July 2010

John Lloyd at TED: All That Matters Is Invisible

by Socrates
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I thought I’d finish off this week’s blog posts with a little witty and relevant humor. Singularitarians are sometimes blamed for being too materialistic and/or too rational with a “know-it-all” take on the universe. I hope that this hilariously smart video may help us look back at the cosmos from the funny side, the side where, as John Lloyd says, “all that matters is invisible” and where the best tool for our inquiry is what the zen Buddhists call an “empty mind.” In this TED video, nature’s mysteries meet John Lloyd’s tack-sharp wit in a hilarious, 10-minute mix of quips and fun lessons. As comedian, writer and TV man John Lloyd plucks at the substance of a long list of things that we cannot see with our naked eyes such as energy, gravity, consciousness, artificial intelligence (and artificial stupidity), the [...]

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Nanotechnology: The Age of Convergence

by Socrates
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According to Ray Kurzweil the singularity is precipitated by the convergence of a spectrum of technological trends from 3 major fields: genetics, robotics and nanotechnology. This short 4 min clip, courtesy of Charles Ostman, visualizes the potential of nanotechnology in repairing and upgrading our biological bodies. (While the video quality is not the best and the image is at times a bit shaky it is still worth watching.) YouTube Video Description: We are approaching an evolutionary event horizon, where the organic and the synthetic, the virtual and the “real”, are merging together into an operational ecology, an existence morphology for which there is no precendent in the history of which we are currently aware, catalyzed by nanotechnology. (Hat tip to www.historianofthefuture.com for the video). Are you ready to upgrade to Human v2.0?

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The Potato Battery

by Socrates
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I just came across this interesting video about making batteries out of boiled potatoes. Turns out the potato works 10 times better as a battery if we boil it first, thereby reaching a total output to nearly half that of a normal AA battery. (I wonder if French fries work as well as boiled potatoes). Since potatoes are cheap, have a long shelf life and can be stored without refrigeration, they show good potential as a cheap energy source for millions of people in the developing countries. Furthemore, the boiled potato elecricity is between 5 and 50 times cheaper than its commercial equivalent and is at least 6 times more economical than kerocene lamps. See the original Reuters News video below: “Israeli researchers develop a more efficient version of the age-old science experiment, the potato battery, which could provide a [...]

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3 Free Singularity Books

by Socrates
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Here are the links to 3 interesting free singularity/sci fi books: Cory Doctorow‘s 2003 novel Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom Roger Williams‘ The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect Eliezer Yudkowsky‘s Three Worlds Collide Enjoy but do let me know which one was your favorite! Will technology replace biology? Related articles by Zemanta Singularity Podcast: Vernor Vinge and Cory Doctorow on NPR (singularityblog.singularitysymposium.com) Debating the Singularity: Eliezer Yudkowsky vs Massimo Pigliucci (singularityblog.singularitysymposium.com) James Harvey’s Singularity Podcast: We are Singularia (singularityblog.singularitysymposium.com) The Singularity Survey Contest: Socrates’ 7 Questions For You (singularityblog.singularitysymposium.com) Amazon.com offers up free comic book for Singularity pre-orders (news.bigdownload.com)

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Juan Enriquez at TED: Homo Evolutis is the Ultimate Reboot

by Socrates
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This is an 18 minute mind-boggling, dead serious yet absolutely hilarious video of the presentation that Juan Enriquez did at TED in 2009. Juan talks about what he calls Homo Evolutis: “hominids that take direct and deliberate control of over the evolution of their species… and others.” Furthermore, Enriquez argues that the arrival of Homo Evolutis is the result of 3 on-going convergent trends that will likely bring about the ultimate reboot in the history of the universe. Those trends are: 1. the ability to engineer cells 2. the ability to engineer tissues 3. the ability to engineer robots Juan Enriquez’ bio profile at TED: ” A broad thinker who studies the intersection of science, business and society, Juan Enriquez has a talent for bridging disciplines to build a coherent look ahead. Enriquez was the founding director of the Harvard [...]

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The Bloodhound SSC: The First 1,000 mph Car

by Socrates
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In a way this blog is about breaking through barriers, our relentless desire to go faster, further, higher and deeper, and the risks thereof. Backed up with a good measure of advanced science and technology we are overcoming limits that for as long as we can remember were considered impossible. Whether it is Living with Robots, Mind Reading, Nanotechnology, Rocket Racing, Bionic Limbs or Hearts, Regenerative Medicine, Synthetic Life, Smart Underwear, Skydiving from Space,  Upgrading Our Biology or even Immortality, it seems that what was the science fiction of yesterday has become the science of today. The Sky is Not the Limit anymore. Arthur C. Clarke once said that if a scientist says that something is possible she is probably right. But if she says that something is impossible she is almost certainly wrong. After 3 years of planning and [...]

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The HULC exoskeleton by Lockheed Martin

by Socrates
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Just a couple of days ago I blogged about the REX exoskeleton aimed at assisting people with spinal cord injuries. Today I want to share some video about the HULC (Human Universal Load Carrier) exoskeleton by Lockheed Martin aimed mainly at military applications. The HULC is a battle-ready titanium robotic skeleton which weighs 53 pounds and can lift objects up to 200 pounds.  It is currently undergoing military trials and, if successful, is expected to be deployed on the battlefield in Afghanistan sometime next year. So, how long before true Iron Man suites become reality? Related articles by Zemanta Soldiers’ exo-skeleton system tested (bbc.co.uk)

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Kevin Warwick’s Cyborg Experiments

by Socrates
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Kevin Warwick is an internationally renowned Professor and researcher in the field of Cybernetics from the University of Reading, England. His work in the areas of Artificial Intelligence, human control functions, robotics and cybernetic organisms presented here shows how implant and electrode technology can be used to create biological brains for robots, to enable human enhancement and possible therapeutic effects for neurological illness. In any case, the end goal is human enhancement, or transhumanism, which inevitably stirs up many social, ethical and philosophical questions. From: http://bit.ly/bD48Uv Related articles by Zemanta Captain Cyborg Has A Virus-Infected Sidekick… But Nothing Can Stop A PR Campaign (techdirt.com) The Art of Transhumanism (singularityhub.com)

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