Bone Up on Your Material SciencesMay 11 2008 / by juldrichBy Jack Uldrich Cross-posted from www.jumpthecurve.net There is an informative article in Technology Review on
the topic of advance materials. To many, the subject
undoubtedly sounds boring but I’d like to suggest otherwise and
express the opionion that unless you keep with advances in the
field you could soon find yourself out of business. Without going into great detail, the gist of the article is that due to near exponential advances in scientists’ ability to program the self-assembly of nanoparticles, researchers are now poised to assemble new materials with novel optical, electronic and magnetic properties. More importantly, as savvy businesspeople begin to figure out how to exploit these properties they could soon be developing some very cool – as well as very efficient and effective – new products. For example, I have written before about solar power’s potential. Due to advances in self-assembly, however, it is quite possible that photovoltaics could soon capture a broader range of the solar spectrum. And this, in turn, could mean that new solar cells will be efficient enough to work even in cloudy environments. (cont.) Future Scanner Weekly Top 10May 12 2008 / by Marisa VitolsIn addition to our weekly awards, every Sunday MemeBox
releases a Top 10 List of the most interesting and useful Future
Scans posted the during the preceding week. This list is a great
way to get acquainted with what the Future Scanner has to offer and
to quickly digest some great information.
And the weekly MemeBox awards go to...May 12 2008 / by Marisa VitolsHere at MemeBox, Sunday is the day we look back at all of the Future Blogger posts and Future Scanner scans in an effort to distill and recognize the best of what you, the community, have contributed to the site throughout the previous 7 days. Future Scanner of the Week: I Told Ya for scans including A Revolutionary New Global Strategic Early Warning Capability and New Learning Environments for the 21st Century. Future Blogger of the Week: futuretalk for posts including The NASA Dream – humans to live permanently on the moon by 2024 and Earth 2500: humans dominate the galaxy, develop space/time travel. Future Scan of the Week: First
Steps Toward Autonomous Robot Surgeries Future Blogger Post of the Week: 10
Reasons You Will Live to 1000 Congratulations, winners! Ship Bits, Not CarbonMay 10 2008 / by juldrichBy Jack Uldrich
It has been widely reported that the Internet can reduce greenhouse emissions by 1 billion tons over the next decade as a result of companies such as EnerNoc and Verdiem developing better methods to monitor and control residential and business energy usage. This is undoubtedly true, but people to begin thinking even more broadly about the Internet’s ability to protect the environment. Act Local It’s a cliche to be sure, yet the old mantra about thinking globally and acting local still rings true and the growing power of social networks can greatly amplify this tendency. For instance, as the father of two grade-schoolers, my wife and I regularly cart our kids to their myriad of extra-curricular activities. Not surprisingly, at every practice, an army of SUV’s and minivans fill the parking lot. Most vehicles chauffeured only one child and, more often than not, many of these children either live in the same neighborhood or attend the same school. Now, as much as I love my children and would love to believe they are imbued with extraordinary talents, it is not imperative that I – or any other parent – be attendance at every practice. My point is that there is no reason why my fellow parents and I can’t better coordinate our activities and car-pool in the same way that today’s free-wheeling, net-savvy teens use social networking tools to plan their activities and share the burdens of daily life. (Alternatively, if a parent feels that he or she just can’t bear to miss a single karate chop, piano recital or soccer kick, perhaps they could convince the sponsoring organization to stream the event onto the web.) (cont.) Prisons without bars coming soon, experts sayMay 10 2008 / by futuretalkBy Dick Pelletier Ever since the first true nanomedicine product came on the
market, a caged cancer drug that releases once bound to the cancer
cell, researchers have been working towards utilizing these
technologies for control purposes. Last week it was announced that NanoCage, in collaboration with United Penitentiary Systems, have developed the first barless prison. Upon entry, inmates are injected with a cocktail of caged drugs that have a variety of effects when released via radio control. The base technology utilizes focused radio waves that enable the drugs to cause the intended pain to the prisoner. The basis for this futuristic security system is a net of radio transmitters that surrounds the facility. As a prisoner crosses the perimeter threshold, the radio signals will cause the release of one type of caged drug. For instance, if the prisoner crosses an inner warning perimeter, a drug will be released that causes extreme vertigo and mild nausea. If the prisoner continues, the next perimeter will signal the release of incapacitating sedatives, and if the last signal is reached, it will trigger a fatal dose of narcotics. These perimeters are spaced far apart enough to prevent unintentional crossing of more than the first. The caged drug is connected to an antenna that upon receipt of a specific radio signal causes the physical break down of the carbon-nanotube-based cage. The package including the antenna is roughly half the size of a red blood cell. A coating of biocompatible molecules minimizes the physiological side effects from the caged drugs. (cont.) Is Evolution Exponential?May 09 2008 / by juldrichJack Uldrich Cross-posted from www.jumpthecurve.net When Charles Darwin first proposed writing his landmark book on
evolution, The Origins of Species, his editor suggested
writing a book on pigeons because, in his words, “Everyone is
interested in pigeons.” Fortunately, Darwin chose to ignore the
advice. I am reminded of the story because even though Darwin’s
theory was proposing only that species make modest, incremental
changes over long periods of time, it was – and in many circles
still is – a revolutionary idea. What then happens if evolution is not just incremental in nature but rather exponential? That, too, is a revolutionary idea – especially since it could impact us within our lifetimes. Well, we are now approaching a time when this exponential theory of evolution will be put to the test. If you accept the notion of evolution, you will agree that the earliest life appeared on earth approximately 4 billion years ago. Complex cellular organisms showed up 2 billion years ago, and the first multicellular organism about 1 billion years ago. The first reptiles and dinosaurs made their appearance 300 million years ago; the first primates 40 million years ago; homo sapiens appeared 160,000 years ago; Cro-Magnon man 40,000 years ago; and modern civilization as we know it began about 10,000 years ago. Thinking about this much progress over such an extended period of time is difficult. Years ago, Carl Sagan, the famed astronomer, offered up a “cosmic calendar” to make such progress more comprehensible to the layperson. He asked that they imagine the entire history of the universe as being compressed into a single year. (cont.) By 2040, we will live in ageless, disease-free bodies, experts sayMay 08 2008 / by futuretalkBy Dick Pelletier Imagine living in a body fashioned from “designer cells” that
can never age or get sick; and sporting a mind that thinks millions
of times faster than today’s brain. Though this may seem too
optimistic to happen in just 32 years, experts believe that
nanotech, biotech, infotech, and cognitive science advances over
the next three decades could create this future by 2040. Author Ray Kurzweil, in The Singularity is Near, discusses how new technologies will improve our bodies. Today’s frail body version “1.0” has a high failure rate; over 50 million died last year, most from age-related causes. By 2025, projected biotech and nanotech revolutions will provide a more durable and capable version “2.0” body, which will be immune to most diseases. This brings us to version “3.0”; a powerful body made from nanomaterials, boasting a zero failure rate. Even if a destructive accident were to occur, technologies expected by late 2030s could construct a new body with simulations of the patient’s personality and memories, and allow life to continue. A reconstructed person may not even realize they had died. If converting your body to non-biological parts seems unnatural, it shouldn’t. Today, people routinely install cochlear implants to improve hearing, titanium hips to strengthen worn bones, and soon to come, neuron replacements to prevent brain disorders. (cont.) Cheap Sunlight & an iPhone Killer?May 09 2008 / by Marisa VitolsThe Future Scanner Daily Top 5 serves to highlight 5 of the
best scans submitted to the Future Scanner during
the last 24 hours.
Transhumanism vs. Trans-SystemismMay 09 2008 / by AlvisAn editorial piece. Fueled by accelerating change, transhumanism
(H+), the belief that humans can and should consciously evolve past
our current limitations, is on the rise. It’s a safe bet that over
the coming years this budding philosophy, or memeplex, will make
its way into the minds of millions of humans, maybe more. However
it lines up with reality, transhumanism will exert a big impact on
our future (barring a near-term cataclysmic event, of course).
Certain aspects of transhumanism appeal to my logical and emotional parts. Logically, I can see that accelerating change will transform the human body and the human brain, perhaps enabling immortality, telekinesis, teleportation, possibly even “transcendence.” Emotionally, I like the idea of establishing greater control over my environment in order to best externalize my imagination (fostering peace, health, happiness), transform my existence and, essentially, play in the universe however I damn well choose. However, when attempting to simulate the future, particularly a hyper-fast Kurzweilian future or Ted Modis’ moderately slower future , I’ve found that I cannot embrace a wholly transhumanist-compatible view of the years to come because transhumanism, unsurprisingly, fails to provide an adequate definition of the term “human”. (cont.) What Does the Future Smell Like?May 08 2008 / by juldrichBy Jack Uldrich Cross-posted from www.jumpthecurve.net What will the future smell like? On the face of it, it sounds
like a silly question but I believe that by thinking about the
question we might be able to glean some insights into the future.
The other day I was in Las Vegas to give a speech to the Food Marketing Institute and it was my good luck to have the opportunity to sit in on a presentation by Martin Lindstrom who is one of the world’s leading branding experts. His talk was absolutely fascinating and he spent a good deal of time discussing how important the sense of smell is in branding. (To this point, if I say “Crayola” crayon or Play-Doh my guess is that many of you can almost smell those products’ unique scents). More interesting, however, Lindstrom discussed how certain smells conjure up different emotions for people of different generations. For example, if you were born before 1930 you are likely to enjoy the smell of hay and manure; and if you born before 1960 the smell of freshly cut grass conjures up positive feelings. (cont.) 21st Century wars: soldiers, weapons, powered by nanotechMay 08 2008 / by futuretalkBy Dick Pelletier The world faces an estimated 70 percent chance of a nuclear,
biological or chemical attack in the next decade, according to
analysts surveyed in a recent Senate Foreign Relations Committee
study. During the Cold War, the possibility of a nuclear battle that could kill every American made it imperative to avoid conflict. But today, we are still not safe. A suicide bomber hiding a weapon of mass destruction in a suitcase could murder a million Americans; twice as many as died in both twentieth century World Wars combined. Though some believe the eventual solution to ending today’s terrorist threats lie in improving the welfare of have-nots, former Defense Advanced Research Project Agency manager, Dr. Robert Popp, says we must also get better at intelligence. “We need more Arabic speakers, more experts who understand tribal relations, and more diplomats to capture audiences on Al Jazeera.” However, military leaders do not believe that technology will eliminate the worlds disgruntled anytime soon, so many want to improve their fighting machines now, and are turning to the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies (ISN), a creative group that has produced such far-out ideas as “portable lab-on-a-chip” and “wireless power.” Its partners include traditional weapons companies like Raytheon and DuPont, and new nano businesses like Zyvex and Nano C. What kinds of innovative military developments are on ISN’s drawing board? First, let’s glimpse at planned improvements for our soldiers; then examine some of the futuristic weapons being considered. (cont.) Scented Texts, Robot Surgery & Nanoworms Treating CancerMay 08 2008 / by Marisa VitolsThe Future Scanner Daily Top 5 serves to highlight 5 of the
best scans submitted to the Future Scanner during
the last 24 hours.
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