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Mar 19, 2019

The implausibility of intelligence explosion

Posted by in categories: business, climatology, existential risks, robotics/AI, sustainability

In 1965, I. J. Good described for the first time the notion of “intelligence explosion”, as it relates to artificial intelligence (AI):

Let an ultraintelligent machine be defined as a machine that can far surpass all the intellectual activities of any man however clever. Since the design of machines is one of these intellectual activities, an ultraintelligent machine could design even better machines; there would then unquestionably be an “intelligence explosion,” and the intelligence of man would be left far behind. Thus the first ultraintelligent machine is the last invention that man need ever make, provided that the machine is docile enough to tell us how to keep it under control.

Decades later, the concept of an “intelligence explosion” — leading to the sudden rise of “superintelligence” and the accidental end of the human race — has taken hold in the AI community. Famous business leaders are casting it as a major risk, greater than nuclear war or climate change. Average graduate students in machine learning are endorsing it. In a 2015 email survey targeting AI researchers, 29% of respondents answered that intelligence explosion was “likely” or “highly likely”. A further 21% considered it a serious possibility.

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Mar 19, 2019

Latest Space Based Solar Power Concepts and Experiments at Caltech

Posted by in categories: solar power, space travel, sustainability

Space Solar Power Initiative (SSPI) is a multi-year research in the field of Space Solar Power Initiative conducted by Caltech team in collaboration with Northrop Grumman (NG) Aerospace and Mission Systems division.

SSPI approach: • Enabling technologies developed at Caltech • Ultra-light deployable space structures • High efficiency ultra-light photovoltaic (PV) • Phased Array and Power Transmission • Integration of concentrating PV, radiators, MW power conversion and antennas in single cell unit • Localized electronics and control for system robustness, electronic beam steering • Identical spacecraft flying in formation • Target is specific power over 2000 Watts per kilogram. This would cost competitive with ground-based power.

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Mar 19, 2019

Woolly Mammoth cells 28,000 years-old reactivated

Posted by in category: climatology

“It have. We not learned anything from Jurassic Park. A team of Japanese scientist is attempting to bring back the long extinct, you guessed it, Ernie woolly mammoth the animal has been extinct for nearly four thousand years. I thought it was longer than that. But the scientists have emerged to extract the cells of a twenty eight thousand year old mammoth and transport them into a mouse, the cells show signs of life. We’re gonna have a woolly mouse. Here we go. The cells were taken from a mammoth that scientists call Yuka would have been seven at the time of her death. Okay. Her carcass was in pretty good shape. And they found it in Siberia back in two thousand ten now. You may be asking Ernie rightly so how soon until we start seeing these hairy beasts in our woods. It’s only going to be a matter of time before we see him over in Waco. Oh, sure, they say could be quite a while. While the cells took to the mouse eggs, the cells divide to create anything like a fetus. But it did prove that science. It did prove to scientists that they could reawaken cells isn’t a Willie ma’am at the size of an elephant speaker is even bigger than the elephant much planting this what did they think how big do? They think the uterus of the mouse is gonna ho- how big is this thing gonna have to know the science behind this. But it will be fascinated. The I want to be there for the discussion of where do we put them? Do. We put them exactly where they were. Yeah. We put them in Madison Wisconsin or wherever the heck large populations of them were found dead or do we just like, well, we got to put them in Montana and do they have to be in cold climates? Do they have to the plane in Texas? Well, Waco, actually does have a giant mammoth? Sanctuary study dig whatever you wanna call it. But that was four thousand years ago. I imagine the weather was much colder. No, no, no science on that has been settled. I don’t know the science of the weather twenty eight thousand four thousand years ago. Neither does anyone else. Unfortunately, they settled the science. So if so we have to unleash and Canada, I candidate deal with it. I would suggest this that if you’re going to rebuild the woolly mammoth, which are you in on. I know I think you are weak. You shouldn’t be I think, hey, you had your day it came and went you’re gone. Didn’t is man to blame for them not being around. And you know, no man is not to blame Jesus Jesus. That’s right. You had your shot you blew it. You sat around drinking beer watching TV all day. You got fat all of you had heart attacks, you’re gone. It’s done. So I don’t want these things coming back. But if you’re gonna bring them back, I would like you to modify the genes to where we smaller version. Yeah, they’re the size lapdog. Yeah. They could be the size of a lapdog, and they’re domesticated because I’ll be happy to have a woolly mammoth at the house a little horns. Yeah. Tiny little horns, it’s really adorable or you trick them out to be like those Ali fonts Lord of the rings that have long horn. I like that. Yeah. Something something like that since we’re really tricky since we’re playing the part of Jesus here. Let’s go ahead. And trick these suckers up when they come back or just here’s a better idea. Let’s cross him. So when they come back, they have mink coats, look, really, really snazzy, nightlife. Yeah. Really soft. You can sleep around with them. Chinchilla? Yeah. Exactly beautiful. Now. I don’t like the idea of see I’m all about it. Are you? I when I die. I’m figuring unless something kills mega tell about ninety. Okay. I think by ninety we’ll have it figured out. And if I could see a willy mammoth for die man, that’d be great. But what if a kick ass, but here’s the problem if they can do that. Then eventually they can bring you back and then you’ll see the woolly mammoth in life number two. Nobody’s gonna wanna do that. No guy. They don’t bring back. The key had his shot. Kind of like how you talk about it. You had your shot you blew it. Let’s”

KLIF 570 AM

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Mar 19, 2019

Hubble Image of Elliptical Galaxy With 200 Billion Stars

Posted by in category: cosmology

This fuzzy orb of light is a giant elliptical galaxy filled with an incredible 200 billion stars. Unlike spiral galaxies, which have a well-defined structure and boast picturesque spiral arms, elliptical galaxies appear fairly smooth and featureless. This is likely why this galaxy, named Messier 49, was discovered by French astronomer Charles Messier in 1771. At a distance of 56 million light-years, and measuring 157,000 light-years across, M49 was the first member of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies to be discovered, and it is more luminous than any other galaxy at its distance or nearer.

Elliptical galaxies tend to contain a larger portion of older stars than spiral galaxies and also lack young blue stars. Messier 49 itself is very yellow, which indicates that the stars within it are mostly older and redder than the Sun. In fact, the last major episode of star formation was about six billion years ago — before the Sun was even born!

Messier 49 is also rich in globular clusters; it hosts about 6000, a number that dwarfs the 150 found in and around the Milky Way. On average, these clusters are 10 billion years old. Messier 49 is also known to host a supermassive black hole at its centre with the mass of more than 500 million Suns, identifiable by the X-rays pouring out from the heart of the galaxy (as this Hubble image comprises infrared observations, these X-rays are not visible here).

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Mar 19, 2019

Women’s Pain Is Different From Men’s—the Drugs Could Be Too

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, sex

A new study shows clear differences in the biology of how men and women feel pain, a reminder that sex-specific pain medications might benefit us all.

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Mar 19, 2019

Online polygraph separates truth from lies using just text-based cues

Posted by in categories: information science, robotics/AI

Imagine a future where electronic text messaging is tracked by an intelligent algorithm that can identify truth from lies. A new study from two US researchers suggests this kind of online polygraph is entirely possible, with early experiments showing a machine learning algorithm can separate truth from lies based just on text cues over 85 percent of the time.

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Mar 19, 2019

5 Killer Events From Space That Could Wipe Out Human Life On Earth

Posted by in categories: alien life, existential risks

Wiping out all life on Earth is hard, but causing mass extinctions is easy. Five major extinction events have occurred since the Cambrian explosion, each eradicating over 60% of terrestrial species. At least five extraterrestrial scenarios are capable of wiping humanity out.


Even if we don’t destroy ourselves, we always have the Universe to contend with.

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Mar 18, 2019

SpaceX tests starship’s heat shield tiles

Posted by in category: space travel

One step closer to Mars.

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Mar 18, 2019

Heart disease and depression are linked

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, neuroscience

The link between heart disease and depression could be inflammation, research suggests.

The two conditions have been heavily linked to each other for years but scientists have struggled to explain why this is.

Now experts have found inflammation — the body’s first line of defence — could be to blame.

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Mar 18, 2019

Semen Frozen 50 Years Ago Just Produced Dozens of Healthy Lambs

Posted by in category: futurism

Semen frozen back in 1968 has been used to impregnate dozens of Merino ewes, resulting in healthy lambs. The Australian scientists who made it happen say it’s the oldest sperm ever used to produce offspring.

A research team led by Simon de Graaf from the Sydney Institute of Agriculture and School of Life and Environmental Sciences impregnated 34 Merino ewes with the thawed out 50-year-old ram sperm, according to a University of Sydney press release. Incredibly, the sperm resulted in birth rates comparable to semen frozen for 12 months.

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