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January 21, 2010
Source: Dilbert — January 22, 2010
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‘Creative right brain’ myth debunked
March 7, 2012 by Amara D. Angelica
Yet another brain myth bites the dust, joining “we only use 10 percent of our brain,” and other pseudoscience nonsense that tries to cram people in nice neat boxes.
The left hemisphere of your brain, thought to be the logic and math portion, actually plays a critical role in creative thinking, University of Southern California (USC) researchers have found, at least for visual creative tasks… read more
Critique of ‘Against Naive Uploadism’
May 10, 2011 by Randal A. Koene
In “Against Naive Uploadism: Memory, Consciousness and Synaptic Homeostasis,” neuroscientist Seth Weisberg challenges the comparison of a neuron to a digital computer and the idea that an action potential (spike) fired by one neuron equals one calculation at each synapse. He also challenges the assumption that we are approaching computing power comparable to the human brain.
Overall, Seth Weisberg’s article is refreshing and clearly spoken, in that… read more
Crowdfunded science projects
March 14, 2012 by Amara D. Angelica
Got a cool idea for a research project, but need funding? Check out Petridish.org, which has just launched crowdfunded science and research projects. I think this is a really great idea that could open up funding for some amazing research ideas.
On Petridish.org, researchers post materials about themselves and their research, and the public can discover projects that are exciting to them. In exchange for contributing to… read more
Crowdsourcing a TEDx talk: what are the three most important trends shaping humankind’s future in the next 10 years?
January 19, 2012 by Amara D. Angelica
We received an interesting email from sustainability expert/Singularity University grad Eric Ezechieli:
On January 27, I will be delivering a TEDx Trieste presentation, and I will speak in ‘”Exponentialish.” In exponential times, half a gallon of brain does not suffice to keep up with what is going on, and in any case a single perspective is limited.
So, I am asking for your help: could… read more
Curiosity rover laser zaps Martian rock
August 20, 2012 by Amara D. Angelica
NASA has launched the first interplanetary war by attacking Mars with a high-power laser beam for “target practice.” Some are blaming the “mohawk guy” at JPL, shown in disguise in this NASA photo. No word if Mars plans to return fire….
OK, we admit, it’s a remote spectroscopy experiment to determine the composition of a rock curiously called “Coronation.” The energy from the laser excites atoms in the… read more
Decentralizing education: how startups are dismantling the university
October 8, 2012 by Dale J. Stephens
Dale J. Stephens leads UnCollege, the social movement changing the notion that college is the only path to success. His first book, Hacking Your Education, will be published by Penguin in 2013. Also see the three related posts today (below).
Student/teacher interaction
“What about student/teacher interaction? What about building a social and professional network? How can you get a job without a degree? How will you know you’re succeeding without grades?”… read more
Decoupling art and affluence
February 20, 2002 by Harold Cohen
Harold Cohen’s AARON has grown immensely as an artist in its own right. In this talk presented at the Thirteenth Innovative Applications of Artificial Intelligence Conference (IAAI-2001), Harold Cohen explores AARON’s remarkable journey as a cyberartist.… read more
Detroit to get its RoboCop statue — no kidding
February 21, 2011 by Sarah Black
According to Reuters: “From sci-fi cult film, to Twitter phenomenon to Detroit landmark-in-the-making. Plans for a statue honoring RoboCop, the half-man, half-machine crimefighter of the 1987 movie, are moving ahead after a group of artists and entrepreneurs in Detroit, Michigan raised more than $60,000 via Facebook and an online fund-raising site.”
And here’s a quote from a February 21, 2011 interview exclusive from io9 (the article is worth… read more
DIY BioPrinter
January 28, 2013
Bioprinting is printing with biological materials.
There’s a lot of work being done at research labs and big companies like Organovo on print human tissues and human organs, with an eye towards drug testing, and transplantation into humans.
Check out these amazing TED talks by Anthony Atala, for example:
Anthony Atala: Growing new organs
Anthony Atala: Printing a human… read more
Seattle International Film Festival | Documentary Plug and Pray explores the promise, problems and ethics of robotics
December 8, 2010
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
Documentary from Motherboard | Singularity of Ray Kurzweil
February 16, 2011
Motherboard | Ray Kurzweil tells us about his vision of the Singularity — a point around 2045 when computers will acquire full-blown artificial intelligence and technology will infuse itself with biology. His theories have all sorts of supporters, detractors, and critics, but do you even remember what life was like before three-year-olds had cell phones and you actually had to remember facts instead of relying on the internet?
That
Related:
Motherboard: Exploring the Culture of Technology website