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Archive for the ‘military’ tag

Aug 5, 2019

Dr. Wendy Dean, M.D., Senior Vice President of Program Operations, Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine — ideaXme — Ira Pastor

Posted by in categories: aging, biotech/medical, DNA, government, health, life extension, military, neuroscience, nuclear weapons, posthumanism

May 21, 2019

Commander (ret) Dr. Luis Alvarez, Director of Organ Manufacturing, United Therapeutics, and Co-Founder of GDF11 Harvard spin-out Elevian and MIT spin-out Theradaptive — ideaXme Show — Ira Pastor

Posted by in categories: aging, bioengineering, biotech/medical, business, defense, DNA, health, life extension, military, science

Oct 7, 2012

Debunking Pulse Detonation Engines — Yes, No, Maybe

Posted by in categories: business, defense, engineering, military, nuclear weapons, physics, space, treaties

Previous posting in this Debunking Series.

In this post we will look at the last three types of engines. Can these engine technologies be debunked?

Start with the boring stuff. Nuclear/plasma engines. For more information look up Franklin Chang-Diaz’s Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR). Real. Cannot be debunked.

Now for the more interesting stuff. The second is Pulse Detonation Engines (PDE). This type of engine uses detonation waves to combust fuel and oxidizer mixture. “The engine is pulsed because the mixture must be renewed in the combustion chamber between each detonation wave initiated by an ignition source.” Theoretically this type of engine is capable of speeds from subsonic to Mach 5.

Continue reading “Debunking Pulse Detonation Engines — Yes, No, Maybe” »

Sep 26, 2012

On Leaving the Earth. Like, Forever. Bye-Bye.

Posted by in categories: asteroid/comet impacts, cosmology, defense, engineering, existential risks, futurism, human trajectories, lifeboat, military, singularity, space


Technology is as Human Does

When one of the U.S. Air Force’s top future strategy guys starts dorking out on how we’ve gotta at least begin considering what to do when a progressively decaying yet apocalyptically belligerent sun begins BBQing the earth, attention is payed. See, none of the proposed solutions involve marinade or species-level acquiescence, they involve practical discussion on the necessity for super awesome technology on par with a Kardeshev Type II civilization (one that’s harnessed the energy of an entire solar system).

Because Not if, but WHEN the Earth Dies, What’s Next for Us?
Head over to Kurzweil AI and have a read of Lt. Col. Peter Garretson’s guest piece. There’s perpetuation of the species stuff, singularity stuff, transhumanism stuff, space stuff, Mind Children stuff, and plenty else to occupy those of us with borderline pathological tech obsessions.

[BILLION YEAR PLAN — KURZWEIL AI]
[U.S. AIR FORCE BLUE HORIZONS FUTURE STUFF PROJECT]

Sep 9, 2012

The Recurring Parable of the AWOL Android

Posted by in categories: cybercrime/malcode, defense, ethics, media & arts, military, robotics/AI

Greetings to the Lifeboat Foundation community and blog readers! I’m Reno J. Tibke, creator of Anthrobotic.com and new advisory board member. This is my inaugural post, and I’m honored to be here and grateful for the opportunity to contribute a somewhat… different voice to technology coverage and commentary. Thanks for reading.

This Here Battle Droid’s Gone Haywire
There’s a new semi-indy sci-fi web series up: DR0NE. After one episode, it’s looking pretty clear that the series is most likely going to explore shenanigans that invariably crop up when we start using semi-autonomous drones/robots to do some serious destruction & murdering. Episode 1 is pretty and well made, and stars 237, the android pictured above looking a lot like Abe Sapien’s battle exoskeleton. Active duty drones here in realityland are not yet humanoid, but now that militaries, law enforcement, the USDA, private companies, and even citizens are seriously ramping up drone usage by land, air, and sea, the subject is timely and watching this fiction is totally recommended.

(Update: DR0NE, Episode 2 now available)

Continue reading “The Recurring Parable of the AWOL Android” »