350: Chapter 350: The Singularity of 2045 Arrives

"Holy crap, the Language Prison—this idea is brilliant!"

"I can't even imagine colors, and dragons and unicorns are just combinations of old parts; is all our originality just building blocks?"

"I finally understand why some things and feelings can't be put into words. It's not that there isn't a word for the feeling, but that the word itself doesn't exist!"

"So, when he says 'abandon language,' it doesn't mean stop talking, but rather smashing the wall of thought."

"I tried it, and I really can't think of anything outside of language. My brain just jammed."

"This is even more terrifying than a mirage. A mirage is scenery outside the wall, but the Language Prison is the wall itself!"

"In the end, am I just a tool of language? Am I not the one speaking, but rather language speaking through me?"

"Damn, that sentence just gave me chills."

Clearly, these explanations from Jiang Zhe made the viewers' scalps tingle once again.

It was a blow to their cognition.

Soon, a chorus of discussion broke out among the experts in the living room.

...

At this moment, in a neurology conference room at a Grade A tertiary hospital in Kun City.

The large screen on the wall was playing Jiang Zhe's live stream.

Because one of the hospital's leaders was a fan of Jiang Zhe, they had specifically arranged to watch it during the afternoon.

Jiang Zhe had just finished saying those last few sentences, causing an uproar in the conference room.

Sitting at the head of the table was Li Heming, the honorary chairman of the National Neurology Society. He was white-haired and suffering from a bit of hypoglycemia, so he was sucking on a candy.

"Let's hear your thoughts," Li Heming said, sweeping his gaze across the room. "Is this 'Language Prison' hypothesis of Jiang Zhe's actually relevant to our field of medicine? I haven't really looked into this."

Soon, the young man third from the left raised his hand. It was Chen Zhenghong from Functional Neurosurgery, just over thirty, who had returned from Stanford at the end of last year.

"Elder Li, the anterior insula electrical stimulation he mentioned is real. The Caltech team did indeed publish it in Nature Neuroscience in 2023."

"When the left anterior insula is stimulated with electricity, subjects report: 'A strange, never-before-felt sensation that cannot be described.'"

"Our lab has also replicated this during awake craniotomy surgeries. The patient's exact words were: 'I can't say what it is, but it's definitely there.'"

Li Heming nodded gently, signaling for him to continue.

A female doctor on the right raised her hand. She was Song Yaqin, an associate chief physician in neurology, aged thirty-six.

Song Yaqin attempted to analyze: "The stimulation of the anterior cingulate cortex for 'conflicting emotions'—simultaneously inducing happiness and sadness—leaves subjects unable to find words to describe this mixed state. I recall this literature appearing in Neuron in 2021—language truly cannot lock down the experience itself."

She paused for a moment and added, "Actually, there's something even more extreme!"

"The Stanford team stimulated the temporoparietal junction, and the subjects' very concept of 'I' temporarily vanished, let alone being able to describe it with language."

"So, the Language Prison Jiang Zhe talks about isn't a hypothesis at all—it's an empirical fact that has already been proven!"

A look of gravity flashed in Li Heming's eyes. "So, he is right."

Chen Zhenghong glanced at Song Yaqin, then turned to Li Heming. "At least from the perspective of empirical evidence from neural electrical stimulation, yes. Language is not the boundary of thought; the boundary of thought is far, far beyond language!"

Subsequently, Old Li's gaze returned to the large screen.

Finally, once the living room quieted down, Jiang Zhe slowly spoke:

"Therefore, as for future development, the first step is not to build faster computers, construct taller buildings, or fly to more distant planets, but to smash down this wall of language."

"We humans have been trapped in this Language Prison for tens of thousands of years. We think we are doing the thinking, but in reality, we are just translating."

"We think we are creating, but we are merely combining."

"We think we are pursuing the truth, but in reality, we are just wandering aimlessly on the tracks of language."

"When humanity reaches the point where we can no longer even ask the question 'Who am I,' only then will we truly begin to approach the answer."

"At that time, it will also be the moment for human civilization to take flight!"

The living room was silent.

Celestial Master Zhang, Zheng Ming, Academician Zhang, Lin Chen, and the others were all lost in thought with lowered brows.

Zhao Mingyuan slowly sat back on the sofa, and after a long silence, he finally couldn't help but ask again:

"Mr. Jiang Zhe, I have understood everything you said; but I have a most realistic question—if language is gone, how will civilization develop? Without language, how do we communicate, how do we cooperate, and how are we supposed to pass down knowledge?"

"You say we need to smash down this wall of language, but once the wall is smashed, we can't even imagine the world outside. Wouldn't that bring civilization to a standstill?"

This question voiced the inner thoughts of everyone present.

Academician Zhang nodded slowly, and Ouyang Baili frowned.

Guan Jingming, Li Mo, Professor Hans, Professor James, and others were all looking at Jiang Zhe, waiting for his answer.

Jiang Zhe smiled slightly. "Brother Zhao asks a brilliant question!"

"That is why I said 'abandon' language, not 'eliminate' language."

"'Abandon' means letting go of our reliance on language; but after letting go, we need a new tool."

"That tool must be faster, more direct, and devoid of any loss compared to language!"

He held up a finger with a resolute expression.

"What we need is a Brain-Computer Interface!"

"Not the crude gadgets on the market today that read brainwaves, but a true high-bandwidth Brain-Computer Interface that allows for direct thought connection between people!"

As he finished speaking, everyone in the living room gasped.

Professor Hans, the engineer, was particularly stunned, as he understood best what Jiang Zhe was talking about.

Just as he was about to explain for Jiang Zhe, Jiang Zhe stated the answer in advance:

"That tool is: I look at you, and you can instantly know all my thoughts."

"It doesn't need subjects, predicates, or objects; it doesn't need rhetoric, metaphors, or foreshadowing."

"Whatever my thought is like, it will be transmitted to you exactly the same way; there will be no translation in between, no loss, and no failure to express what is meant."

Speaking of this, Jiang Zhe rested his chin on his hand. "Actually, this equipment has already had prototypes in the laboratories of some R&D teams in this world, just too immature!"

He stopped there.

What he didn't say was that in his past life's memories, in that Hidden Dragon Base, this set of equipment had already iterated to the third generation.

Two researchers would put on the equipment and sit in different rooms, even separated by a wall—

One person would think of an apple, and the other would have all the perceptions of an apple appear before their eyes, including color, shape, weight, scent, texture, and even the concept of an apple itself.

Later, it could even transmit emotions, logical chains, and complete systems of thought.

Two researchers communicating through consciousness for an hour was equivalent to the amount of information exchanged in a year of communication using real-world language.

They wouldn't feel the slightest bit tired, exhausted, or in a bad state.

Jiang Zhe looked at Zhao Mingyuan and continued:

"Using language, it took us tens of thousands of years to crawl to where we are now."

"If we use direct thought connection, then the next generation of humanity might only need a few decades to complete the journey that took our civilization tens of thousands of years."

"At that time—the 'knowledge inheritance' you are concerned about will also be very simple!"

"I would only need to use an interface or a helmet—through a helmet with massive memory—to transmit all the knowledge I have learned in my life to you. After the knowledge is transmitted, your head will ache for a short time, but as time passes—perhaps a few days or ten days—your aftereffects will heal."

"At that time, you will be the next genius!"

Once these words were spoken, the live stream chat flooded with messages.

"So we don't have to go to school anymore in the future, we just need to wear a helmet?"

"To the person above, yes. Knowledge is transmitted directly, so why the hell would I still memorize vocabulary?"

"If this is true, humanity will just take off, right?"

"Wait, doesn't that mean I could have the knowledge of a hundred PhDs transmitted to me, and I'd instantly become a god?"

"Brain-Computer Interface + Knowledge Transmission = Everyone is Einstein."

"Don't worry, it will be regulated. Not everyone can receive knowledge inheritance; the world order will definitely change drastically by then!"

"..."

Zhao Mingyuan wanted to say something but stopped, his body trembling uncontrollably.

He recalled that he had spent his whole life studying the evolution of civilization, and all his theories were built on the premise that 'language is the cornerstone.'

If what Jiang Zhe said was true, then the very foundation of civilization studies would have to be rewritten.

Ouyang Baili said thoughtfully, "Physical laws are written in mathematics, and mathematics is not language; perhaps thought is the visible future that will finally allow physics to break through its obstacles!"

At the same time, his eyes suddenly narrowed. Could it be...

Is this what Jiang Zhe mentioned before—the 2045 super singularity?

An unprecedented explosion of technological advancements and theories appearing in a short period.

Thought, thought!

Suddenly his eyes became clear and his mind sharp. He grabbed Old Qian, Guan Jingming, and Li Mo beside him, and excitedly mouthed the words: "Singularity!"

As he finished, the three of them were stunned for a moment, and then, combining this with what Jiang Zhe had just said—

The three of them subconsciously covered their mouths, their eyes brightened, and then their gazes trembled with uncontrollable excitement.

Then, the three of them nodded repeatedly like chickens pecking at rice.

Professor Hans, the engineer, watched the four grown men gesturing animatedly and exchanging glances, and looked at Ouyang. "What are you all talking about?"

Ouyang Baili shook his head repeatedly. "Nothing."

"How strange!"

Professor Hans turned away, his gaze falling on Jiang Zhe.

"Mr. Jiang Zhe, your theory is feasible, but bandwidth is the bottleneck."

"The input/output rate of the human brain is currently at most a few dozen bits per second. If you want to achieve direct thought connection, you need to increase it by at least six orders of magnitude. This is not an engineering problem; it's a physical limit problem!"

Jiang Zhe glanced at Professor Hans, nodded gently, and said in a very solemn tone, "There aren't many years left!"

After finishing, he swept his gaze over the others. "Next!"