Our technologies are becoming more powerful with each passing year, and with an eerie regularity. This has led some to believe that we’re hurtling towards a sort of nexus point, the so-called Singularity. Looking to explore this possibility, director Doug Wolens recently put together a fascinating documentary on the subject. We spoke to him to learn more about his new film — and what the Singularity could… read more

Several projects are trying to reverse-engineer the brain. In How to Create a Mind, futurist Ray Kurzweil champions their cause.

When it comes to the human brain, many scientists believe that we are incapable of understanding how it works because we lack the tools and intelligence to measure its mind-blowing complexity. Others are starting to question that notion, and to subtly redefine the task. In How to Create a… read more

To elucidate the sorts of innovations we can expect within the next 20 years, I defer to renown futurist and inventor Ray Kurzweil (who has arguably the most stunning track-record of technological predictions).

Kurzweil suggests that by 2030 many of our bodies will have nanobots, the size of red blood cells, which are billions of times more powerful than our computers today. These nanobots will be… read more

Google has hired famed inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil as Director of Engineering. Will he be a figurehead, or a driving force at the company?

Internet giant Google has made a very high-profile hire, bringing famed inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil on board as the company’s new director of engineering. Interestingly, the announcement wasn’t made by Google but by Kurzweil himself on his own site,… read more

In 15 years, the famous inventor expects medical technology will add a year of life expectancy every year. Ray Kurzweil must encounter his share of interviewers whose first question is: What do you hope your obituary will say?

This is a trick question. Mr. Kurzweil famously hopes an obituary won’t be necessary. And in the event of his unexpected demise, he is widely reported to have signed… read more

When an IBM computer program called Deep Blue defeated Garry Kasparov at chess in 1997, wise folk opined that since chess was just a game of logic, this was neither significant nor surprising. Mastering the subtleties of human language, including similes, puns and humor, would remain far beyond the reach of a computer.

Last year another IBM program, Watson, triumphed at just these challenges by winning… read more

The effects of Moore’s Law add up faster than you think. (Seriously. Let us show you.) Which explains why computers and ‘big data’ are about to transform your competitive landscape.

“It comes from an ancient story about math made relevant to the present by the innovator and futurist Ray Kurzweil. In one version of the story, the inventor of the game of chess shows his creation to… read more