This is a short video of a carbon nanotube muscle, it is very cool. This sort of technology can be used for all sorts of interesting micro motors, engine parts and other machinery such as very manipulatable arms for robots (search and rescue anyone with a cam mounted on one of those to look inside the rubble).
Next is this interesting article on grown organs, so far a bladder, bone marrow and a rat's heart have been made with the bladder having been successfully transplanted into a patient. This is the future of medicine: constant refreshment of organs as and when they are needed. Neat huh?
Showing posts with label trans-humanism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trans-humanism. Show all posts
Thursday, 11 June 2009
Thursday, 21 May 2009
worth reading
Charles Stross is a dude - near future sci-fi is a) VERY interesting and b) not often done well. He pulls it off - if your interested I highly recommend accelerando.
Either way this is his keynote speech from a recent MMO conference - which doesn't have too much to do with MMO's but a lot to do with the future of the internet and computing in general.
The concept that I think is most interesting and already semi-visible within current high-end gadgets (ie the iphone) is the dissolution of the net-space/meat-space boundary (ie internet becoming part of the real world rather than something on the other-side of a screen). This is something that will be most likely the next paradigm shift (the advent of the 'net was the last one). Moving to a society that treats information and the access of it as a basic human right. Currently its only the hard-core netizens (ie me) that get annoyed when they are cut off from internet access but this is rapidly changing.
The business and academic worlds have accepted email as the standard method of communication, Twitter and its blogging brethren are becoming the accepted methods of breaking news (see swine flu and the Mumbai bombings). While much of the populous consider the internet a hobby or something to use to send the odd email it is rapidly (for people under 30) becoming the only method of communication and research.
In my case more and more of my 'luxury' purchases (ie DVDs) come from online and using google maps on my phone has saved me several times (can't wait to get my iPhone once i can afford it). With things like the sixth-sense in development and pushing more of the internet into the real world.
Going back to the speech I think one of the most interesting aspects of this is that it is predicted within the next 20 years - with e-readers and similar already hitting the market as well as the iPhone considered the bench mark for next-gen mobiles I wonder if a lot of this won't be here sooner. It's also interesting to see how the rate at which we lose the ability to predict the future is lessening. In the 1900's people thought they could see clearly to about now. Now people are un-willing to bet beyond the next 5-years let alone several decades.
Either way this is his keynote speech from a recent MMO conference - which doesn't have too much to do with MMO's but a lot to do with the future of the internet and computing in general.
The concept that I think is most interesting and already semi-visible within current high-end gadgets (ie the iphone) is the dissolution of the net-space/meat-space boundary (ie internet becoming part of the real world rather than something on the other-side of a screen). This is something that will be most likely the next paradigm shift (the advent of the 'net was the last one). Moving to a society that treats information and the access of it as a basic human right. Currently its only the hard-core netizens (ie me) that get annoyed when they are cut off from internet access but this is rapidly changing.
The business and academic worlds have accepted email as the standard method of communication, Twitter and its blogging brethren are becoming the accepted methods of breaking news (see swine flu and the Mumbai bombings). While much of the populous consider the internet a hobby or something to use to send the odd email it is rapidly (for people under 30) becoming the only method of communication and research.
In my case more and more of my 'luxury' purchases (ie DVDs) come from online and using google maps on my phone has saved me several times (can't wait to get my iPhone once i can afford it). With things like the sixth-sense in development and pushing more of the internet into the real world.
Going back to the speech I think one of the most interesting aspects of this is that it is predicted within the next 20 years - with e-readers and similar already hitting the market as well as the iPhone considered the bench mark for next-gen mobiles I wonder if a lot of this won't be here sooner. It's also interesting to see how the rate at which we lose the ability to predict the future is lessening. In the 1900's people thought they could see clearly to about now. Now people are un-willing to bet beyond the next 5-years let alone several decades.
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
speaking of the post-biological era...
Well looks like my post yesterday may have been a bit off.
A project running on the blue gene super computers has (supposedly) modeled the action of the neo-cortex from molecular level up. The neocortex is the area of the brain that houses most higher-functions (my neuro-scientist friend would kill me for that simplification).
While it is unclear quite how accurate this model is or quite how it works the researches claim that upscaling it to full brains is only a matter of money. Sentient space lobsters here we come!
In all it looks like research to watch (main site is here) certainly if they get funding we may see some interesting results soon.
A project running on the blue gene super computers has (supposedly) modeled the action of the neo-cortex from molecular level up. The neocortex is the area of the brain that houses most higher-functions (my neuro-scientist friend would kill me for that simplification).
While it is unclear quite how accurate this model is or quite how it works the researches claim that upscaling it to full brains is only a matter of money. Sentient space lobsters here we come!
In all it looks like research to watch (main site is here) certainly if they get funding we may see some interesting results soon.
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
w00t Postbiology humans!
Those that know me will know I have a thing for trans-humanism (or post humanism etc).
The basic concept is that the human body is scanned at the deepest level possible and the remains are simulated on a computer, in theory this recreates the human. Currently it is predicted that by 2020 computers will exist that have computing complexity to match the human brain (ie comparable numbers of connections). Quite when AI will be reached (if we do ever reach it) is a moot question but highly likely (unless something like the soul does in fact exist).
This article interestingly looks at what the economic, environmental and sustainability aspects of humans being uploaded to computers will be. The conclusion: its probably a good thing as the entire current population would probably be fitted into a 100x100km grid coated with solar panels.
Very interesting read, for more information Charlie Stross' 'Accelerando' is a very good fictional investigation of the singularity (what will happen if true AI is achieved) as well as post-biological humanity.
The basic concept is that the human body is scanned at the deepest level possible and the remains are simulated on a computer, in theory this recreates the human. Currently it is predicted that by 2020 computers will exist that have computing complexity to match the human brain (ie comparable numbers of connections). Quite when AI will be reached (if we do ever reach it) is a moot question but highly likely (unless something like the soul does in fact exist).
This article interestingly looks at what the economic, environmental and sustainability aspects of humans being uploaded to computers will be. The conclusion: its probably a good thing as the entire current population would probably be fitted into a 100x100km grid coated with solar panels.
Very interesting read, for more information Charlie Stross' 'Accelerando' is a very good fictional investigation of the singularity (what will happen if true AI is achieved) as well as post-biological humanity.
Monday, 20 April 2009
Interactive tattoos
Well looks like interactive/programmable tattoos are pushing forward, about a year or so ago I read about this implant - a small screen with a black and white display on it that ran of chemical energy siphoned from your blood, that was a concept. Now its been pushed further, moving from sub-dermal implants to nano-tubes placed either sub-dermaly or on the surface of the skin but as a custom size rather than a single cohesive pad. This apparently work in a more passive way than the 'screen' in that the electrics are only needed to change the display which is otherwise passive and just sits there.
Still pretty cool and I want one very much. Annoyingly I have three links but the video on the last one won't load for me - have been told that it is semi NSFW:
nano-tattoos
more shine
fun video NSFW
Still pretty cool and I want one very much. Annoyingly I have three links but the video on the last one won't load for me - have been told that it is semi NSFW:
nano-tattoos
more shine
fun video NSFW
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