Feb 8, 2016
Autonomous Cars: Here’s a Look at Some of the Top Models
Posted by Shailesh Prasad in categories: robotics/AI, transportation
Autonomous cars have finally arrived, and they’re pretty remarkable. Here’s a look at the best on the line.
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Feb 8, 2016
Now, Scientists Can Suture Wounds with Lasers
Posted by Shailesh Prasad in categories: biotech/medical, futurism
A new method of closing wounds has been discovered by researchers from University of St. Andrews and Harvard Medical School.
In the future, your wounds might not be closed by stitches or staples. Instead, they will be fixed with lasers.
Continue reading “Now, Scientists Can Suture Wounds with Lasers” »
Feb 8, 2016
Here’s What NASA Thinks Our Martian Homes Will Look Like
Posted by Shailesh Prasad in categories: habitats, space
The Red Planet is a hostile, barren world. So if we’re going to live there, we’re going to need to develop a new kind of home.
Feb 8, 2016
New algorithm improves speed and accuracy of pedestrian detection
Posted by Shailesh Prasad in categories: computing, information science, neuroscience, robotics/AI, transportation
What if computers could recognize objects as well as the human brain could? Electrical engineers at the University of California, San Diego have taken an important step toward that goal by developing a pedestrian detection system that performs in near real-time (2−4 frames per second) and with higher accuracy (close to half the error) compared to existing systems. The technology, which incorporates deep learning models, could be used in “smart” vehicles, robotics and image and video search systems.
Feb 8, 2016
The Road To The Singularity
Posted by Shailesh Prasad in categories: Peter Diamandis, singularity
Will we witness the era of The #Singularity? Futurist Jason Silva joins #technologists and #innovation pioneers Peter H. Diamandis, Rick Smolan, and other experts, as they discuss the radical transformation underway. http://bit.ly/1XdzFL4
Feb 8, 2016
Quantum Levitation
Posted by Shailesh Prasad in categories: materials, quantum physics, transportation
Researchers at the school of physics and astronomy at Tel Aviv University have created a track around which a superconductor (a material that is extremely efficient at transmitting electricity) can float, thanks to the phenomenon of “quantum levitation “.
This levitation effect is explained by the Meissner effect, which describes how, when a material makes the transition from its normal to its superconducting state, it actively excludes magnetic fields from its interior, leaving only a thin layer on its surface.
When a material is in its superconducting state — which involves very low temperatures — it is strongly diamagnetic. This means that when a magnetic field is externally applied, it will create an equally opposing magnetic field, locking it in place.
Feb 8, 2016
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) Is Making Progress In Artificial Intelligence
Posted by Shailesh Prasad in category: robotics/AI
Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) AI program XiaoIce, which was being tested on Chinese social media sites has shown positive results, a positive for Microsoft.
Feb 8, 2016
Tesla’s falling out of favor
Posted by Karen Hurst in categories: engineering, transportation
Not good. 2 weeks ago I mentioned concerns about the competitor enticing some of Tesla’s engineering talent.
There’s increased competition in the electric car space.
Feb 8, 2016
Engineers, Entrepreneurs Hoping To Re-Engineer Humans For Skill, Strength
Posted by Zoltan Istvan in categories: biotech/medical, cyborgs, transhumanism
Cool new story and video on transhumanism:
SANTA CLARA (CBS SF) –During Super Bowl 50, the world saw the Denver Broncos throttle the Carolina Panthers. The game’s MVP Von Miller dominated Cam Newton in a display of super human strength and skill.
You may not know it, but a growing number of engineers, biohackers and entrepreneurs hopes one day we’ll all be super human as well.
Continue reading “Engineers, Entrepreneurs Hoping To Re-Engineer Humans For Skill, Strength” »
Feb 8, 2016
Minimally Invasive “Stentrode” Shows Potential as Neural Interface for Brain
Posted by Roman Mednitzer in categories: biotech/medical, cyborgs, neuroscience, transhumanism
A DARPA-funded research team has created a novel neural-recording device that can be implanted into the brain through blood vessels, reducing the need for invasive surgery and the risks associated with breaching the blood-brain barrier. The technology was developed under DARPA’s Reliable Neural-Interface Technology (RE-NET) program, and offers new potential for safely expanding the use of brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) to treat physical disabilities and neurological disorders.
In an article published in Nature Biotechnology, researchers in the Vascular Bionics Laboratory at the University of Melbourne led by neurologist Thomas Oxley, M.D., describe proof-of-concept results from a study conducted in sheep that demonstrate high-fidelity measurements taken from the motor cortex—the region of the brain responsible for controlling voluntary movement—using a novel device the size of a small paperclip.
This new device, which Oxley’s team dubbed the “stentrode,” was adapted from off-the-shelf stent technology—a familiar therapeutic tool for clearing and repairing blood vessels—to include an array of electrodes. The researchers also addressed the dual challenge of making the device flexible enough to safely pass through curving blood vessels, yet stiff enough that the array can emerge from the delivery tube at its destination.
