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Nov 13, 2014

FM-2030: What is the Future of Democracy? Part 2

Posted by in categories: futurism, lifeboat, philosophy, science

The audio in this archive file was compiled from a 1984 meeting of futurists, transhumanists, and progressives. The main topic of the meeting was the most appropriate ways to engage or advance these philosophies within government. For example, one significant point of discussion centered around whether running for office was an effective way to drive change.

In the course of the discussion, the primary viewpoint FM-2030 espoused was that some aspects of government — especially the concept of leadership — would become obsolete or be replaced by other aspects of society (see Part 1). However, he also expressed what he believed the core of a ‘true’ democracy might look like. This archive file is assembled from excerpts of that section of the discussion.

Nov 13, 2014

Fully functional immune organ grown in mice from lab-created cells

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine

Fibroblasts transformed into induced thymic epithelial cells (iTEC)  in vitro (left, iTEC in green).  iTEC transplanted onto the mouse kidney form an organised and functional mini-thymus (right, kidney cells in pink, thymus cells in dark blue).

Scientists have for the first time grown a complex, fully functional organ from scratch in a living animal by transplanting cells that were originally created in a laboratory. The advance could in future aid the development of ‘lab-grown’ replacement organs.

Researchers from the MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, at the University of Edinburgh, took cells called fibroblasts from a mouse embryo and converted them directly into a completely unrelated type of cell — specialised thymus cells — using a technique called ‘reprogramming’. When mixed with other thymus cell types and transplanted into mice, these cells formed a replacement organ that had the same structure, complexity and function as a healthy native adult thymus. The reprogrammed cells were also capable of producing T cells — a type of white blood cell important for fighting infection — in the lab.

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Nov 12, 2014

FUTURISM UPDATE (November 13, 2014)

Posted by in category: futurism

FUTURISM UPDATE (November 13, 2014)

0   LAUGHTERS

FORBES: How Top CIOs Brace For The Next Big Data Breach http://lnkd.in/d-btWe3

STRATFOR: What the Fall of the Wall Did Not Change http://lnkd.in/d8qx75t

UPI: Lockheed Martin partners for space debris research. Lockheed Martin has announced a partnering agreement to study near-Earth space debris using the largest infrared telescope in the Western Hemisphere. http://lnkd.in/dGUFrnd

Continue reading “FUTURISM UPDATE (November 13, 2014)” »

Nov 12, 2014

Nanosheet burn dressing clings to uneven skin

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

By — Gizmag

Tokia University researchers have developed a nanosheet material that clings to irregular ...

Even with advances in gels and dressings, burns remain a difficult injury to treat. This applies particularly to parts of the body where the skin bends around bones and joints, creating surfaces unfavorable to most types of bandaging. But researchers from Japan’s Tokai University have developed a new ultra-thin material that clings to those trickier locations, serving to ward off infectious bacteria.

The researchers liken the material as akin to cling wrap in its ability to adhere to not only flat surfaces without any adhesives, but also irregular surfaces that can be prone to dog-eared Band-Aids and curling gauze.

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Nov 11, 2014

FUTURISM UPDATE (November 12, 2014)

Posted by in category: futurism

FUTURISM UPDATE (November 12, 2014)

a Amazon and Lifeboat

FINANCIAL TIMES: Alibaba breaks online shopping records http://on.ft.com/1ytcyPI

THE GUARDIAN: Report claims a third of UK jobs at risk from robots http://lnkd.in/dTBpmFE

EURASIA REVIEW: Iran To Launch More Selective Internet Censorship http://lnkd.in/dzG-wPM

Continue reading “FUTURISM UPDATE (November 12, 2014)” »

Nov 10, 2014

FUTURISM UPDATE (November 11, 2014)

Posted by in category: futurism

FUTURISM UPDATE (November 11, 2014)

a Amazon and Lifeboat

TECHCRUNCH: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella details his views on what Google and Apple do best http://tcrn.ch/1ypN0D4

REUTERS: Iranian-built copy of U.S. drone takes first flight http://lnkd.in/ddzJxZs

REUTERS: U.S. Postal Service data breach may compromise staff, customer details http://lnkd.in/dZcfTtf

GARTNER: Gartner Identifies the Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2015 http://lnkd.in/ds775sy

Continue reading “FUTURISM UPDATE (November 11, 2014)” »

Nov 10, 2014

New quantum camera capable of snapping photos of ‘ghosts’

Posted by in category: quantum physics

By: Bryan Nelson — MNN

By utilizing a process that Einstein famously called “spooky,” scientists have successfully caught “ghosts” on film for the first time using quantum cameras.
The “ghosts” captured on camera weren’t the kind you might first think; scientists didn’t discover the wandering lost souls of our ancestors. Rather, they were able to capture images of objects from photons that never actually encountered the objects pictured. The technology has been dubbed “ghost imaging,” reports National Geographic.

Nov 9, 2014

FUTURISM UPDATE (November 10, 2014)

Posted by in category: futurism

FUTURISM UPDATE (November 10, 2014)

a Amazon and Lifeboat

MIT TECHNOLOGY REVIEW: Google ALSO Wants to Store Your Genome. For $25 a year, Google will keep a copy of any genome in the cloud. http://lnkd.in/dAjHdHj

POPULAR SCIENCE: Bionic Bird Drone May Fool Actual Birds. This biomimetic flying device can be controlled by a smartphone, to entertain people and cats alike. http://lnkd.in/d2Mcz9R

Continue reading “FUTURISM UPDATE (November 10, 2014)” »

Nov 9, 2014

Robot Cheetah Breaks Free of Its Tether, Now Runs on Batteries

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

Written By: — Singularity Hub

MIT-Cheetah-robot1

Not long ago, robots were largely confined to books and movies. Then they started showing up on YouTube, and robot fear became a viral thing. There was that terrifying video of a Boston Dynamics robot wearing fatigues and gas mask. Another Boston Dynamics video showed a cheetah robot that could outpace the swiftest human sprinter.

Back then, it was easy enough to imagine being run down by a robot—particularly because Boston Dynamics was funded by the military. But there was no good reason to fear them. Not yet. Why? They were all powered by internal combustion engines. Imagine being stalked by a car with no muffler. You’d hear it a mile off and climb a tree.

Continue reading “Robot Cheetah Breaks Free of Its Tether, Now Runs on Batteries” »

Nov 8, 2014

Baby, I now owe India and then Wal-Mart and so, changing said “Game Changers” (Picture)

Posted by in category: economics

Baby, I now owe India and then Wal-Mart and so, changing said “Game Changers” (Picture)

OWE INDIA