Peter Diamandis

Peter Diamandis at OCE Discovery: Technology is a Resource Liberating Force

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P1040698This year’s OCE Discovery conference in Toronto was the first of five consequent events that I am attending within the next 3 weeks. The other four are the just finished Subtle Technologies Festival and the upcoming Global Future 2045 Congress in NY City, the ISTAS13 Conference and the Pros and Cons of Drones in Toronto.

Out of the first two events the highlight for me was Peter Diamandis‘ keynote speech at the OCE Discovery conference. It is for this reason that I wanted to share it with those who, unlike me, were not able to see it in person.

During his 1 hour presentation Peter Diamandis talks about exponential technologies (such as AI, robotics, genetics, synthetic biology, computer science, 3D printing); incentivized competitions organized by his X Prize foundation; Abundance and Planetary Resources.

The favorite quote that I will take away from Diamandis’ keynote is: “Technology is a resource liberating force!”

 

Here are a few images I took at the conference:

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The conference was opened by the Honorable Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario
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Then Peter Diamandis showered attendees with his infinite amounts of abundance and personal energy
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I have rarely seen a more focused and attentive audience of this size
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After his speech Diamandis casually mingled with attendees
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…and signed copies of his book Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think
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Peter was almost constantly mobbed by crowds of people eager to talk to him
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… but still managed to find time and give a few interviews for the media

 

Peter Diamandis at Zeitgeist Americas: The Future is Getting Better at an Extraordinary Rate

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Do you often ask yourself if the future is getting better?!

Well, Peter Diamandis is one of those people who believe that not only is it getting better all the time but also that it is happening at a truly extraordinary pace.

Want to find out more about Peter argument?

Check out this cool video titled The World We Dream which was recorded during the 2012 Zeitgeist Americas. In it Diamandis covers a number of interesting topics such as the differences between our local and linear past versus our global and exponential present as well as the vast amount of evidence collected in his fantastic book Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think as well as his experience with the X-prize Foundation.

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Peter Diamandis and James Cameron Go AVATAR, Launch the First Asteroid Mining Company

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Planetary Resources – the first asteroid mining company, has been mostly a secret up until now.

The company is backed by a number of billionaires and space enthusiasts. Director James Cameron, Google’s Larry Page and Eric Schmidt, X Prize founder Peter Diamandis and billionaire Ross Perot Jr., along with a number of other incredible minds, plan to mine the heavens and get rich beyond comprehension.

Even before the official news has broken there are already over 200 reports on the front pages of the Huffington Post, Drudge Report, Wall Street Journal and coverage has been growing exponentially.

However, the official launch is later on today (April 24th, 2012) when Planetary Resources co-founder & co-chairman Peter Diamandis will make the announcement via a live webcast at 10:30am Pacific Time.

You can watch the webcast here:

Asteroid mining will create a trillion-dollar industry (credit: Planetary Resources)

 

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Peter Diamandis on TED: Abundance is Our Future

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Peter Diamandis & Socrates at SU

Onstage at TED, Peter Diamandis makes a case for optimism — that we’ll invent, innovate and create ways to solve the challenges that loom over us:

“I’m not saying we don’t have our set of problems; we surely do. But ultimately, we knock them down.”

Peter Diamandis is a self-admitted nine-year-old child-space-enthusiast and a visionary who dreams big and has the resume to prove that the best way to predict the future is to create it yourself. Just some of his resume highlights include: the Founder and Chairman of the X PRIZE Foundation; co-Founder and Managing Director of Space Adventures; the CEO and co-founder of Zero Gravity Corporation; and, most recently, the Rocket Racing League; the International Space University and the Singularity University.

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Steven Kotler on Abundance: Get Off the Couch and Change the World

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Yesterday I interviewed Steven Kotler on Singularity 1 on 1.

Together with Peter Diamandis, Steven is the co-author of Abundance: The Future is Better than You Think.

Abundance is a book that provides both hope and inspiration in an ocean of doom and gloom. Its main message is that the future can and, most likely, will be better than we think.

Impossible?!

Check out the interview to see why you are probably wrong.

During our conversation with Steven Kotler we discuss issues such as: running a dog shelter for special needs dogs; the story of how Steven got his first writing job and eventually published articles in Maxim, Wired, GQ, Popular Science, and other periodicals; his first novel; environmental degradation, global warming and biodiversity; the neuroscience behind out cognitive biases such as why we are local optimists but global pessimists; environmentalism and nuclear energy; the story of how Steven met Peter Diamandis and eventually got together to write Abundance; the four forces shaping the world today — exponentially growing technology, DIY Innovators, techno philanthropists and the rising billion; the Qualcomm Tricorder X Prize, AI (such as Watson) and putting a doctor in your cell phone; scarcity, abundance, and capitalism; why he believes that we are living an age of unparalleled personal empowerment.

If you want to support this show you can write a review on iTunes, make a direct donation, or become a patron on Patreon.

Who is Steven Kotler?

Steven Kotler is a best-selling author, award-winning journalist, co-founder of the Rancho de Chihuahua dog sanctuary, and director of research for the Flow Research Collective. His award-winning books include the non-fiction works Abundance, A Small Furry Prayer, West of Jesus, and the novel The Angle Quickest for Flight. His articles have appeared in over 60 publications, including The New York Times Magazine, Atlantic Monthly, Wired, Forbes, GQ, Outside, Popular Science, and Discover. You can find more about Steven Kotler on his website: http://www.stevenkotler.com.

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Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think

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I wanted to talk about Abundance: The Future is Better Than You Think as soon as I heard about the book during my first interview with Peter Diamandis.

I have been putting off blogging about it because I’ve been secretly hoping (and plotting) to get Peter back for another interview. Lately, however, I am beginning to realize that stealing another 30 minutes away from Peter — who is a busy father of young twin-boys and a high-powered entrepreneur, may be a bit too selfish of me. So, I decided to steal Peter’s ever-available digital copy who can tell you in 3 minutes why Abundance is such a unique book that you must read.

 

Abundance Book Trailer:

 

Evidence in Abundance:

 

Jason Silva – one of my favorite guests on Singularity 1 on 1, made this cool movie bursting with passion and excitement about the book:

 

Joe Polish Video Interview with co-authors Peter Diamandis and  Steven Kotler:

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Peter Diamandis’ Laws: The Creed of the Persistent and Passionate Mind

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A couple of weeks ago I interviewed Peter Diamandis for Singularity 1 on 1.

During our interview Peter touched briefly on what he calls Peter’s Laws — the core foundation that allows him to overcome problems and obstacles and ultimately brings him success.

I find Peter to be one of those very rare and totally inspirational people who have the resume to prove that the best way to predict the future is to create it yourself. It is for this reason that I decided to post the full list of Peter’s Laws. I believe that we can all benefit from adopting these laws as guiding principles in our lives.

Enjoy!

Peter Diamandis' Laws

Download the .pdf poster with the latest version of Peter’s Laws.

 

Peter’s Laws: The Creed of the Persistent and Passionate mind

 (circa July 2011)

  1. If anything can go wrong, Fix It!!… to hell with Murphy!
  2. When given a choice…  take both!!
  3. Multiple projects lead to multiple successes.
  4. Start at the top then work your way up.
  5. Do it by the book … but be the author!
  6. When forced to compromise, ask for more.
  7. If it’s worth doing, it’s got to be done right now.
  8. If you can’t win, change the rules.
  9. If you can’t change the rules, then ignore them.
  10. Perfection is not optional.
  11. When faced without a challenge, make one.
  12. “No” simply means begin again at one level higher.
  13. Don’t walk when you can run.
  14. Bureaucracy is a challenge to be conquered with a righteous attitude, a tolerance for stupidity, and a bulldozer when necessary.
  15. When in doubt: THINK!
  16. Patience is a virtue, but persistence to the point of success is a blessing.
  17. The squeaky wheel gets replaced.
  18. The faster you move, the slower time passes, the longer you live.
  19. The best way to predict the future is to create it yourself!
  20. The ratio of something to nothing is infinite.
  21. You get what you incentivize.
  22. If you think it is impossible, then it is… for you.
  23. An expert is someone who can tell you exactly how it can’t be done.
  24. The day before something is a breakthrough it’s a crazy idea.
  25. If it were easy it would have been done already.
  26. Without a target you’ll miss it every time.
  27. Bullshit walks, hardware talks.
  28. A crisis is a terrible thing to waste.
  29. The world’s most precious resource is the passionate and committed human mind.
  30. Fail early, fail often!
  31. If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.

Copyright, 1986, 2009, Peter H. Diamandis, All Rights Reserved.  Laws # 14 & #18 by Todd B. Hawley.  #19 Adopted from Alan Kay.

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Peter Diamandis: Singularity University is Starfleet Academy for the World’s Biggest Challenges

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Last week, I was privileged to get a 30-minute interview with Peter Diamandis.

Peter is not a very tall man, but I have to say that he has the energy of a giant. Interviewing him was like plugging into a nuclear power plant—afterward, I felt as if I got 10 gigawatts worth of energy straight into my batteries.

During our conversation, we discuss issues such as his personal background and early childhood dream to become an asteroid space miner; his motivation, goals, and aspirations for Singularity University; his personal 10^9 project (aimed at positively impacting the lives of a billion people within 10 years); the book on abundance that he is currently working on; his take on the technological singularity and our chances of surviving it.

I would like to thank Singularity University for allowing me to use their campus studio and especially Matt Rutherford for his crucial support in filming. As always, you can listen to or download the audio file above or scroll down to watch the video interview in full. To show your support, you can write a review on iTunes, make a direct donation, or become a patron on Patreon.

Who is Peter Diamandis?

Dr. Diamandis is a self-admitted nine-year-old child-space-enthusiast and a visionary who dreams big and has the resume to prove that “the best way to predict the future is to create it yourself.” Just some of his resume highlights include the Founder and Chairman of the X PRIZE Foundation; co-Founder and Managing Director of Space Adventures; the CEO and co-founder of Zero Gravity Corporation; and, most recently, the Rocket Racing League; the International Space University and the Singularity University. (If you want to learn more about Peter Diamandis visit his profile page on SingularitySymposium.com)

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Singularity University Day 1: Meeting Ray and Peter

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My very first day at Singularity University was as intense as it was amazing. I got to personally meet and shake hands with both Ray Kurzweil and Peter Diamandis.

Socrates and SingularityU co-founder Peter Diamandis

Our very full schedule started at 7:30 am with breakfast and went through program overviews and introductions, eventually culminating with a mind-blowing spirit-pumping opening ceremony at the San Francisco Computer History Museum. At the consequent wine-and-cheese cocktail party we got to mingle with other SingularityU alumni and dozens of Silicon Valley VIP’s.

Socrates with Ray Kurzweil

For those for whom that was not enough there was a Greek-turned-Brazilian dance party in the main student hall on campus which went on until the early hours of the morning.

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A former student who took the program last year told me that after the end he went home and slept 14 hours per day for 2 weeks.

I have been on campus only 48 hours so far but it feels as if I have been here for at least a year.

Feel like drinking water from the fire-hose. Still, my body’s shouting: “SU, SU, SU, 10^9+! Give me more!!!”

P.S. Miss my wife terribly: Love you Julie!!!