The difficult thing to keep sight of when you're talking about the Singularity is that even though it sounds like science fiction, it isn't, no more than a weather forecast is science fiction.

At first, this was merely for function: to keep out the cold weather of the world only beginning to emerge from the great ice age.

If these firms weather the storm, then they could keep their workers, who in turn will continue to spend, providing a stable source of growth for the country's economy, she explained.