to deliver reproducible science across systems and software versions both now and in the future.

The proof of the pudding lies in the tasting, which is highlighted by the global acceptance of Singularity at HPC centers around the world on large systems. Following are a few large-scale examples:

Figure 1: Partial list of organizations. (Full list available here.)

Singularity was designed so that applications which run in a container have the same distance to the host kernel and hardware as natively running applications as shown below.

Figure 2: Singularity preserves the nearness of native applications to the OS

This translates to performance, jitter reduction, and the ability to directly utilize GPUs and communications fabrics such as InfiniBand and Intel Omni-Path Architecture (Intel OPA).

Intel supports Singularity containers on HPC products and provides Application Notes showing how to import large, complex HPC applications such as NWChem into Singularity containers so they can run on Intel processors and Intel OPA. Intel recommends that users run like on like container images that match the same kernel and OS distribution to the Intel OPA-basic release. They state, Other combinations may work, but there is no support implied. (Source Intel Application Note J57474-1.0 page 9.)

Figure 3: Identifying compute nodes for containers (Source Intel)

Unlike Docker (currently the most well-known enterprise container system) and other container systems, Singularity preserves the security of the host HPC system and does not represent a breach of security. Plus Singularity includes MPI an essential part of HPC computing.

Succinctly, if a user wants to be root inside a Singularity container, they must first be root on the system outside the container. A user with root access can view and change any file on the system either inadvertently or maliciously. Thus, HPC security models tightly control root access and forbid non-authorized people (e.g. general users) from gaining root access. Due to the design of Docker and other enterprise container systems that utilize root-level user-writable daemons and other security-permeable design features, HPC systems managers have to isolate the both HPC networks and user access to data before these containers can be allowed on the system.

Succinctly, if a user wants to be root inside a Singularity container, they must first be root on the system outside the container Singularity Permissions, Access, and Privilege

The ramifications are far-reaching and precludes access to InfiniBand and Intel OPA high performance and optimized storage platforms as well as locally mounted file-systems. Thus a typical Docker solution uses a virtual cluster within the physical machine. Unfortunately, virtual machines introduce jitter, which can degrade HPC application performance by a factor of 4x or more. (See the paper, The Case of the Missing Supercomputer Performance for more information about the impact of even tiny amounts of jitter on HPC applications.) Network isolation, jitter, and other issues explain why Kurtzer tells people that Docker and other enterprise container systems, Remove High Performance from HPC.

Further, MPI is included in Singularity where it is omitted in enterprise container systems. In particular Kurtzer notes that Docker has, No reasonable support or timeline for MPI. Current estimates are that MPI support in Docker is at least two years out. Succinctly, Kurtzer observes that HPC is not a use case for Docker or other enterprise container systems like runC and RKT. Kurtzer created Singularity in part because, Patches to help make Docker/runC/RKT a better solution for HPC have been submitted, but most have not been accepted!

Patches to help make Docker/runC/RKT a better solution for HPC have been submitted, but most have not been accepted! Gregory Kurtzer (Singularity project lead and LBNL staff member).

This explains why Kurtzer created Singularity to address enterprise design omissions (security, performance, and MPI) plus other issues. The lack of these features in currently popular container systems also provides the reason for HPC users to evaluate and adopt Singularity on their HPC systems.

Please see the security documents for more information about the Singularity security model.

Singularity is also used to perform HPC in the cloud on AWS, Google Cloud, Azure and other cloud providers. This makes it possible to develop a research workflow on a laboratory or a laboratory server, then bundle it to run on a departmental cluster, on a leadership class supercomputer, or in the cloud.

Singularity containers can be built to include all of the programs, libraries, data and scripts such that an entire workflow can be contained and either archived or distributed for others to replicate no matter what version of Linux they are running. Singularity also runs on Mac and Windows systems.

Singularity also blurs the line between container and host such that local directories can exist within the container. Applications within the container have full and direct access to these files, which enables arbitrary and persistent workflow configurations. Meanwhile, users can get results reported to their local file-system.

Containers can also be bundled so they contain commercial code. Essentially, the container can be installed using a certified version of the operating system. The Singularity documentation then states, The application environment, libraries, and certified stack would all continue to run exactly as it is intended inside the container.

The advantage of containers is that legacy workflows will continue running far into the future. This is a double-edged sword because workflows will continue working as-is far into the future, which puts the onus is on the maintainers of the containerized workflow to ensure the code stays current rather than becoming fossilized. Still, even ancient containers can be exhumed to provide result validation.

Users are finding that they deploy an application on an HPC cluster with an installed workload manager such as Slurm, HTCondor or Torque code with little effort and similar performance to workflows in other container systems. Kurtzer tells people, Setting up workflows in under a day is commonplace with Singularity

Setting up workflows in under a day is commonplace with Singularity Greg Kurtzer

The National Institute of Health wrote, Weve had many users ask for programs like TensorFlow and OpenCV3 that are difficult or impossible to install with our current OS. Many users have also been asking for Docker to create portable reproducible data analysis pipelines. Singularity allows us to provide this functionality to our users in a secure environment. Our admins have found it easy and intuitive to use Singularity. Some of our staff have even begun to install tricky applications into Singularity containers and write wrapper scripts and module files that make the Singularity environment transparent to the end user. (Source: Singularity Registry download file)

Nextflow wrote a detailed blog about their work to containerize a bioinformatics pipeline at the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG). Their benchmarks show that there isnt any significant difference in the execution times between Docker and Singularity. (Source: The Nextflow blog, More fun with containers in HPC.)

Figure 4: Docker vs. Singularity runtimes (time in minutes. Reprinted courtesy NextFlow)

The February 2017 Intel Application Note, Building Containers for Intel Omni-Path Fabrics using Docker and Singularity shows how to configure and run Singularity on Intel OPA fabrics. They provide a specific example of building and running NWChem in a Singularity container and note in the conclusion:

When comparing the container technologies, we found Singularity to be a viable alternative to Docker for running MPI applications in our test HPC cluster environment. Singularity interfaces with the MPI mechanisms installed on the host machines and can be used with external resource managers. It is also possible to run Singularity directly as a normal user without needing root permissions to run certain tasks.

This same Application Note also shows how to convert a Docker container into a Singularity container.

Gorgolewski et. al. wrote in PLOS Computational Biology, Previous containerized data processing solutions were limited to single user environments and not compatible with most multi-tenant High Performance Computing systems. BIDS Apps overcome this limitation by taking advantage of the Singularity container technology. As a proof of concept, this work is accompanied by 22 ready to use BIDS Apps, packaging a diverse set of commonly used neuroimaging algorithms.

Carlos Eduardo Arango Gutierrez at the Universidad del Valle says that Singularity helps them, in reducing development, deployment and optimization effort in our objective of building a large-scale, organized and self-managed cluster, offering a distro and vendor neutral environment for the development of heterogeneous HPC applications.

Lai Wei-Hwa at roboco.com notes that, Finally, a solution for Dockers security holes. In particular, they find the following advantages:

Containers are a new concept for the scientific and HPC communities. For security, mobility, and reproducibility reasons, developers are strongly encouraged to look into a container solution like Singularity.

Categories: Control, HPC

Tags: Containers, Docker, Singularity

From Mainframes to Deep Learning Clusters: IBMs Speech Journey Risk or Reward: First Nvidia DGX-1 Boxes Hit the Cloud

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Singularity Containers for HPC, Reproducibility, and Mobility - The Next Platform

Quantum fields may keep us safe from the weird physics within event horizons

NASA/JPL-Caltech

By Leah Crane

Break out the censors black bars for naked singularities. Quantum effects could be obscuring these impossible predictions of general relativity, new calculations show.

Albert Einsteins classical equations of general relativity do a fairly good job of describing gravity and space-time. But when it comes to the most extreme objects, such as black holes, general relativity runs into problems.

Among those is the prediction of naked singularities: theoretical points in space-time where gravity becomes infinitely large, but without the signature blackness of real black holes. Black holes are cloaked by an event horizon, a boundary within which the gravitational force of a singularity is so strong that light cannot escape. Naked singularities have no such cloak.

But naked singularities streaking through space would be a problem for physics as we know it. Physics is founded on the assumption that you can predict the evolution of systems based on some set of initial conditions. But near a naked singularity, which is basically an abrupt puncture in space-time, that predictive power collapses. It produces an area rife with paradoxes, where anything could happen without warning.

That is an issue for the universe as we know it. We live in a rather classically predictable world and we dont see infinities everywhere, says Marc Casals at the Brazilian Center for Research in Physics in Rio de Janeiro.

This same problem is thought to arise in certain regions of regular black holes too, but their event horizons protect us, making sure we can never observe the infinity of a singularity or the implosion of our ability to describe sequences of events.

Physicists believe that although there are these bizarre solutions to Einsteins equations, once we add all the complications, these weird properties will disappear, says Ivan Agullo at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. But actually proving that is very difficult.

Now, new calculations by Casals and his colleagues show that quantum effects may force naked singularities to clothe themselves in event horizons just like normal black holes.

If, by some evil means, somebody created a naked singularity, it would quickly cease to exist, says Casals. These quantum fields would very quickly turn the naked singularity into a black hole. His teams calculations show that including quantum fields also eliminates the regions in black holes where physics breaks down.

While this still allows singularities to exist within event horizons, it protects the universe outside them from their weird physical effects. We dont smooth them out, but at least we shield them, says Casals.

But these calculations come with a caveat: although we live in a four-dimensional world, they apply to a simpler universe with only three dimensions, two of space and one of time.

Usually what happens in two-plus-one dimensions is a good guide to what would happen in the real world, so it certainly gives a springboard or a point of reference for explorations in the real world, says Robert Mann at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada.

It is also a step towards understanding how gravity and general relativity, which operate on huge scales, interact with the quantum nature of matter, which is most evident in small systems. Many physicists hope that the two will eventually be combined into a single theory of quantum gravity.

There is this belief that quantum gravity will solve these undesirable features of classical space-time, says Casals. Our calculations show that this may be true.

Journal reference: Physical Review Letters, DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.131102

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Quantum effects cloak impossible singularities with black holes ... - New Scientist

Ashes of the Singularity: Escalationa game about carefully lining up thousands of robotic units and then smashing them together in an explosion tiny lasershas been given a massive update.

It was released last November as an expansion to Stardock's Ashes of the Singularity, which was a solid RTS, and the two were rolled into a single package earlier this year. Yesterday, the developers released an update that matches up to the game's grand scale: as well as being packed-full of much needed bug fixes and UI improvements, the 2.2 patch adds three new maps and a host of new features.

Chief among them is the new replay feature, which players have been demanding for a while. You can watch the footage from any game you've played to work out where you went wrong (or just relive the glory of stomping on your opponent), as well as watch videos of the top players to pick up some tips.

The new maps in the update are: Manannan, a 12-player Terran map aimed at free-for-all games; Brighid, an eight-player Arctic map to be played in two teams of four; and Aenghus, a ten-player desert map that is again aimed at the free-for-all mode. The maps were one of the weakest aspects of the original game, so let's hope these three are better.

And if that wasn't enough, the update introduces mod support, allowing fans to tweak game files, create maps and dream up new scenarios to do battle in. We eagerly await the results.

There are literally hundreds of other changes under the hood, most of which change the way that individual ships handle. It's a dizzying amount of detail that is bound to change the way you play, so if you're interested head over to the forum and read the post from Derek Paxton, Stardocks Vice President of Entertainment.

If you want to try the game for the first time, this update provides the perfect excuse. It's on Steam for 29.99/$39.99.

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Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation gets replay feature and three new maps - PC Gamer

When I heard the folks responsible for my beloved sci-fi RTS Sins of a Solar Empire were at it again with another massive RTS inAshes of the Singularity: Escalation, I had to check the game out. While the original game launched earlier in 2016, Escalation came later that year as an upgraded, standalone expansion that adds lotsof things to the game. Now that the definitive version is out, I dove right into this gargantuan strategy game.

Ashes of the Singularity Publisher: Stardock Developer:Oxide Games Platform:PC Release Date: November 10th, 2016 Players: 1-16 Price: $39.99(Review Copy Received)

Ashes of the Singularity is thegame Microsoft literally used to show off DirectX 12, as it was the first game released to support it. The game is a sight to behold, most especially if you have a rig that can handlemax settings.

The game has the potential to show tens of thousands of units on screen at the same time while also featuring a crazy number of light sources (each smoke cloud or projectile has its own light source). All of the animations, simulations, light sources, and more are rendered at any distance.

Each ship has its own turrets that all fire individually, and line of sight is a direct factor in gameplay as well. Say youre trying to down an enemy capital ship if they have a bunch of smaller frigates blocking your line of sight, theyll eat the collateral damage before their leader does.

Ashes is such a ridiculously technically apt game Ive even recommended friends with high-end rigs buy it just to run the benchmark for tests. The engine Oxide Games have built runs beautifully and makes the game a true joy to play.

One of the things Ashesdoesnt do well visually is identify its various ships and units well. I found myself constantly re-reading tooltips while trying to build well-balanced armies. I kept envisioning ifthey had better audio cues, more striking coloring, something to make them stand out more.

There are four resources in the game: metal, radiocatives, Quanta, and Turinium. While metal and radioactives are needed to supply your burgeoning war machine, Quanta grants you access to upgrades and orbital abilities.

Turinium is gathered over time via control points and eventually leads to an overall victory, regardless of the other resources. The game has a big focus on capturing these Turinium points, without control and a direct line to your home base, you wont get resources from expansions.

This is a catch 22 in that youre forced to expand and capture more Turinium generators than the other players, or wipe them out via military expansion. Either way, you need to capture more Turinium nodes to expand your economy, otherwise youll fall behind in production.

I was ok with focusing on expansion and building massive armies to slug at each other as thats usually my style in strategy games however if you crave a more twitch-y, micromanaged approach you might not enjoy Ashes. The overall feeling of conquering planets for your faction is fun.

The meta units your armies become comprised of help you handle the massive scale the battles evolve into. Instead of controlling smaller groups of units, youll control separate armies and queue up actions accordingly. Ill admit this was a little weird at first, but eventually it became really fun. I will say that sometimes meta units or armies would randomly disband, or feel a bit unwieldy.

This expansion goes bigger and bolder with an increase to 16 players, more units, structures, and maps, UI tweaks, and more. Its basically the solid, polished base of the original game cranked up to 11, and its a blast for slow-burner, massive scale RTS fans.

The game has an ethereal soundtrack that compliments its post-human storyline. Id say the soundtrack is superb, however its sometimes lost in the chaos of explosions, lasers, and what have you. Tracks range from choral, heavily science-fiction inspired pieces to enticing battle themes.

The sound effects themselves are quite good, pending how close you get to the action. Youll hear the roaring explosions come after your bombers make a pass over your enemies, or possibly a wide barrage of lasers and projectiles as two armies collide.

Its all quite excellent as it coalesces together, making a cavalcade of destructive noises that you wont really hear in many other strategy games. The music nicely fits the games massive scale, to put it simply. My favorite tracks are usually the exploratory, ambient tunes which expand your imagination.

There is so much thought put into the post-human story in Ashes of the Singularity its overwhelming. The original game featured two episodes focusing on a war between the Post-Human Coalition and the Substrate.

Escalation is basically the third episode, focusing on the runaway AI Haalee and her Substrate. Without giving too much away of the story, much of the games technologies are based on theoretical quantum abilities like quantum communication, and manipulating atoms on distant planets.

Post-humans entered a cloud-like matrix of consciousness, enabling them to expand their computational brainpower by acquiring more Turinium. Coming from this, Turinium is basically the main currency for both the THC and the Substrate, and one they directly battle over.

While the story itself is fascinating to a sci-fi aficionado like myself, the actual in-game story is presented via planet-based missions smattered with bits of dialogue. Youll encounter other post-humans, and chase after enemies together.

Ashes of the Singularity: Escalationis everything that made the base game so great, but expanded upon and refined into an even better game. The user interface changes are great, the new units, structures, and upgrades are welcome, and overall the game is a lot of fun to play.

If youre looking for a mashup of Supreme Commander and Sins of a Solar Empire, Id say look no further. There are many systems, both technical and from a gameplay perspective, which all bring this massive strategy game together and make you a true commander of armies.

Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation wasreviewed on PCusing a digitalcopy provided by Stardock.You can find additional information about Niche Gamers review/ethics policy here.

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Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation Review A Massive, Bold, Engaging RTS - Niche Gamer

Noida-based online lingerie brand Clovia has raised $4 million from existingand new investors including Singularity Ventures and Ravi Dhariwal, former CEO of media house Bennett, Coleman & Co.

Clovia will utilise the funds for marketing,product and technology development, and expanding sales channels.

Owned by Purple Panda Fashion, Clovia in 2015 had raised funds from IvyCap Ventures. In 2013, it had raised seed fund from Zurich-based Mountain Partners AG.

Clovia claims to have 1.5 million visitors amonth on its website, with nearly 80 percent of its sales happening through its website and app on mobile. Clovia offers nearly 200 styles per month with best working capital ratios in the industry.

Pankaj Vermani, Co-founder and CEO of Clovia,said:

We are excited to learn from experiences of the likes of Ravi, which has developed some of the biggest consumer businesses in the country.

Founded in 2013, Clovia was established to address the under-serviced intimate wear segment in India, and now designs and manufactures its own products. Using smart technology/analytics, it monitors the sales trends and patterns on its website and manages its inventory accordingly, thus reducing operational costs. The company claims to ship more than 250,000 units per month.

I am delighted to partner with Clovia and impressed by the exponential strides they have made in the fashion space, Dhariwal said, adding I am impressed by Clovias good growth potential, and with the way they have amalgamated technology and fashion and disrupted the lingerie industry.

As reported by VCCEdge, Clovias net sales stood at Rs 30 crore in FY16 compared to Rs 18.6 crore in FY15. However, the net losses increased to Rs 9.5 crore in FY16 from Rs 1.7 crore in FY15.

Website: Clovia

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Noida-based lingerie brand Clovia raises $4M from Singularity Ventures, others - YourStory.com

Adidas just announced theyre partnering with 3D printing company Carbon to mass-produce a line of shoes with 3D printed mid-soles (the spongy bit that cushions your foot). Called Futurecraft 4D, they aim to make 5,000 pairs by the end of the year, ramping up production to 100,000 pairs next year.

While 3D printing is often touted for its ability to customize products, Adidas will start with a single design to test the tech. Their ultimate goal, however, is to customize each shoe to fit the unique contours of a persons foot.

This isnt the companys first foray into the world of 3D printingan earlier model of the Futurecraft shoe, made with Materialise, previously sold for $333nor are they the only shoe company pursuing the technology.

Whats interesting about this project is the challenges Adidas says Carbons technology can solve. And whereas 3D printed shoes have mostly arrived in small numbers, Adidas commitment to ramp up production is notable.

The idea of printing objects on demand is exciting, but the reality is more nuanced. 3D printing is slow and costly. Traditional manufacturing processes like injection molding still reign supreme for mass manufacturing at cost.

Adidas and Carbon are optimistic this may be changing for some products.

Of the 3D printers weve covered over the years, Carbon's is a personal favorite. Instead of stacking layers to make an object, Carbon uses light and heat to selectively harden liquid resin. The result is very sci-fi. A digital design made manifest is hoisted from a vat of high-tech goo in a single finished piece.

But Carbon's process has practical advantages too. For one, its relatively fast.

Printing soles used to take Adidas 10 hours. Now it takes 90 minutes. And they aim to further reduce print time to 20 minutes. Also, each sole is printed continuously in one piece, which eliminates weak spots where layers meet. And the soles honeycomb geometrythe properties of which vary over the sole's lengthwouldnt be possible with injection molding.

Mechanical engineers have been taunting the world with the properties of these structures for years, according to Carbon cofounder, Joseph DeSimone. You cant injection-mold something like that, because each strut is an individual piece.

The technology also allows for faster, more complete prototyping. Adidas ran through some 50 designs before landing on their final choice.

A typical process, which would require copious retooling, would try out a handful of designs before moving on. By 3D printing both the design and the final product, Adidas can skip tooling on both ends. And unlike prior prototypes, the design and the final product are made of the same materiallimiting the likelihood the final product will perform differently.

In addition to Adidas, Nike, Under Armour, and New Balance have their own 3D printed shoe projects, but these have mostly been produced in small batches. While 100,000 pairs of shoes is a drop in the ocean relative to the hundreds of millions of pairs Adidas sells each year, it's a lot more than a few hundred pairs.

Whether the shoe itself catches on? We'll have to wait and see.

Image Credit: Adidas

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Adidas to Mass-Produce 3D Printed Shoes in Vats of Warm Liquid Goo - Singularity Hub

What Is The Singularity?

Although some thinkers use the term singularity to refer to any dramatic paradigm shift in the way we think and perceive our reality, in most conversations The Singularity refers to the point at which AI surpasses human intelligence. What that point looks like, though, is subject to debate, as is the date when it will happen.

In a recent interview with Inverse, Stanford University business and energy and earth sciences graduate student Damien Scott provided his definition of singularity: the moment when humans can no longer predict the motives of AI. Many people envision singularity as some apocalyptic moment of truth with a clear point of epiphany. Scott doesnt see it that way.

Well start to see narrow artificial intelligence domains that keep getting better than the best human, Scott told Inverse. Calculators already outperform us, and theres evidencethat within two to three years, AI will outperform the best radiologists in the world. In other words, the singularity is already happening across each specialty and industry touched by AI which, soon enough, will beall of them. If youre of the mind that the singularity means catastrophe for humans, this likens the process for humans to the experience of the frogs placed into the pot of water that slowly comes to a boil: that is to say, killing us so slowly thatwe dont notice its already begun.

Will it be self-aware or self-improving? Not necessarily, Scottsays. But that might be the kind of creep of the singularity across a whole bunch of different domains: All these things getting better and better, as an overall a set of services that collectively surpass our collective human capabilities.

Ray Kurzweil, Googles director of engineering and a computer scientist, takes the opposite view: that a hard singularity will occur at a particular point in time. In fact, he has predicted the singularity 147 times since the 1990s, most recently going with 2045 as the year [w]ere going to get more neocortex, were going to be funnier, were going to be better at music.

Masayoshi Son, CEO of Softbank Robotics, and Kurzweil are splitting hairs as Son argues that the year for the singularity will be 2047. Despite the two year difference in their predictions, Son and Kurzweilare basically optimistic: I think this super intelligence is going to be our partner. If we misuse it, its a risk. If we use it in good spirits it will be our partner for a better life.

Not everyone takes such a positive view of the singularity: Elon Musk sees it as an inevitability, but one that demands we prepare properly. In that vein, he is working on Neuralink; atechnology and process for merging human intelligence with AI.

Meanwhile, physicist Edward Witten has said that we will never be able to unravel all of the mysteries of consciousness, which would be a stumbling block to the singularity. Computers that mimic the human brain will achieve the singularity, but what if they cant mimic consciousness because we cant explain it ourselves? On the other hand, economist William Nordhaus has studied the economic implications of the singularity, only to conclude that while it may be coming, it isnt happening anytime soon.

So, is the singularity on the horizon? Will it be a single, watershed moment in human history? Or will we simply look back someday with wonder at how far weve come, and how much has changed since we blended our intellects with AI? The same hazy kinds of memories you might have of your life before cell phones and Internet (if youre old enough to remember those times) might one day pop into your mind, recalling the days when the human mind thought on its own, without the benefit of AI.

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Human-Level AI Are Probably A Lot Closer Than You Think - Futurism

[Informing Entities: An Introduction to Entropy - Singularity or Dispersal]

The purpose of this essay exists as an introduction to reformulated modalities in thinkings that go beyond historical definitions of particular textual evidence. Historically, Entropy has been historically situated and textually defined for the means of studying thermodynamics. Entropy has also been defined as a process of lacking order or predictability. The origin of the word Entity comes from the latin word ens or translated to being and esse' as translated to be but the origin of the word En by itself comes from 18th century English. The term En was used during the invention of the printing press. The letter N was represented as a word because it was approximately this width and it was used in printing as a unit of measurement. En as (En-) with a prefix in english is added to nouns to form verbs expressing entry into the specific state or location. (En-) also has origins from English, French and Latin, as (In-). and examples of this would be words such as to engulfing or entanglement. (Oxford 2017) Oxford Dictionary also defines Entity as a single biological entity or the subsidiary company is a distinct entity or the distinction between entity and nonentity (Oxford 2017) These dictionary definitions extend to define Entropy as A thermodynamic quantity representing the unavailability of a system's thermal energy for conversion into mechanical work, often interpreted as the degree of disorder or randomness in the system. (Oxford 2017) Neither Donna Haraways Cyborg Manafesto" or Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari's A Thousand Plateaus discuss Entropy or (En-) in the literal or contextual sense but both readings highlight the existences of Entities. The function of this essay is to ask; What are the comparisons and correlations that allow manifestation of Entities, Entropy, and (En-) in the Cyborg Manifesto and A Thousand Plateaus? This will be done by first by understanding Identity through Alexander Weheliyes "Pornotrope" from Racializing Assemblages and Jasbir Puars Excerpts from Terrorist Assemblages in order to move into discussions of Entities. Entity is defined by Oxford Dictionary as A thing with distinct and independent existence. (Oxford 2017) but this essay will focus on the Entity that exists through Harraway and Deleuze. By a process of reformulation and specification of Entities as pluralistic and not as Entity as a singular we will be able to move to Entropy as a transient temporal space or transient time period that supports and counters discussions of The Singularity Is Near: When Human Transcend Biology By Ray Kurzweil. Entropy as a transient temporal space reformulates historical understandings of Entropy by connecting Entity as disorder or randomness in the system (Oxford 2017) with Haraway, Deleuze and Oxfords Entity the distinction between entity and nonentity (Oxford 2017) We will then conclude but introduce (En-) as modalities that produces and fosters Deleuzes Nomad Thought and Harraways Cyborg into existing as a unit of measurement. This is similar to the becoming as not an evolution but involution. This involution is not a contextually defined as a shrinkage but a mathematical transformation that may exist outside of human experience. Reformulation of historical contextual and material evidence allow for what Deleuze calls an Invention of Concepts. This reformulation also allows us to turn what Harraway calls Feminist Science as practice. This essay will act as not just an amplification of their arguments but a reformulation of Entities, Entropy, and (En-) into modalities in thinkings that can exist outside of human experience.

[Material Identity: Tropes and Assemblages]

Before going into possibly foreign ideas around ideas that become distinct and exist independently outside of human experience we must discuss Identity. This Identity could be defined as either The fact of being who or what a person or thing is. or The characteristics determining who or what a person or thing is. or (of an object) serving to establish who the holder, owner, or wearer is by bearing their name and often other details such as a signature or photograph. (Oxford 2017) but our current discussion focuses more on the physical or material bodies that Identity occupies. By doing this we will be able to have a better understanding of the contrast between a corporeal conversation of Entity through Harraways Feminist Science and a discursive or (non-material) approach in Entity dissection through Deleuzes Becoming. This essay is particularly interested in Identity as understood by Puar and Weheliye because integrating an understanding of tropes and assemblages will create foundations for entities. Weheliye discusses Identity by igniting Habeas Corpus into discourse and provoking Habeas Viscus. As discussed in class Habeas Corpus prevails as You shall have a body, a legal concept, whereby a person is recognized as having a right to having recourse against illegal detention. (Basile 2017) which can be described as an abstracted body in a court of law in order to officiate the body into institution. Habeas Viscus is latin for; you shall have viscera..which is elaborated by Elena Basile in class as differently signified flesh (Basile 2017) this distinction allows us to understanding that historically certain radicalized bodies have been left out and this essay aims to argue that identities or entities without bodies may have also been left out of institutional practices. These bodies may include gender variant individuals that exist outside the gender binary. Furthermore, without elaborating the concept of Pornotrope as an inversion to Foucaults Biopower..Names the becoming-flesh of the (black) body and forms a primary component in the processes by which human beings are converted into bare life (Weheliye 2014) Alexander points out here the necessity for Identities though the function of Tropes. Tropes as a linguistic signifier for ..human beings converted into bare life.. (Weheliye 2014) is questioned when an argument against what constitutes a human being arise. Identity through Puar explores bodied Identities where we are asked to Rethink race, sexuality and gender as concatenations, unstable assemblages of revolving and devolving energies, rather than intersectional coordinates. (Puar 2007) This citation correlates with our necessity to explore existences outside of Identity if Oxford defines Identity as strictly a person or thing. Concluding this first section that unstable assemblages argue against Identitarian Politics and support a conversation outside of conventional understandings of intersectionality. This non-linear progression where things do not intersect allow Entities to exists not a category but an entirely differentiated framework.

[From Identity to Entities; A Non-Linear Progression]

As the first part to the body of this essay, we will discuss the material body under a model of the body, mind and third Entity. This material body exists as corporeal focus as opposed to the discursive practices of the mind. In this section we will dissect Harraways Manifesto focusing more on the corporeal and social feminism to feminist science. Furthermore, communication sciences and modern biologies are constructed by a common move - the translation of the world into a problem of coding (Harraway) By highlighting examples of this feminist science it allows a conversation of biological interest within political frameworks. This section will also look into Deleuzes Plateaus discussion but around capitalism. The end product would be "a fully legitimated subject of knowledge and society"17each mind an analogously organized mini- State morally unified in the supermind of the State. This section argues that both texts have corporeal and discursive qualities but Deleuze expands Harraways process of coding into an Invention of Concepts and therefore takes the corporeal socialites and politics into the discursive. By making that distinction and transition between the corporeal and discursive discussion we can then introduce a third Entity. We will discuss the contextual evidence of Entity and introduce correlations of the Entities within both texts. Entity as possessing both corporeal and discursive qualities but Entities exist outside of this design and therefore inhabit a collective space without an instant of an Individual able to possess such qualities. This could be compared to a process of Individuation and be expanded under excursions of a Becoming. This section will also dive into the becoming-entity through a Deleuze and other (non-human) subjects such as AIs (Artificial Intelligence), Cyborgs, and alternative human identities and how the becoming is a non-linear progression. By discussing material bodies under a socio political frameworks of human subjects and including (non-human) subjects that fall under categories of identities (identities as a collections of identity) and entity (entity as non-human subjects) we will be able to segway into the next section of transient temporal spaces as Entropy.

[What is the Singularity?]

In 2006 inventor and futurist Ray Kurzwell wrote a non-fiction book titled The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology the controversy behind the book revolved mainly around their theory around a law of accelerating returns which basically proposes the issues with economic exponential growth. This essay doesnt aim at arguing against Kurzwells proposal within the text but the linguistic terminology itself that has causes a possible mainstream confusion. Taking from the Kurzwell ..the nonbiological intelligence will be embedded in our society and will reflect our values.. (Kurzwell 2006) states non-biological intelligence which may correlate with Entities that exist without material bodies. Kurzwell discusses the Singularity against concepts of infinite progression which do not correlate with this essays discussion of non-linear progression. Kurzwells discursive focus purely on astrological and mathematical singularity leaves out not just the Habeas Viscus but the material lives of Queer Theorist and Transgender Studies. The question at hand is the use of the word singularity as defined as The state, fact, quality, or condition of being singular. (Oxford 2017) Kurzwell continues and states ..human life will be irreversibly transformed.. (Kurzwell 2006) humans transcending ..limitations of our biological bodies and brain.. (Kurzwell 2006) which is elaborated into ..the intelligence that will emerge will continue to represent the human civilization. (Kurzwell 2006) and ..future machines will be human, even if they are not biological.. (Kurzwell 2006) It is this essays articulation that linguistically Kurzwell is describing this exponential growth in ways of singular articulation. Their uses of words such as irreversibly, limitations contradict the uses of the emerge and forces us to question whether the Singularity was appropriate terminology for an infinite or non-linear progression. This commencement to conventional ideas of singularity will allow us to introduce singularities and Entropy as a means of dispersal.

[Reformulation: Singularities, and Entropy]

It is important to note that within the study of Thermodynamics Entropy is defined in three different ways. 1) Second Law of Thermodynamics: In any cyclic process the entropy will either increase or remain the same. 2) Entropy: a state variable whose change is defined for a reversible process at T where Q is the heat absorbed. 3) Entropy: a measure of the amount of energy which is unavailable to do work. (HyperPhysics/Georgia State University 2016) but the way in which we are exploring Entropy is within studies in Physics and not Thermodynamics Entropy, the measure of a system's thermal energy per unit temperature that is unavailable for doing useful work. Because work is obtained from ordered molecular motion, the amount of entropy is also a measure of the molecular disorder, or randomness, of a system. (Britannica 2017)

What is this transient temporal space? This section will explore the mind as this transient temporal space and entropy as a space that exists outside of the discursive practices of the mind. Entropy as a transient temporal space reformulates historical understandings of Entropy by connecting Entity as disorder or randomness in the system (Oxford 2017) with Haraway, Deleuze and Oxfords Entity the distinction between entity and nonentity (Oxford 2017) Continuing the discussion of a non-linear progression, this section explores the mind as its own temporal space as how Harraway and Deleze communicate it. High-tech culture challenges these dualisms in intriguing ways. (Harraway) This section is of the mind and how the different modalities in thinking such a monism and dualism play a major role in this non-linear progression. We will also go over the distinction between monism and dualism in this section as well as neutral-monism. Neutral-Monism coincides with introducing of a third Entity, discussed in the first section. The transient in temporal space coincides with Nomad thought" does not immure itself in the edifice of an ordered interiority; it moves freely in an element of exteriority. (Deleuze) This connects the transient to the temporal space of the mind in harmonious discourse that will also expand this section into distinctions between evolution and involution. Entities do not inhabit Entropy. Entropy as discussed exists outside of human experience. By understanding the section covering The Singularity Is Near: When Human Transcend Biology By Ray Kurzweil and its contradictions with Entropy this acts as a reformulation of historical understandings. Kurzweils use of the word transcend as problematic and lacking in Transient properties. Reformulating historical understandings and looking at existences outside of entity and nonentity is this transient temporal space. This is because, this space is not a singular at all, but in fact a space of dispersal. By first dissecting entities and the space of entropy we will then be able to conclude with understandings of En as well as the application of (En-) Thinkings.

[En and Implicating (En-) Thinkings]

En has historically existed as a means of unit of measurement within printing production but also as a means of reformulating words into verbs in order to occupy spaces. Both Harraway and Deleuze at the surface are guilty of exploring identities and discourses through means of the feminism and capitalism but what Deleuze does differently is take things further into psychoanalysis. This concluding section which only introduces minor concepts that exist within Entropy will explain En and the processes of Implicating (En-) as a modality of thinking. The concept has no subject or object other than itself. It is an act. Nomad thought replaces the closed equation of representation, x = x = noty (I = I =notyou)withanopenequation:... +y+z+a+...(... +arm+brick+ window + ...) (Deleuze 1987) The (I=I=Not You) begins a conversation of removing the self as Deleuze discusses this particular concept has no subject or object other than itself. Other than itself exists as the third entity and therefore opens up different modality in thinking. This modality in thinking will be explained in this concluding section in order to expand on existing as units of measurement. This is En. Furthermore this section will explain (En-) or Practicing (En-) as an example of Invention of Concepts or Tool Box. Deleuze's own image for a concept is not a brick, but a "tool box."26 He calls his kind of philosophy "pragmatics" because its goal is the invention of concepts that do not add up to a system of belief or an architecture of propositions that you either enter or you don't, but instead pack a potential in the way a crowbar in a willing hand envelops an energy of prying. (Deleuze) Schizophrenia is the main target of psychoanalysis within this reading. Is it possible to introduce another such as Dissociative Identity Disorder as a correlation to this discussion of removing the self or the becoming?

It is uncertain whether this essay has been structured in a manner that is clear and concise to support multiple forms of evidence within; Feminist Science, Becoming, Habeas Corpus, and Assemblages. This essay aimed at outlining the historical understandings of Entity, Entropy, and En in the introduction. The first section [Material Identity: Tropes and Assemblages] explored defining Identity through Puar and Weheliye. The main body of the paper proceeds with contextual amplification and comparison of both A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia By Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari and A Cyborg Manifesto by Donna Haraway. The second section was titled [From Identity to Entities; A Non-Linear Progression] because it allowed us to show a shift from queer understandings of sexual and gender identities to entity. By entering (non-human) subjects we were able to explore more meta-physical explorations of Entropy as transient temporal space. The third section [What is the Singularity?] did a brief summary of The Singularity Is Near: When Human Transcend Biology By Ray Kurzweil which proposed questions of linguistic terminology. The fourth section titled [Singularities, and Entropy] dives into an argument against the singularity by implementing contextual evidence of Deleuzes Nomad Thought and Haraways Process of Coding. This section will also explain Entropy as Existing outside of human experience. The last section is titled [En and Implicating (En-) Thinkings] as a means of focusing our attention of existing without a self and existing as unit of measurement. It will also expand on implementing (En-) as a mode of thinking and the possibilities of existing as mode of thinking. Concluding that these modes of thinking are transient and serve as an introduction to understandings of Entropy. It is important to see this essay not as sensationalized understandings of futurism, but simply a reformulation of concepts that frame transcendence as in fact nothing unique or distinct from existence. It is simply a realization of multiple individuations, assemblages, and integrations that allows us to exist without external implications. These external implications are practices in psycho analysis that may create existing, new, or false realities in change such as alternating the visual, material appearance, or the physical processes themselves which can alter states of being. Ultimately this essay is an introduction to functional thinking that move away from identities and discourses, a process of realization in consciousness that introduce self-reflexivity to self-design. When we remove the self, what are we left with? Do current realizations affect further psycho analysis?

Excerpt from:

Informing Entities: Introduction to Entropy - Singularity or Dispersal - Huffington Post

SingularityU announced today that it is launching an annual SingularityU Canada Summit.

Canadian SU alumni banded together to bring the Summit to Canada, and the founding members include BMO, CIBC, Deloitte, FairVentures, Goodmans LLP, Google, the Ontario Government, SunCor, RBC, Rogers Communications, TD, and Scotiabank.

Canada is at a critical junction it has the potential to lead the world and solve the biggest challenges that are out there but risks letting other global ecosystems attract better talent and innovation, says Salim Ismail, a serial Canadian entrepreneur and founding executive director of SU. By bringing the best of the world to Canada, and broadcasting Canadas expertise back to the world, the SingularityU Canada Summits will help to drive that critical mindset by transforming participants understanding of where weve come from, where were going, and whats possible.

The Summit is meant to be a jumping-off point for Singularity University to establish a permanent presence in Canada, though how that programming will work and whether the SU will establish physical campuses is still under consideration.

The SU Canada Summit will include sessions on the future of technology, energy, mobility, and healthcare, while exploring emerging tech like AI and nanotechnology. The goal is to inspire attendees to positively impact the world. SingularityU Canada Summit plans to work closely with innovation hubs across Canada.

The Summit will be held on October 11 to 12 at the Evergreen Brickworks in Toronto, with plans to host in a different city each year.

To apply for the summit, check out the website

Original post:

Singularity University launches inaugural Canada Summit - BetaKit

Singularity University and FluidCast VR - Virtual Reality 360 Breakthrough Video funded by NASA

SAN JOSE, Calif., April 03, 2017 -- FluidCast VR owed by FluidCast Technologies, LLC a leader in virtual reality production and software development proudly announced today the completion of the final version of its breakthrough 360 virtual reality motion graphics promotional video for Singularity University, a NASA funded global community using exponential technologies to tackle the Worlds biggest challenges.

You can see this video on YouTube here: (Best viewed using Google Chrome) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cLfjRz6270&t=51s

If you have an Oculus device you can also watch it on your phone using YouTubes VR app.

First showcased at the Singularity University (SU) Global Summit Exponential Conference August 28th to the 30th, 2016, in San Francisco, California. The 360-virtual reality video was created to allow conference attendees to immerse themselves in a virtual world featuring 360 video footage of classrooms, labs and a virtual visit to the campus of Singularity University, located in Moffett Field, California.

The film captured the imaginations of viewers who could sit back and walk into a virtual world of 360 VR motion graphics 360 VR video. This was by far one of the most complex virtual reality projects we have ever worked on, Claudio Lai CEO of FluidCast VR said.

Mr. Lai goes on to say, This project featured an elaborate storyboard requiring multiple complex layered motion graphics in 360 VR intertwined with 360 VR footage. This Singularity University project is breaking new ground in virtual reality visual motion effects which will soon become standard practice in virtual reality video advertising as well as instructional videos. We were proud to work on this project with Singularity University, which allowed us to push this new medium to its limits.

Android users can also download our exclusive FluidCast VR mobile app here https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Fluidcast.FluidcastLiveVR&hl=en

This video will work best on newer Android devices which are able to playback 4k 360 VR videos.

The team at FluidCast VR is also working on showcasing this video on its upcoming Samsung Gear mobile application as well as IOS versions.

About Singularity University: Singularity University is a learning and innovation platform empowering individuals and organizations with the mindset, skill set, and network to build breakthrough solutions that leverage emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, and digital biology. With our community of entrepreneurs, corporations, development organizations, governments, investors, and academic institutions, we have the necessary ingredients to create a more abundant future for all.

About FluidCast VR:

FluidCast VR was started on June 1st, 2016 by FluidCast Technologies, LLC. FluidCast VR provides 360 2D and 3D professional video production rental crews all over the world. FluidCast VR is also a premiere software development company in virtual reality mobile gaming and app development. For the past ten years, the team at FluidCast Technologies have developed complex enterprise level software, content management and video delivery solutions for our clients.

For complete information, please visit: http://fluidcastvr.com.

Media Contact Company Name: FluidCast Contact Person: Claudio Lai Email: clai@fluidcast.net Phone: (408) 831-2278 City/State: San Hose, California Country: United States Websites: http://fluidcastvr.com http://www.impliedmotion.com http://www.traveltours360.com http://www.housingtours360.com http://www.fluidcast.net

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Excerpt from:

Singularity University and FluidCast VR - Virtual Reality 360 ... - EconoTimes