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Thinking about the hardware of thinking: Can disruptive technologies help us achieve uploading?

November 30, 2010 by Suzanne Gildert

thinking_about_the_hardware_of_thinking

As we begin to run larger and more brain-like emulations, will our current methods of simulating neural networks, using general-purpose silicon processors, be enough, even in principle? As we wish to run computations faster and more efficiently, we might we need to consider if the design of the hardware that we all take for granted is optimal.

In a presentation (at Teleplace,… read more

Topics: Cognitive Science/Neuroscience | Computers/Infotech/UI | Human Enhancement | Quantum

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Spirited machines: The robots of acclaimed high-tech artist David Bent

December 1, 2010 by Sarah Black

Aerobots

Popular UK artist David Bent, internationally acclaimed for his vibrant portraits of fighter jets and advanced military technology, raises the mundane (rivets, tires and sheet metal) to high art. In today’s often impersonal super-engineering Bent perceives an unexpected beauty — intelligence, symmetry, precision, and even a very human self-expression.

His recent work includes a whimsical series of robot portraits. The Aerobots instantly remind you of children: anime eyes,… read more

Topics: AI/Robotics | Singularity/Futures | Social/Ethical/Legal

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Has NASA discovered extraterrestrial life?

December 1, 2010 by Amara D. Angelica

rhea

UPDATE: NASA discovery of arsenic-based bacterium expands scope of SETI research.

NASA has announced it will hold a news conference in Washington, D.C. at 2 p.m. EST on Thursday, Dec. 2, to discuss “an astrobiology finding that will impact the search for evidence of extraterrestrial life.”

Participants are:
-  Mary Voytek, Director, Astrobiology Program, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
-  Felisa Wolfe-Simon, NASA Astrobiology Research Fellow, U.S. Geological… read more

Topics: Biotech | Space

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By 2018, supercomputers could operate 100 times faster than the human brain

December 2, 2010 by Amara D. Angelica

ibm_supercomputers

The breakthrough (see Breakthrough Chip Technology Lights the Path to Exascale Computing) announced Wednesday by IBM researchers has been long sought: a way to use pulses of light in waveguides instead of electrons in wires for chip connections. Electrons generate heat, which limits has fast chips can work and requires a lot of power for cooling. Light has no such… read more

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Health Tips | Boosting your brain, living longer

December 3, 2010 by David Despain

Quit smoking; feel better (Credit: Mike Cohea/Brown University)

LIVING LONGER

Check your BMI (Body Mass Index). A healthy BMI between 20 and 24.9 is generally best for avoiding disease and living longer (calculate your BMI) [NEJM]. 

Eat dark green and orange vegetables daily. They contain alpha-carotene (a cousin to vitamin A), an antioxidant compound that protects your cells and your health by lowering your risk of heart disease, cancer… read more

Topics: Biomed/Longevity | Social Networking/Web/Education

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Video conferencing with cardboard cutouts and random images on the walls

December 3, 2010 by Amara D. Angelica

mingleroom

Hey, here’s an idea: How about creating an avatar by copying a face from a photo and pasting it onto a randomly generated avatar? Then a video conferencing service could put your brand new (or old) face, along with those of your friends, into one of several rooms, where you could all chat by voice. You could even display live video from your webcam or computer on the walls.… read more

Topics: Social Networking/Web/Education | VR/Augmented Reality/Computer Graphics

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How to achieve ‘biological immortality’ naturally

December 6, 2010 by David Despain

bioimmortality

Evolutionary biologist Michael Rose, professor at University of California, Irvine, says he has discovered a natural way to achieve “biological immortality” without the use of anti-aging drugs and stem cell treatments.

“It’s one you can start this evening,” the author of Evolutionary Biology of Aging shared in his talk Saturday at Humanity+ @ Caltech in Los Angeles. “It comes at no cost, you don’t have… read more

Topics: Biomed/Longevity

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Seattle International Film Festival | Documentary Plug and Pray explores the promise, problems and ethics of robotics

December 8, 2010

SIFF poster

Source: Seattle International Film Festival — June 5, 2010

Ray Kurzweil was interviewed in the recent documentary, Plug and Pray, exploring the promise and peril of advanced AI and the coming age of robotics.

Summary from the Seattle International Film Festival | The creation of artificial intelligence was a fantastical idea that captured the minds of scientists (and science fiction writers) from the very start of the computer age. But the breathtaking pace of technology has moved… read more

Topics: AI/Robotics | Singularity/Futures

Read full article here

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Health Tips | Happiness is green tea, apple smoothies, zen meditation, and sex

December 9, 2010 by David Despain

Credit: iStockphoto

This week’s Health Tips column brings you ideas for finding happiness, tips for living to a ripe old age, parenting advice, and new ways to help you lose weight, lower blood pressure, and prevent chronic diseases.

HAPPINESS IS…

A social life. One reason why religious people tend to be happy and satisfied with their lives is not because of their beliefs, but belonging… read more

Topics: Biomed/Longevity

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Avatar meets rejuvenation biotech at stellar SENS event Friday night in L.A.

December 9, 2010 by Amara D. Angelica

Avatar

If you’re in Los Angeles Friday night, the happening place to be is at the SENS Foundation event at Giant Studios, where the fantastic Na’vi characters in Avatar were brought to life, along with Gollum in Lord of the Rings and thousands of other creatures, using advanced motion-capture tech.

Legendary Cambridge University scientist Dr. Aubrey de Grey, who pioneered SENS (Strategies… read more

Topics: Biomed/Longevity | Biotech | Entertainment/New Media | VR/Augmented Reality/Computer Graphics

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My trip to Brussels, Zurich, Warsaw, and Vienna

December 14, 2010 by Ray Kurzweil

DSC04995

Some recollections from my recent trip on October 11 through October 19, 2010, including a personal exploration of my family history in Vienna.

JFK Airport October 11

I met my daughter Amy for lunch at our favorite salmon restaurant in JFK Airport. This was the third time I have done this while en route to Europe.

I then flew to Brussels on a red-eye flight.

Brussels October

… read more

Topics: Innovation/Entrepreneurship | Social Networking/Web/Education

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Health Tips | How to keep heart- and brain-healthy and raise a healthier child

December 17, 2010 by David Despain

Bridging heart and mind

Stay heart-healthy to keep the brain healthy. Heart attacks and Alzheimer’s disease share a common genetic basis. Keep blood pressure and cholesterol under control to ward off both [Università di Bologna].

Increase your levels of HDL cholesterol. This “good” cholesterol, which is heart-healthy, also reduces risk of Alzheimer’s disease when you’re older [Archives of Neurology]. To raise HDL levels, eat… read more

Topics: Biomed/Longevity | Social Networking/Web/Education

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Ask Ray | Driving blind

December 19, 2010

blind driver challenge

Hi Ray,

I will be attending a gathering of National Federation of the Blind leaders in Daytona, Florida, on the evening before the Blind Driver Challenge event early on Saturday, Jan. 29 before the start of the Rolex 24 Race.

This high-profile event will be the first public demonstration of a blind person driving a vehicle without any form of guidance provided by another person. Obviously… read more

Topics: AI/Robotics | Human Enhancement | Social/Ethical/Legal

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Spinner | Bright Eyes album The People’s Key inspired by Kurzweil and Singularity themes

December 21, 2010

The People's Key album

Source: Spinner — December 21, 2010 | Dan Reilly

Conor Oberst, of the band Bright Eyes, discusses inspirations behind their album, The People’s Key, on AOL’s Spinner music magazine:

Spinner | Are there any books or authors in particular that influenced the album?

Conor Oberst: “I don’t know if you’re familiar with the theory of Singularity. This guy, Ray Kurzweil, who was the inventor of early synthesizers, he has this theory — a few… read more

Topics: Entertainment/New Media | Singularity/Futures

Read full article here

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Are ‘net neutrality’ rules a fed takeover of the Internet or a sell-out?

December 23, 2010 by Amara D. Angelica

internet_map

“The Federal Communications Commission’s new ‘net neutrality’ rules, passed on a partisan 3-2 vote [Monday, Dec. 20], represent a huge win for a slick lobbying campaign run by liberal activist groups and foundations,” says Wall Street Journal columnist John Fund. “The losers are likely to be consumers who will see innovation and investment chilled by regulations that treat the Internet like a public utility.

“There’s little evidence… read more

Topics: Innovation/Entrepreneurship | Internet/Telecom | Social/Ethical/Legal

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