Lifeboat News: The Blog – Safeguarding Humanity

“Some scientists refer to this as the Singularity. I call it Transcendence.”

Posted by Shailesh Prasad in biological, energy, neuroscience, robotics/AI, singularity, space

Feb 3
2016

http://www.transcendencemovie.com/

Dr. Will Caster: “For 130,000 years, our capacity for reason has remained unchanged. The combined intellect of the neuroscientists, engineers, mathematicians and hackers in this auditorium pales in comparison to even the most basic AI. Once online, a sentient machine will quickly overcome the limits of biology. And in a short time, its analytical power will be greater than the collective intelligence of every person born in the history of the world. So now imagine such an entity with the full range of human emotion. Even self-awareness. Some scientists refer to this as ‘the Singularity’. I call it ’Transcendence’. The path to building such a super-intelligence requires us to unlock the most fundamental secrets of the universe. What is the nature of consciousness? Is there a soul? And if so, where does it reside?”

Luddite: “Dr. Caster.”

Dr. Will Caster: “Yes, sir? You have a question?”

Continue reading ““Some scientists refer to this as the Singularity. I call it Transcendence.”” | >

To be human is to be Transhuman

Posted by Shailesh Prasad in transhumanism

Feb 3
2016

“We know what we are… we know not what we may be”

-Shakespeare.

Scientists are poised to flip the switch on an experiment that could help provide the world with a clean and almost unlimited source of energy

Posted by Julius Garcia in nuclear energy

Feb 3
2016

GREIFSWALD, Germany (AP) — Scientists are poised to flip the switch on an experiment that could take them a step closer to the goal of generating clean and cheap nuclear power.

How, not why, the human brain folds — By Leah Burrows | Harvard Gazette

Posted by Odette Bohr Dienel in scienceTagged Brain

Feb 3
2016

“The distinctive troughs and crests of the human brain are not present in most animals; highly folded brains are seen only in a handful of species, including some primates, dolphins, elephants, and pigs. In humans, folding begins in fetal brains around the 20th week of gestation and is completed only when the child is about 18 months old.”

Opportunities in Cancer Nanotechnology: A Conversation with NCI’s Dr. Piotr Grodzinski

Posted by Karen Hurst in biotech/medical, nanotechnology

Feb 2
2016

Wonderful article on Nanotechnology and cancer with NCI’s Dr. Piotr Grodzinski. NCI established NCI’s with NCI’s Dr. Piotr Grodzinski. The article was published by declara.

Learn about Opportunities in Cancer Nanotechnology: A Conversation with NCI’s Dr. Piotr Grodzinski. Declara makes it easy to discover, share and organize knowledge. We empower individuals, organizations and countries to develop the knowledge needed to solve big problems.

Skyrmions could be the path to faster, denser hard drives

Posted by Karen Hurst in computing, particle physics

Feb 2
2016

Research on skyrmions suggests that the vortex-shaped particles could potentially be used in denser, faster storage.

Apple takes interest in Stanford’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab

Posted by Karen Hurst in augmented reality, internet, virtual reality

Feb 2
2016

Apple and any other tech company with an interest in consumer interactive experience (communications, gaming, internet, video/ streaming media) knows you will need VR to remain relevant; and who can do it best will be king.

Rumors are stating that Apple is investing heavily in virtual and augmented reality solutions.

Apple representatives are said to be visiting Stanford University’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab quite a bit more often. Founding director Jeremy Bailenson told the folks over at The Wall Street Journal that Apple’s recent visits were the first since the lab that was founded in 2003. Bailenson had the following to say regarding the matter:

Apple hasn’t come to my lab in 13 years, except they’ve come three times in the last three months. They come and they don’t say a word, but there’s a data point for you.

This CO2 laser printer can cut and etch patterns into almost any type of material, from metal to leather to paper

Posted by Shailesh Prasad in materials

Feb 2
2016

Mind-Reading Computer Instantly Decodes People’s Thoughts

Posted by Sean Brazell in computing, neuroscience

Feb 2
2016

A new computer program can almost instantaneously decode people’s thoughts based on spikes in their brain activity, a new study suggests.

Hexagon Resources to access high-purity graphite markets in 2017

Posted by Karen Hurst in electronics, materials, neuroscience

Feb 2
2016

Graphene is coming to the market in Q3 2017 by Hexagon Resources. What is also important about this is not only what graphene does for batteries; is 1 day ago when researchers in Italy released their findings in how graphene can be implanted in the brain without damaging brain cells. Therefore, there is huge potential for grapheme beyond batteries and electronics.

Hexagon Resources is on track for first production next year at its McIntosh project in Western Australia, where the country’s biggest flake graphite resource is already demonstrating huge potential for meeting high-value markets and growing significantly in size.