Archive for the ‘economics’ category: Page 144
Oct 28, 2017
How we’ll earn money in a future without jobs
Posted by Derick Lee in categories: economics, employment
Machines that can think, learn and adapt are coming — and that could mean that we humans will end up with significant unemployment. What should we do about it? In a straightforward talk about a controversial idea, futurist Martin Ford makes the case for separating income from traditional work and instituting a universal basic income.
About the speaker.
Oct 24, 2017
Cryonics: Putting Death on Ice
Posted by Derick Lee in categories: cryonics, economics, ethics, life extension, neuroscience
Robert C. W. Ettinger’s seminal work, The Prospect Of Immortality, detailed many of the scientific, moral, and economic implications of cryogenically freezing humans for later reanimation. It was after that book was published in 1962 that the idea of freezing one’s body after death began to take hold.
One of the most pressing questions is, even if we’re able to revive a person who has been cryogenically preserved, will the person’s memories and personality remain intact? Ettinger posits that long-term memory is stored in the brain as a long-lasting structural modification. Basically, those memories will remain, even if the brain’s “power is turned off”.
This infographic delves into the mechanics and feasibility of cryonics – a process that thousands of people are betting will give them a second shot at life.
Oct 22, 2017
What can we learn from small fraction of people who own 1 BTC
Posted by Philip Raymond in categories: bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, economics, geopolitics, internet
How many individuals own at least 1 BTC?
I was asked this question today at Quora, a popular Q&A blog covering a variety of technical and economic disciplines. Under my alias “Ellery”, I am the most viewed author on Bitcoin and the blockchain.
While this question may sound like a good factoid for a trivia game, it is directly related to something with with far reaching impact on your pocketbook and your future. It goes to the heart of a debate between warring factions: In the 2nd half of this answer, I address the eternal question:
Is Bitcoin a pyramid scheme? Or are we still early on the adoption curve?
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Oct 21, 2017
Chinese and Chinese-American billionaires’ philanthropy rising at ‘astounding’ rate
Posted by Derick Lee in category: economics
That the surge in philanthropy is a natural consequence of the rapid wealth creation was a sentiment echoed by a number of the high-net-worth individuals speaking at the conference, including Ronnie Chan and John Long, founder and CEO of investment company Highridge Partners. China is now home to 609 billionaires, more than the 552 in the US.
Chinese entrepreneurs in China itself, Hong Kong and America are giving back to society in ways unheard of even a few years ago, with Ronnie and Gerald Chan and Li Ka-shing among the big donors.
PUBLISHED : Sunday, 08 October, 2017, 6:45pm.
Oct 20, 2017
Bootstrapping the Solar System Economy
Posted by Klaus Baldauf in categories: economics, robotics/AI, space travel
Centauri Dreams returns with an essay by long-time contributor Alex Tolley. If we need to grow a much bigger economy to make starships possible one day, the best way to proceed should be through building an infrastructure starting in the inner Solar System and working outward. Alex digs into the issues here, starting with earlier conceptions of how it might be done, and the present understanding that artificial intelligence is moving at such a clip that it will affect all of our ventures as we transform into a truly space-faring species. Under the microscope here is a company called SpaceFab, as Alex explains below, and the potential of ISRU — in situ resource utilization. Emerging out of all this is a new model for expansion.
by Alex Tolley
Oct 19, 2017
China aims to outspend the world in artificial intelligence, and Xi Jinping just green lit the plan
Posted by Derick Lee in categories: economics, robotics/AI
The inclusion of technology in the leader’s most important address in an official imprimatur that underscores the continued push by China’s top leaders to identify new pillars for an economy struggling to maintain its rapid growth amid overcapacity and rising debt.
China’s State Council laid out goals in July to build a domestic artificial intelligence industry worth nearly US$150 billion in the next few years, and to make the country a “innovation centre for AI” by 2030. Xi’s speech gave the official imprimatur to the plan.
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 18 October, 2017, 6:56pm.
Oct 18, 2017
Cities compete to become Japan’s Silicon Valley
Posted by Derick Lee in categories: economics, electronics
Every modern economy wants its own version of Silicon Valley and in Japan the urge to find or create one is just as strong. Although the country’s pedigree as an innovator is not in doubt, rapidly adapting to the digital age has proven challenging for its once-mighty consumer electronics companies.
Fukuoka, Kyoto and Tokyo’s Shibuya district are all staking their claim.
Oct 15, 2017
The Future May Owe Itself to Blockchain Technology. Here’s Why
Posted by Saúl Morales Rodriguéz in categories: bitcoin, computing, economics, internet, satellites
Sending satellites into space is going to continue to get cheaper since SpaceX proved it could reliably launch refurbished rockets. This is going to open up space exploration to more entities allowing for the continued democratization of space. Other technological advances could make a global space centered sharing economy a real possibility.
The rise of the internet and the ubiquity of mobile computing devices have changed everything from travel and shopping to politics – think Uber, Amazon, and Twitter.
Oct 8, 2017
Japan brings out the bazooka in AI war with China
Posted by Derick Lee in categories: economics, government, robotics/AI
China may have the clear lead in the development of artificial intelligence (AI) systems in the region, but Japan’s government, realising how vital the sector is to its economic future, has intervened in the hopes of levelling the playing field.
Japan announced in late August that it is planning to invest billions of yen to fund next-generation semiconductors and other technologies critical to AI development.
Billions of yen in public investment could help firms innovate, but analysts say the nation may never catch up with China and the US, global tech leaders that show no signs of slowing down.
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