The World Transformed

Latest Episodes:

Let’s Get Smarter...for the Future’s Sake Aug 02, 2016

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How smart are we, and how smart do we have to be? Hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon review some recent developments that show why our thinking has to get better Too many mice are sacrificed for seriously flawed studies Half or more of public says they would not want these enhancements Related: Americans Afraid of Genome-Editing to Cure Sick Kids: What's Wrong with You People? Oxford University Is Older Than the Aztecs And then one great example of how our thinking CAN get better: Smart Aid for the World's Poor Join us! WT 188-497

Cockroach Milk and Other Super Geeky Stuff Jul 30, 2016

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Hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon further establish their unparalleled geek cred with some news stories so geeky they might just make you sick! Scientists think cockroach milk could be the superfood of the future Although most cockroaches don’t actually produce milk, Diploptera punctate, which is the only known cockroach to give birth to live young, has been shown to pump out a type of ‘milk’ containing protein crystals to feed its babies. This Swimming Stingray Robot Is Powered by Real, Living Rat Cells This soft robotic stingray is made of rat heart muscle. Yeah, it's just as crazy as it sounds. The Astounding Link Between the P≠NP Problem and the Quantum Nature of Universe It's Star Trek, Jim, but not as we know it: the bizarre story of Turkey's 1973 Star Trek rip-off 'Walking Dead' Creator Adapting 'Chronicles of Amber' for TV (Exclusive) Plus: Update on Stephen's gaming room! WT 187-496

Amazing Results: Doing More with Less Is Really Starting to Add Up Jul 27, 2016

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Hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon discuss how we're making more happen with less money, less effort, and less time -- and where that's leading us The whole trip to Pluto cost less than 1 NFL stadium The nine-year, three-billion-mile voyage of NASA's New Horizons probe is undoubtedly a testament to the genius of mankind — yet the same praise might not be raised for NFL stadiums. Healthy livers grown from rejected donor organs in transplant breakthrough We might soon reach a point where all donor organs are used for scaffolding only. Pumping iron: Lighter weights just as effective as heavier weights to gain muscle, build strength New research is challenging traditional workout wisdom, suggesting that lifting lighter weights many times is as efficient as lifting heavy weights for fewer repetitions. It is the latest in a series of studies that started in 2010, contradicting the decades-old message that the best way to build muscle is to lift heavy weights. Why the Cost of Living Is Poised to Plummet in the Next 20 Years "What people aren't talking about, and what's getting my attention, is a forthcoming rapid demonetization of the cost of living." WT 186-495

Another Fine Mess: New and Bigger Problems Require Better Ways of Thinking Jul 27, 2016

Show notes

Hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon discuss why big problems call on us to get better at thinking. We’ll Only Have a Year to Prepare For a Cataclysmic Super-Eruption A new microscopic analysis of quartz crystals taken from the site of a massive volcanic eruption that occurred 760,000 years ago in eastern California suggests we’ll only have about a year’s worth of advance warning before a devastating super-eruption. In a paper published in PLOS ONE, Guilherme Gualda from Vanderbilt University and Stephen Sutton from the University of Chicago show that super-eruptions don’t require much time to blow their tops, even though they’re tens of thousands of years in the making. Google Cuts Its Giant Electricity Bill With DeepMind-Powered AI Meet Graham: The Only Person designed to Survive on Our Roads Ray Kurzweil: Get ready for hybrid thinking WT 185-494

Strange New Worlds: Stranger and Newer Jul 23, 2016

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Hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon discuss big developments in astronomy. We're learning more about new worlds every day. Saturn's biggest moon could support a new kind of alien life Researchers in the US have been analysing the chemical composition of Saturn's largest satellite, and think the presence of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) molecules in the atmosphere could pave the way for different forms of life to evolve. We Found a Planet Twirling Between Three Suns And scientists can't yet explain how it got that way.? Stars are vanishing. The reasons why could reveal clues about alien life Uppsala University is researching what happens to stars that seemingly 'disappear' New Dwarf Planet Discovered Far Beyond Pluto's Orbit Astronomers have discovered another dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt, the ring of icy objects beyond Neptune OTHER GEEK Stanley Kubrick's Daughter Rails Against Moon Landing Conspiracy Theorists Hot Air Ballooning WT 184-493

Amazing Materials, Amazing Products, Amazing Industries Jul 21, 2016

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Hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon discuss accelerating progress in producing materials and finished products How synthetic biology will make more money than the entire computer industry This company plans to grow armies of drones in giant tubs of chemicals 3D printing with bamboo fiber Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are using bamboo fiber in 3-D printing experiments to determine whether bio-based feedstock materials are feasible in additive manufacturing. Smart Dust Is Coming: New Camera Is the Size of a Grain of Salt Get a grip: GM built a force-multiplying robotic glove, and I got to try it out This RoboGlove could help reduce fatigue on assembly lines -- and its benefits stretch beyond the automotive realm. WT 183-492

Changing Our Minds: Rethinking How We Think Jul 19, 2016

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Hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon look at why we aren't just changing our thinking -- we're changing HOW we think. The End of Theory: The Data Deluge Makes the Scientific Method Obsolete Petabytes allow us to say: "Correlation is enough." We can stop looking for models. We can analyze the data without hypotheses about what it might show. To Diagnose Mental Illness, Read the Brain Rather than relying on symptoms, scientists are developing a “brain circuits first” approach to mental health. 'Hacking' the brain: Silicon Valley entrepreneurs turn to fasting and 'smart drugs' How and Why to Build an Analytics-Driven Culture How to Train Your ‘Monkey Mind’ With Meditation Join us! WT 182-491

Robo-Drivers and Robocops: Life, Death, and Artificial Intelligence Jul 16, 2016

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Hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon reminisce about the good old days when “killer robots” was just a joke. Deadly Tesla Crash Exposes Confusion over Automated Driving Amid a federal investigation, ignorance of the technology’s limitations comes into focus The crash occurred on a Florida highway when an 18-wheel tractor-trailer made a left turn in front of a 2015 Tesla Model S that was in Autopilot mode and the car failed to apply the brakes, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)—which is investigating—said in a preliminary report. “Neither Autopilot nor the driver noticed the white side of the tractor-trailer against a brightly lit sky, so the brake was not applied.” The Dallas police used a ‘bomb robot’ to kill a shooting suspect. That’s a really big deal. “Negotiations broke down. We had an exchange of gunfire with the suspect,” Dallas police chief David Brown explained in a press conference. “We saw no other option but to use our bomb robot and place a device on its extension for it to detonate where the suspect was.” What do these stories tell us about future mortality related to robots? OTHER GEEK Dinosaur corn on the cob holders https://www.facebook.com/somedailys/videos/1054686671245482/?pnref=story Stephen’s Total Geek Home Makeover WT 181-490

The (Amazing) 16-Year Leap: The Immortality Paradox Part 2 Jul 14, 2016

Show notes

Hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon discuss some “serious” ideas for life extension -- including Ray Kurzweils’ upgrade on when immortality starts -- which are somehow more aggressive than the “crazy” ideas. Beyond Resveratrol: The Anti-Aging NAD Fad Sinclair's report sparked excitement about NR, which was already on the market as a supplement called Niagen. Niagen's maker, ChromaDex, a publicly traded Irvine, Calif., company, sells it to various retailers, which market it under their own brand names. In the wake of Sinclair's paper, Niagen was hailed in the media as a potential blockbuster. Scientist claims immortality within reach Molecular Biologist Dr Bill Andrews says he is close to discovering a 'cure' for ageing. Kurzweil Accelerates Immortality Pledge From 2045 To 2029 “I believe we will reach a point around 2029 when medical technologies will add one additional year every year to your life expectancy,” he told Playboy. “By that I don’t mean life expectancy based on your birthdate, but rather your remaining life expectancy.” WT 180-489

Head Transplants and Frozen Brains: The Immortality Paradox Part 1 Jul 12, 2016

Show notes

If we are going to achieve immortality -- and how exactly do we define that? -- do we need extreme interventions or a more modest approach? Hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon discuss some “crazy” ideas for life extension. But first a quick mention: Juno has landed and is up and running! And now back to our scheduled program... How To Become Immortal - By The People Who Think You Can ‘Center For Immortality’ Being Built in Texas Russian man says he wants to become first person to undergo full head transplant Humai Wants To Resurrect Humans Within 30 Years Join us! WT 179-488

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