“Singularity University” is where students from multiple disciplines and across the world come together to for a very lofty and delightful goal–finding solutions to humanity’s hardest challenges. Singularity had it’s first set of students last year and each and every one of them went on to do great things after the program.
The kinds of problems we are talking about here are:
Solving the AID epidemic
Creating habitat on another solar system
One of the co-founders put it like this,” attitude and approach to problems is everything” He completely goes against Murphy’s Law and states:
When given a choice…..take both!!
Start at the top and work your way up.
When forced to compromise, ask for more.
If you can’t win, change the rules.
Ray Kurzweil and Peter Diamandis founded Singularity University. Ray is an author, scientist and inventor and I cannot list the inventions he has brought to bear—check him out at:
Peter is a key figure in the personal spaceflight industry-need I say more!
I met with a student of the 2010 program who left me completely inspired. “Erez” is from Israel and is one of the 80 students selected from over 2000 applicants that apply from all over the world and go through a grueling six-month process of selection into the program. This is not your typical 4-ear college but is a 10-week program you can apply to after your undergrad. The age range for current students is 18-50 .
Erez tells me that the underlying criterion for selection is the very mission of Singularity University: be able to exhibit disruptive thinking and create solutions aimed at solving some of the planet’s most pressing challenges, and this must come across in all your essays and interviews. This intensive program has the “who’s who” presenting—astronauts from NASA, Nobel price winners, thought leaders in policy and folks such as Google’s chief Internet evangelist.
Erez says peers are equally impressive at Singularity and range form entrepreneurs, inventors, a South Korean astronaut, a New Zealand Aquanaut—you get the picture.
Erez epitomizes conviction, belief and passion. He has many patents and his current project is a unique therapy to treat viral diseases and HIV/AIDs . He has socialized the idea with various scientists and got fantastic feedback, through Singularity he wants to by pass the long process of FDA approvals the huge amount of $$ in legal fees and take this to market in a way that is unique to all social entrepreneurs.
My film segment with Erez gives you a glimpse of my fascination with the Singularity University and it’s passionate students. If you have not checked it out already—Singularity University is located on the NASA campus in Mountain View, CA. It was really cool to conduct this meeting with the large aircraft hanger as the backdrop.
I left Erez rushing on to another groundbreaking talk and conversation with his fellow students. He tells me that he is very willing to forfeit sleep for another great conversation.
If you are that passionate individual and not sure how to meet like-minded people I hope this article will take you down that path!
