The World Transformed

Latest Episodes:

Ending Poverty: Multiple Approaches Apr 21, 2017

Show notes

Brian Wang joins hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon to check in on his concept of basic power -- a plan to provide solar energy to the world's poorest people. Then the guys review some other potential anti-poverty programs to see how they relate to basic power, including: Ikea's plan to lift 200,000 refugees out of poverty via employment. The new wind turbine that costs aboput the same as an iPhone but that can power a single house -- forever. The new solar-powered device than can draw three liters of water directly from the air each day. Are these ideas competitive or complementary? Tune in and explore. WT 293-602

Elon Musk, Mars, and the Gravitron Apr 19, 2017

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Is Elon Musk working to build a colony on Mars that would provide earth-like gravity via massive spinning cities? At least one pundit believes that he is. Blogger David Kelly at transhumanity.net writes about how much of the prerequisite tech for Mars is being developed: Musk has the Fundamental Technology for a 1G Colony on Mars Host Stephen Gordon reviews the technologies that Musk iscurrently developing that support this argument SpaceX Manned launch soon? Also see here Hyperloop The Boring Company Solar City. (Solar and battery) Tesla. (Electric cars and self driving tech) Two prerequisite technologies that Musk is not working on: AI / Robotics 3D Printing WT 292-601

The Speculist Manifesto, Best of TWT Apr 18, 2017

Show notes

The Human Imperative is improvement of the human condition. Throughout human (and pre-human) history, we have worked to increase human intelligence and capability. The Human Imperative is working. We have consistently improved our circumstances, and are making improvements at an accelerating pace. With improvements come new problems, but the improvements are outpacing the problems. Moreover, improvements are additive and we can combine them in creative ways to provide unexpected benefits. Throughout human history, we have carried out the Human Imperative using two basic strategies: 1. Solving problems / mitigating risks 2. Achieving the good The first strategy has always taken priority, as the primary ongoing problem we have had to solve is how to achieve our survival (or prevent our extinction.) But we now stand on the threshold of a new era in human history. Improvements and potential improvements are increasing exponentially; we are moving rapidly towards a critical mass of human intelligence and capability. Our achievable future is one that transcends the expectations, hopes, or even dreams of most of humanity. We can achieve that future only by recognizing that we are at a transitional point in carrying out the Human Imperative. We must transform our thinking about the future and, for the first time, change the order of our priorities. While survival remains our top priority, we must recognize that focusing on problems and risks is no longer our optimal strategy for achieving our survival. Our survival lies within the realization of our achievable good. The Human Imperative is now to recognize that transcendent good as possible, to communicate and share a vision of it, and to work towards its fulfillment. [This show first aired 05/05/2008.]

World Transformed 600th Show: A Celebration Apr 17, 2017

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Phil and Stephen celebrate their 600th show with a roundup of amazing futuristic news. How the Ancient 'Method of Loci' Can Improve Your Long-Term Memory Nasa announces one of Saturn's moons could support alien life in our solar system Engineers Just Submitted an Incredible Proposal to Turn the US Border Wall Into a Hyperloop Inmates built computers hidden in ceiling, connected them to prison network Physicists Say They've Created a Fluid With 'Negative Mass' Creativity will be the source of our next industrial revolution, not machines Our brains are wired to predict the future — but it might be holding us back Google AI Just Beat Human Pathologists at Detecting Cancer 7 Steps For Inventing The Future Second anti-aging pill that extends lifespans by a quarter heads to human trials Quantum Computing is Going Commercial “Love drugs” will soon be a reality. But should we take them? Transhumanism Is Just Fancy Sex-Shaming And Self-Loathing The Futures Cone, use and history WT 291-600

The Golden Age: Latest Developments Apr 14, 2017

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Phil and Stephen explore news stories that indicate we are, indeed, living in a golden age. Goldman Sachs: space-mining for platinum is 'more realistic than perceived' Goldman Sachs is bullish on space mining with "asteroid-grabbing spacecraft." In a 98-page note for clients seen by Business Insider, analyst Noah Poponak and his team argue that platinum mining in space is getting cheaper and easier, and the rewards are becoming greater as time goes by. HumanCharger: Sun in Your Pocket Invented in Finland, HumanCharger® is a bright light therapy device that has a unique and patented mechanism of action which stimulates the photosensitive proteins on the surface of the brain using a calibrated white light that passes through the ear canals. Using the HumanCharger® for only 12 minutes a day can significantly increase your energy levels, improve mood and increase your mental alertness. Doctors 3D Printed a Replacement for This Woman’s Damaged Spine Docors in India replaced a woman's damaged vertebrae with a 3D-printed titanium copy during a 10-hour surgery that was the first of its kind in the nation. Graphene-based sieve turns seawater into drinking water A UK-based team of researchers has created a graphene-based sieve capable of removing salt from seawater. OTHER GEEK LA Tech takes their mascot to the edge of space! WT 290-599

Jim Elvidge, The Universe — Solved! Best of TWT Apr 13, 2017

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Jim discusses his book, The Universe — Solved! What if reality isn't really what you think it is? What if our world was just a big video game? It's actually not as far-fetched as it seems, says Jim Elvidge. Within 30 years, we will be able to create virtual environments indistinguishable from our reality. Within a few more decades, even physical realities will be manufactured. And we are marching toward an inevitable merge with machines. What's more, it is actually impossible to tell whether or not we have already reached that point. An expert in complex computational systems, with over 20 years of research in cosmology, quantum mechanics, philosophy, anomalies, and futurism, Jim Elvidge presents a theory of reality so perfect, so powerful, that it explains all known scientific and cultural anomalies. Why is the universe so perfectly designed to support life and matter? Why does life feel like it is accelerating? Why do people see UFOs? Is there life after death? The evidence is actually all around us, within us, and present in every decision we make. This book may completely change the way you look at your world, your life, your friends and family, and the PC on your desk. [This show first aired April 28, 2008. It is the first appearance of Jim Elvidge on the World Transformed.]

The Golden Age: Why Don’t We See it? Apr 12, 2017

Show notes

Phil and Stephen explore why negativity and pessimism not only persist but remain dominant in a time of tremendous technological and social progress. News stories discussed: Why can’t we see that we’re living in a golden age? Pessimism resonates. A YouGov poll found that just 5 per cent of Britons think that the world, all things considered, is getting better. You would think that the chronically cheerful Americans might be more optimistic — well, yes, 6 per cent of them think that the world is improving. More Americans believe in astrology and reincarnation than in progress. Want To Be Happier And More Successful? Learn To Like Other People Research suggests that the best self-help advice may have very little to do with yourself. Nevertheless, most self-improvement strategies focus too much on the person who’s trying to do the improving. Much of the time, the same outcomes you’re trying to achieve by changing your own habits, attitudes, and behaviors depend on how you view other people. In an age of robots, schools are teaching our children to be redundant WT 289-598

Past Futures and Weird Futures, Best of TWT Apr 11, 2017

Show notes

[This show first aired April 21 2008. The live program experienced technical difficulties, some of which have been edited out.] Phil Bowermaster, Stephen Gordon, and Michael Darling discuss weird ideas about the future... both past-futures that turned out to be bizarrely wrong and very strange futures that may turn out to be right. Topics: The topics: General Motors 1939 New York World's Fair Futurama Exhibit And here's a video of that exhibit at Youtube. What many often call futurism, is more properly known as Futurology.

The Return of the Sexy Immortal Billionaires with Superpowers Apr 10, 2017

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Phil and Stephen review negative reactions to the idea of Sexy Immortal Billionaires with Superpowers story and discuss what it means and why it's probably it’s right. Super humans who are sexier, stronger and smarter will arrive by 2029 as brains begin to fuse with machines, Google expert claims Kurzweil says when we live in a cybernetic society we will have computers in our brains and machines will be smarter than human beings. He claims this is already happening with technology - especially with our addiction to our phones - and says the next step is to wire this technology into our brains So what does the phrase Sexy Immortal Billionaires with Superpowers really means? Is it reasonable to assume that in the near future most people will be: Superpowered Beings? Immortal? Sexy? Billionaires? Tune in and learn why the surprising answer is YES. WT 288-597

Engines of Disruption: How Data Is Changing Everything Apr 07, 2017

Show notes

What does it mean to say that data is changing everything? Is the world really turning into data? Or maybe it’s better to ask whether we are turning the world into data. And if we are…is it a good idea? How will we like living in a world that is more “bit” than “it?” Today we are witnesses to, and participants in, one of the most disruptive transformations in history. This is not just the era of Big Data, or of Real-Time Data, or of Digital Transformation, or of Deep Learning. What is going on around us transcends the buzzwords. Data is becoming more central to everything we do and, as explored in the pages that follow, to everything we are. Are we ready for such fundamental changes occurring so rapidly? And if not, how can we make ourselves ready? Let’s begin by exploring some of the possibilities. Host Phil Bowermaster discusses his new book, Engines of Disruption: How Data Is Changing Everything, which addresses these issues. Available here. WT 287-596

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