I have recently learnt a new word, or rather, I have learnt a new context for an old expression. In our fast-changing world, the word “singularity” has acquired fresh and powerful significance.

Mathematicians use the word to describe a point where equations break down and no longer apply. A geographic singularity is the North Pole, from where you can go no farther north, nor east or west, for every direction is south. A cosmic singularity is a black hole, a place where everything ends.