One of the most prominent transhumanists is the inventor and philosopher Ray Kurzweil, currently Director of Engineering at Google, and popularizer of the concept of the technological “singularity” — a point he puts at around 2045, when artificial intelligence will outstrip human intelligence for the first time.

The predicted consequences of such a scenario vary wildly from the enslavement of humanity to a utopian world without war —… read more

Ray Kurzweil | The next major food revolution will be vertical agriculture, in which we grow food in AI controlled vertical buildings rather than horizontal land: hydroponic plants for fruits and vegetables and in vitro cloned meat. Benefits will be profound:

1. Today over one third of usable land is devoted to agriculture, 70% of which is for animals for meat production. Vertical agriculture will free up almost… read more

Damien Hirst’s works, inspired by topics such as medicine, science, life and death, have been known to ooze a visceral as well as visually arresting charm.

We’d probably be thinking more along the lines of Ray Kurzweil and desires of ever lasting life. Hirst has faced us with pills and medicine from the clinical pharmaceuticals industry. [...]

Elon Musk-chaired Solar City, the biggest name in residential solar power, is now offering loans to allow their customers to own their solar panels for cheaper than their current lease offerings.

One possible disadvantage to the MyPower program is that solar power, like virtually all technology, is bound to improve dramatically over the next 30 years, dropping in cost and increasing in efficiency.

In fact, futurist Ray… read more

With companies like Google creating self-driving cars and augmented-reality glasses, futurist Ray Kurzweil’s predictions are starting to sound much more realistic.

Kurzweil, cofounder of Singularity University, became famous for creating the first text-to-speech software. Forbes called him ”the ultimate thinking machine.”

With technology advancing at an increasingly rapid rate, and researchers making serious headway into discovering the mysteries of the brain, it seems as if we’ll all be reconstituted… read more

It’s clear that influence in tech comes in all ages, shapes, and sizes. We’ve compiled a list of the most powerful people in tech at nearly every age, considering factors like the person’s sphere of influence, clout, and ability to guide the industry, as well as potential for power and wealth. Meet the most powerful people in tech, from age 2 to age 98.

Age 66: Ray Kurzweil | Director… read more

“A new app that allows blind people to listen to an audio readback of printed text is receiving rave reviews,” according to Reuters. “It will enable a new level of engagement in everyday life, from reading menus in restaurants to browsing handouts in the classroom.

“The $99 app is the result of a four decades long relationship between the National Federation of the Blind and Ray Kurzweil, a… read more

In The Wall Street Journal, former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers revived a debate with futurist Ray Kurzweil about the jobless future.

In his debate with me, Kurzweil said: “Automation always eliminates more jobs than it creates if you only look at the circumstances narrowly surrounding the automation. That’s what the Luddites saw in the early 19th century in the textile industry in England. The new jobs came from… read more

Futurist Ray Kurzweil notes that solar power has been doubling every two years for the past 30 years, as costs have been dropping. He says solar energy is only six doublings — or less than 14 years — away from meeting 100 percent of today’s energy needs.

Energy usage will keep increasing, so this is a moving target. But, by Kurzweil’s estimates, inexpensive renewable sources will provide more… read more

Futurist Ray Kurzweil notes that solar power has been doubling every two years for the past 30 years, as costs have been dropping. He says solar energy is only six doublings — or less than 14 years — away from meeting 100 percent of today’s energy needs.

Energy usage will keep increasing, so this is a moving target. But, by Kurzweil’s estimates, inexpensive renewable sources will provide more… read more