If you have never heard of the sinularity, you are in for a surprise. The concept is that humans, in the near future, will either become or create super-intelligent beings, biological or technical. Once this happens, humans as currently understood will not have the mental ability to even understand what these beings are doing and will become, essentially, lower level animals. It may happen so quickly that most (or all) people don’t even know that it is approaching. On first hearing, this may sound crazy, but some very smart people believe it will happen.

Science fiction writer Victor Vinge “predicted” this event in 1981. H+ Magazine has a great interview with Mr. Vinge about the concept and his predictions today. (h/t BoingBoing)