The lingering learners would go at slightly less than the speed of
light, thus allowing the whole area to remain in constant communication,
in the sense that an idea occurring at any point in the sphere will
eventually expand to the rest of it. The problem is that this creates
an ever-widening sphere of ignorant probes, and as soon as an area
becomes intelligent, it is annihilated by the onrushing catastrophe.
--
sentience@pobox.com Eliezer S. Yudkowsky
http://tezcat.com/~eliezer/singularity.html
http://tezcat.com/~eliezer/algernon.html
Disclaimer: Unless otherwise specified, I'm not telling you
everything I think I know.