The World Transformed

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Does Death Make Us Human? Aug 23, 2018

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Phil and Stephen discuss the question -- is death integral to our humanity? They start with a look at a recent opinion piece at The New York Times: Life Is Short. That’s the Point. "Our mortality is not something to be overcome. It is integral to our humanity." Is this correct? Are we defined by our limitations? Maybe. But we are also defined by other things, in part our ongoing struggle to overcome our limitations. Interesting quote: In her new book, “Natural Causes: An Epidemic of Wellness, the Certainty of Dying, and Killing Ourselves to Live Longer,” Barbara Ehrenreich writes: “You can think of death bitterly or with resignation, as a tragic interruption of your life, and take every possible measure to postpone it. Or, more realistically, you can think of life as an interruption of an eternity of personal nonexistence, and seize it as a brief opportunity to observe and interact with the living, ever-surprising world around us.” This is true, but on the other hand -- Death Sucks! WT 470-788 Eternity Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 Videos and Images from Pixabay.com and other sources.

Solving the Water Problem Aug 21, 2018

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The west is getting drier and Stephen Gordon has an intriguing idea about how to get the water where it is needed. Why couldn't we pipe water from the Missouri River to the Colorado River headwaters? Stephen suggests that a pipeline about the size of this one might do the trick. .Phil and Stephen look at the major objections to this particular plan,and discuss why ideas like this need to be on the table. Another possibility: Should we be turning seawater into fresh water in order to address this problem? Or what about using the fresh water that is already in the ocean? (Oh yes, it’s there.) And what are some of the other big interventions we should be thinking about related climate? Let’s explore.. WT 469-787 Eternity Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 Videos and Images from Pixabay.com and other sources.

Mysterious Universe Aug 16, 2018

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The more we learn about the universe, the stranger it gets. Phil and Stephen examine some recent headlines showing just how mysterious the universe is. Interstellar Visitor 'Oumuamua Is a Comet After All First it was a comet. Then it was a meteor. Then it was a very starnge meteor. Then it was a possible alien spacecraft. And now it's a comet again. The universe’s rate of expansion is in dispute – and we may need new physics to solve it Different parts of the universe expanding at different rates? Massive rogue planet with unexplained aurora glow discovered drifting far beyond our solar system Apparently there is no fusion reaction going on. So why the glow? The Peculiar Math That Could Underlie the Laws of Nature How many dimensions can we do math in? What if that number is less than the total number of dimensions that exist? WT 467-785 Eternity Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 Videos and Images from Pixabay.com and other sources.

Closing in on Cancer Aug 14, 2018

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Phil and Stephen review three recent news stories showing the remarkable rapid progress being made in treating (and curing?) cancer. New Australian drug puts cancer cells permanently to 'sleep' Scientists in Melbourne say they have discovered a new type of anti-cancer drug without the usual side effects of conventional cancer treatments. -- HPV vaccine eliminates advanced skin cancer in 97-year-old A 97-year-old female patient had developed multiple cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas. On a hunch, her doctor, Anna Nichols, M.D., of the University of Miami's Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, tried an unorthodox approach—she injected each tumor with Gardasil, the HPV vaccine. The result: All the tumors completely and rapidly disappeared. -- CAR-T May Be a Silver Bullet Against Cancer—and Here’s What Else It Can Do Without doubt, CAR-T is set to overhaul cancer therapy. Last year several variants of the immunocellular technique earned the FDA’s nod of approval for blood cancers; with big pharma pouring in billions to develop the technology, more are certainly to come. -- WT 466-784 Eternity Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 Videos and Images from Pixabay.com and other sources.

Monsters -- Never Tell Me the Odds Aug 11, 2018

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Phil spent some time at Loch Ness last week where he and his kids came up with little in the way of evidence in support of the existence of Nessie. In light of those disappointing results, Phil and Stephen discuss some of their all-time favorite monsters. None of these critters can be ruled out, of course, but what are the chances that any of them exist? How probable is the Loch Ness monster? (Quora discussion) Bizarre, Nessie-Like Creature Washes Ashore in Georgia, and Marine Experts Are Mystified Probably a decomposing shark. Why Bigfoot is Unlikely Only If You Know What “Unlikely” Means Science professor explains why Bigfoot's likely not real Fouke Monster (The Boggy Creek Monster) Don’t Have To Be A Rocket Scientist To Know That Bigfoot And Dogman Are Real Interesting use of Schrödinger’s cat to “prove” that Both bigfoot AND Dogman exist. The Truth About a Strange, Blood-Sucking Monster (Chupacabra) They track Chupie down to the very first sighting! Patient 0. Looks like the 1995 movie Species made a BIG impression on Puerto Rico... Mokele Mbembe-- dinosaur living in Africa today? WT 465-783 Eternity Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 Videos and Images from Pixabay.com and other sources.

The Future of Everything Aug 11, 2018

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So let's get into it here. Aliens? Designer babies? Robo-apocalypse? Phil Bowermaster and Nate Gruendemann discuss. About our guest: Nate Gruendemann is not your typical 22-year-old. He’s young enough to still have high school senior class president and valedictorian on his resume. After two years at Williams College, he and his buddies dropped out to found Board Private Bank. His mission is to level the playing field between mortgage buyers and cash buyers in the country’s most competitive markets. WT 462-780 Eternity Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 Videos and Images from Pixabay.com and other sources.

You Can't Make This Stuff Up Aug 09, 2018

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Do we now live in the post-satire era? Phil and Stephen discuss whether the Onion can stay in business much longer. How do you write spoof headlines in a world that produces real ones like these? Dozens of professional goats briefly took over a neighborhood in Boise Costco’s free cheese samples spurred a physical fight between two men in their 70s New study finds it’s harder to turn off a robot when it’s begging for its life See recent clip from The Good Place Alex Jones’s Attorneys Argue That No Reasonable Person Would Believe What He Says ‘Bigfoot Erotica’ Becomes an Issue in Virginia Congressional Campaign Pro gamer dumps 'world's sexiest weathergirl' to focus on playing 'Call of Duty' WT 464-782 Eternity Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 Videos and Images from Pixabay.com and other sources.

Robots that Beg for their Lives Aug 07, 2018

Show notes

Phil and Stephen discuss new research that shows how people respond differently to robots based on what the robots say to them. Is this proof that humans are easily manipulated by robots or does it offer hope that, when the time comes, people will treat sentient robots right? New study finds it’s harder to turn off a robot when it’s begging for its life In roughly half of experiments, the robot protested, telling participants it was afraid of the dark and even begging: “No! Please do not switch me off!” When this happened, the human volunteers were likely to refuse to turn the bot off. Of the 43 volunteers who heard Nao’s pleas, 13 refused. And the remaining 30 took, on average, twice as long to comply compared to those who did not not hear the desperate cries at all. (Just imagine that scene from The Good Place for reference.) What are the potential downsides to this finding? People offering empathy where it is not needed. Can robots be used to manipulate people to do things they otherwise wouldn’t do? What potential upsides do we see? When in doubt, empathy is maybe not a bad response. Better to apply it to things that don’t need it than to withhold it from those who do? Also, is this experiment kind of the reverse of the famous Milgram Experiment? https://bit.ly/1MKwZx3 In this case, it looks like the test subjects refused to obey orders that violated their consciences! WT 463-781 Eternity Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 Videos and Images from Pixabay.com and other sources.

The Future of Real Estate Aug 02, 2018

Show notes

Technology is changing every aspect of home purchase and home ownership.What will the suburbs look like when no one owns a car? What will the housing market look like when place no longer matters? Phil Bowermaster and Nate Gruendemann discuss. About our guest: Nate Gruendemann is not your typical 22-year-old. He’s young enough to still have high school senior class president and valedictorian on his resume. After two years at Williams College, he and his buddies dropped out to found Board Private Bank. His mission is to level the playing field between mortgage buyers and cash buyers in the country’s most competitive markets. WT 461-779 Eternity Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 Videos and Images from Pixabay.com and other sources.

Home Ownership: Changing the Story Jul 31, 2018

Show notes

Nate Gruendemann, a founder of Board Private Bank, outlines a plan for leveling the playing field for potential home-buyers. In today's market, cash buyers have a big advantage over those who need to secure financing. But does it have to work that way? Let's explore! About our guest: Nate Gruendemann is not your typical 22-year-old. He’s young enough to still have high school senior class president and valedictorian on his resume. After two years at Williams College, he and his buddies dropped out to found Board Private Bank. His mission is to level the playing field between mortgage buyers and cash buyers in the country’s most competitive markets. WT 460-778 Eternity Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License | creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 Videos and Images from Pixabay.com and other sources.

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