singularity university

Daniel Kraft on Singularity 1 on 1: You Don’t Have To Be a Doctor to Improve Health Care

by Socrates
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This morning I interviewed Daniel Kraft for Singularity 1 on 1. I met Dr. Kraft at Singularity University where he is the Medicine and Neuroscience Chair and executive director of the FutureMed Program. Daniel is one of those people with an incredibly diverse spectrum of talents and interests for he is not only a medical doctor and oncologist but also an inventor, a technology and space enthusiast, an entrepreneur and an F-16 flight surgeon. During our conversation we discuss a variety of topics such as: Daniel’s early interest and talent in technology and science; his original fascination with the Apollo Space program and eventual participation in International Space University; his passion for flying and being a pilot; his medical education and personal journey to becoming a faculty member at Singularity University; his desire to be an instigator, connector and motivator of innovation; [...]

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Top 5 Tips for Applying to Singularity University

by Socrates
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Those of you who followed SingulatityWeblog.com last summer know that I was very fortunate to attend Singularity University on NASA’s campus in Mountainview, California. The 10 weeks I spent there were one of the most challenging yet inspiring periods of my life. I learned a lot about technology, leadership, entrepreneurship and about myself. I was inspired by meeting people such as futurist and inventor Ray Kurzweil, space enthusiast and entrepreneur Peter Diamandis, astronaut Dan Barry, Apple co-founder Steven Wozniak, and many others from across the globe. I had the unique opportunity to go inside the kitchen of technology, talk to some of the chefs and see what will likely be on the menu for the next decade or more. Since I came back I have been getting numerous emails from people interested in applying who are asking me to read [...]

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Marc Goodman on Future Crimes

by Socrates
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Marc Goodman is the Policy, Law and Ethics chair at Singularity University and the founder of the Future Crimes Institute. Marc is a global thinker, writer and consultant focused on the profound change technology is having on security, business and international affairs. Over the past 20 years, he has built his expertise in combating cyber crime and terrorism working with organizations such as INTERPOL, the United Nations, NATO and the US Government. Marc frequently consults with global policy makers, security executives and industry leaders on technology-related security threats and has operated in nearly seventy countries around the world. It this TEDx video Marc talks about the impressive innovation and adoption of cutting edge technology by organized crime. He gives numerous examples of the paradigm shift that criminal or terrorist enterprises are undergoing and the consequent problems faced by law-enforcement agencies and every-day [...]

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Singularity University: Random Video Highlights from GSP11

by Socrates
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It has been two and a half weeks since I returned home from Singularity University and the post-SU blues that previous graduates have warned us about is beginning to hit me hard. So, I am hoping that my regular blog readers will excuse my indulging in nostalgic reminiscing about my friends from GSP11. The following video collage is a little tribute to both my classmates from GSP11 and all the people who made it all happen. In the first clip SU students are going literally into the brain: PhD candidate Rachel Kalmar showing us slices and talking about the inner workings of the human brain. The British contingent, consisting of Antony Evans and David Garofalo, look over in a critical and calm manner while Lucy Rogers and Francesco Mosconi get clearly excited by the thought of handling someone’s brain. But it is [...]

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Singularity University Lectures: David Rose on Entrepreneurship

by Socrates
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David Rose is not only the track Chair for Finance, Economics and Entrepreneurship at Singularity University but is also an Inc 500 CEO, serial entrepreneur and an early stage venture investor, sometimes described as “the father of Angel Investing in New York”, “top dog in tech” and “the Patriarch of Silicon Valley”. Today I am posting David Rose’s Singularity University lecture on entrepreneurship for it was among the best I’ve heard on the topic. It is a presentation full of knowledge, wisdom and experience but also humor and style. A true hypomaniac, David speaks about the meaning of entrepreneurship, the importance of thinking differently and the ecstasy and satisfaction of going successfully against the grain while not forgetting to stress the sacrifices of being an entrepreneur and the agony and common occurrence of failure. Who is David Rose? David S. Rose is [...]

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Singularity University Tours Autodesk

by Socrates
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Autodesk is among the most notable sponsors, supporters and big time friends of Singularity University. At the same time, it is also a very cool company in its own right with many of its cutting edge 3D design technologies used in a variety disciplines from industrial design to special effects in blockbuster movies such as AVATAR. The videos below were shot when me and my classmates from Singularity University GSP11 visited the Autodesk demo office and showroom in San Francisco. Hope you enjoy the video tour as much as I did filming it. The first clip shows several SU students from GSP11 talking to SU academic adviser Jonathan Knowles via his tele-presence robot. During our conversation we talk about Scottish kilts, email spam, 3d printing and, most interestingly, the story behind how Autodesk became a Singularity University sponsor. (Thank you Jonathan!) [...]

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Salim Ismail on Singularity 1 on 1: We Are Already Gods, We Might As Well Start Acting As Such

by Socrates
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During my time at Singularity University I was privileged to get a 30 min interview with Salim Ismail for Singularity 1 on 1. (As always you can listen to or download the audio file above or scroll down and watch the video interview in full.) During our conversation we discuss issues such as: Salim’s personal background and early childhood in India; his motivation, goals and aspirations for Singularity University; the term “exponential organisation”; his take on the technological singularity and the surprising fact that he is not a singularitarian; being/becoming gods; our responsibility for what happens to the planet; religion in general and the rapture of the nerds criticism in particular; making money and investing; being Canadian; using technology to address humanity’s grand challenges. I would like to thank Singularity University for allowing me to use their campus during filming. Hope you enjoy watching [...]

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Singularity University Lectures: Terence Kawaja on the Science-ification of Media

by Socrates
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Have you ever heard about the investment banker doing stand-up comedy? Well, in case you think it is worth hearing, I recommend checking out the above audio recording of Terence Kawaja’s Singularity University presentation aptly titled the Science-ification of Media. By his own admission Terry has been an investment banker for 22 years and a comedian for twice as long. In my opinion his insights about business, entrepreneurship, banking and the new media are as profound as his humor is witty. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. (Terry’s stage introduction made by David Rose.) Who is Terrence Kawaja? Terence Kawaja is Founder and CEO of LUMA Partners, a strategic advisory firm focused at the intersection of media and technology. He is a seasoned investment banker with more than 20 years of experience and has advised on over $250 [...]

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