May all your dreams come true. … [Read more...] about Merry Christmas: Peace on Earth
Archives for 2017
Volocopter: Flying Cars No Longer Science Fiction
Once you see Blade Runner 2049, the thought may cross your mind that flying cars (or "hovercars" as Phillip K. Dick wrote in his novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep) could only exist in the distant future. Think again. On September 25, Dubai staged a test flight of the Volocopter, a two-seat drone with 18 propellers developed by a German drone firm. Dubai's Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed even attended the test flight. The United Arab Emirates city has long sought to become a high-tech hub of modern innovation by enticing companies through the elimination of sales and income tax and investing in cutting-edge technology such as holograms and robot police. Right now, the Volocopter is a novelty, flying without remote control guidance for 30 minutes (with backup batteries and rotors as well as parachutes). Eventually, the technology will become practical, opening a Pandora's box of questions. What kind of effect will flying vehicles have on society? Will access to advanced transportation technology be exclusive, further dividing the social stratums? Drones have … [Read more...] about Volocopter: Flying Cars No Longer Science Fiction
A Beautiful Mind: RIP Jim Carrey’s Website
The most amazing website in existence has passed into time like a Tibetan sand mandala. Jim Carrey's riotous and sublime imagination was on full display in a surreal portal which sent the traveler spiraling into alternate dimensions. Loaded with Easter Eggs that opened doors to weird experiences, the actor's site was completely interactive. A traveler could commune with characters from his cannon of films, snap photographs, fly across strange landscapes or follow tunnels to beatific heavens or burning hells. More like a roadside attraction than a website, the labyrinth was built in Adobe Flash, the proprietary system once described by Wired as an "ubiquitous resource hog everyone hates to need." The movement to rid the Internet of this turbulent Flash gained momentum, led by a cadre of heavy hitters like Steve Jobs who penned this scathing letter. Facebook, Mozilla and Google soon followed his lead, calling for termination dates, limiting plugins, or allowing search engines to suspend Flash at will. Basically, all the cool kids took Flash out back and kicked the living crap … [Read more...] about A Beautiful Mind: RIP Jim Carrey’s Website
Designer DNA: Will CRISPR-Cas 9 Create a BioHacker Revolution or a Nightmare?
When microbiologist Emmanuelle Charpentier and RNA expert and biochemist Jennifer Doudna met at a conference in 2011, their shared passion for science led to a profound discovery; a new technique to engineer genomes known as CRISPR-Cas9. The technological and economic revolution that ensued still reverberates through labs around the world. CRISPR-Cas9 has created a seismic shift in how science operates making genome editing fast, flexible, inexpensive and easily accessible to anyone with a modicum of lab equipment. But is CRISPR-Cas9 a bio-hacker revolution or a potential scientific nightmare? Based on a bacterial CRISPR-associated protein-9 nuclease (Cas9) from Streptococcus pyogenes, CRISPR-CAS9 allows researchers to edit parts of a genome, using the same adaptive immune system mechanism bacteria use to recognize viral DNA and trigger its destruction. The CRISPR-CAS9 kit allows sections of DNA sequences to be snipped out and replaced, giving scientists the ability to essentially mutate the DNA. Further complicating the issue are synthetic elements which can now be added to … [Read more...] about Designer DNA: Will CRISPR-Cas 9 Create a BioHacker Revolution or a Nightmare?
Boston Dynamics Terrifying and Astounding Handle Robot
One day in the future, when an engineer discovers a robot has become self aware, there is a good chance that technician will be working at Boston Dynamics. The robotics and engineering company works with various government agencies such as DARPA, the US Army, Navy and Marine Corps, and corporations like Sony. Using sensor-based controls and computation, Boston Dynamics's experimental robots mimic the capabilities of complex organisms, exhibiting remarkable agility, dexterity and speed. If you are a robot watcher like I am, Boston Dynamics's creations are startling in their ability to conjure both utopian possibilities and surreal nightmares. Robots like these could have powerful applications navigating hostile terrains like Mars, or become mindless weapons of war. Boston Dynamics' latest creation is Handle, a research robot with 10 actuated joints which resembles a bucking horse. Handle stands 6.5 ft tall with the ability to retract and extend its legs. The robot has uncanny balance, travels at 9 mph and is able to jump 4 feet vertically into the air, and lift 100 pounds. … [Read more...] about Boston Dynamics Terrifying and Astounding Handle Robot
A Perfect Space X Landing
Slicing down through the clouds, riding on the power of the sun. Everytime the Falcon 9 lands, we move closer to a Mars mission. A new era of space travel dawns. A post shared by Elon Musk (@elonmusk) on Feb 19, 2017 at 12:20pm PST … [Read more...] about A Perfect Space X Landing