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Jan 18, 2019

Levi Explains Hybrid Vs. Heirloom Vegetables | S1:E8 | MIgardener

Posted by in category: food

Hybrid vs Heirloom Vegetables with Levi.


What is the difference between hybrid and heirloom? Are hybrids bad? Are they natural? What is an heirloom? How old is an heirloom? Those questions and more are answered in this episode of Levi Explains.

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Jan 18, 2019

The Ghost in the Quantum Turing Machine

Posted by in categories: computing, cosmology, neuroscience, quantum physics

Interview with Scott Aaronson — covering whether quantum computers could have subjective experience, whether information is physical and what might be important for consciousness — he touches on classic philosophical conundrums and the observation that while people want to be thorough-going materialists, unlike traditional computers brain-states are not obviously copyable. Aaronson wrote about this his paper ‘The Ghost in the Quantum Turing Machine’ (found here https://arxiv.org/abs/1306.0159). Scott also critiques Tononi’s integrated information theory (IIT).


Scott discusses whether quantum computers could have subjective experience, whether information is physical and what might be important for consciousness — he touches on classic philosophical conundrums and the observation that while people want to be thorough-going materialists, unlike traditional computers brain-states are not obviously copyable. Aaronson wrote about this his paper ‘The Ghost in the Quantum Turing Machine’ (found here https://arxiv.org/abs/1306.0159). Scott also critiques Tononi’s integrated information theory (IIT).

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Jan 18, 2019

Blockchain: 6 Key Ethical Considerations

Posted by in categories: bitcoin, computing, cryptocurrencies, cybercrime/malcode, disruptive technology, employment, ethics, hacking, information science

Blockchain shows major potential to drive positive change across a wide range of industries. Like any disruptive technology, there are ethical considerations that must be identified, discussed, and mitigated as we adopt and apply this technology, so that we can maximize the positive benefits, and minimize the negative side effects.

Own Your Data

For decades we have sought the ability for data subjects to own and control their data. Sadly, with massive proliferation of centralized database silos and the sensitive personal information they contain, we have fallen far short of data subjects having access to, let alone owning or controlling their data. Blockchain has the potential to enable data subjects to access their data, review and amend it, see reports of who else has accessed it, give consent or opt-in / opt-out of data sharing, and even request they be forgotten and their information be deleted.

Monetize Your Data

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Jan 18, 2019

That was quick!Prince Philip gets new Land Rover delivered after crash

Posted by in category: futurism

Prince Philip’s driving days don’t appear to be numbered just yet after a replacement Land Rover was delivered to him today — less than 24 hours after his horror smash.

The black Freelander — an exact replica of the one Philip wrote-off yesterday — was driven off the back of a lorry and into Sandringham at around Midday.

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Jan 18, 2019

80 Acres Farms Raises $40m to Complete ‘First Fully Automated Vertical Farm’

Posted by in categories: food, robotics/AI, sustainability

I wonder how many people it will feed.


80 Acres Farms, an Ohio-based vertical farming startup, has raised private equity funding from Virgo Investment Group, a private equity firm from San Francisco for the construction of what it says will be the first fully automated indoor farm.

AgFudnerNews can reveal that the deal was worth more than $40 million in equity capital, according to sources close to the deal.

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Jan 18, 2019

This Photo of Earth and the Moon Was Shot from 71 Million Miles Away

Posted by in category: space travel

Here’s a new photo that shows Earth and the Moon from a whopping 71 million miles away. It was captured by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx, which is currently on a mission to obtain a sample from a near-Earth asteroid and return it to Earth.

The photo was captured on December 19th, 2018, using the spacecraft’s NavCam 1 camera. Earth and the moon can be seen on the bottom-left side of the photo. The much larger white object in the upper-right side is asteroid Bennu.

Earth is 71 million miles (114M km) away in the photo, while Bennu is just 27 miles (43 km).

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Jan 18, 2019

This Dutch Startup Converts Heat Into Cold Via A Stirling Engine, And Could Just Save The Planet

Posted by in category: futurism

6 billion A/C units by 2050 will use 37% of global electricity. Here’s an alternative.

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Jan 18, 2019

Nanoparticle breakthrough in the fight against cancer

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, nanotechnology

A recent study, affiliated with South Korea’s Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) has introduced a novel targeted drug delivery system in the fight against cancer.

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Jan 18, 2019

4 Gene-Editing Technologies That Could Replace CRISPR

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, engineering, genetics

The future of medicine involves the precise engineering of human cells. Turns out, that future may not include that promising CRISPR technique.

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Jan 18, 2019

Plunging Prices Mean Building New Renewable Energy Is Cheaper Than Running Existing Coal

Posted by in categories: climatology, nuclear energy, sustainability

A https://www.carbontracker.org/42-of-global-coal-power-plants…rst-study/” target=”_blank” rel=” nofollow noopener noreferrer” data-ga-track=” ExternalLink: https://www.carbontracker.org/42-of-global-coal-power-plants…rst-study/”>new report reveals 42% of global coal capacity is currently unprofitable, and the United States could save $78 billion by closing coal-fired power plants in line with the Paris Climate Accord’s climate goals. This industry-disrupting trend comes down to dollars and cents, as the cost of renewable energy dips below fossil fuel generation.

Across the U.S., renewable energy is beating coal on cost: The price to build new wind and solar has fallen below the cost of running existing coal-fired power plants in Red and Blue states. For example, Colorado’s Xcel will retire 660 megawatts (MW) of coal capacity ahead of schedule in favor of renewable sources and battery storage, and reduce costs in the process. Midwestern utility MidAmerican will be the first utility to reach 100% renewable energy by 2020 without increasing customer rates, and Indiana’s NIPSCO will replace 1.8 gigawatts (GW) of coal with wind and solar.

Lazard’s https://www.lazard.com/perspective/levelized-cost-of-energy-…rage-2018/” target=”_blank” rel=” nofollow noopener noreferrer” data-ga-track=” ExternalLink: https://www.lazard.com/perspective/levelized-cost-of-energy-…rage-2018/”>annual Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) analysis reports solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind costs have dropped an extraordinary 88% and 69% since 2009, respectively. Meanwhile, coal and nuclear costs have increased by 9% and 23%, respectively. Even without accounting for current subsidies, renewable energy costs can be considerably lower than the marginal cost of conventional energy technologies.

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