The World Transformed

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Utopia, Zootopia, Shmootopia -- the Trouble with “Perfect” Futures Apr 16, 2016

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Hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon talk about perfect worlds and why we never seem to get to them. Or, when we do get to them, why they aren’t really perfect. First up, a future that people are more worried about than thinking will be perfect -- a world where the robots do all the work. Automation may mean a post-work society but we shouldn't be afraid Alternatively, some more near-term utopias are all about the work: The Futurist Start-Up Sui Generis Is Uber, but for Techno-Socialist City States These city states are modeled on Singapore Run as business entities -- not democratic. Lots of trade and commerce of various kinds going on. Also, people can do voluntary “public work” using an Uber-like app to generate income. Let’s compare these utopias with the surprisingly transhumanist vision of a Disney’s animated film Zootopia. Here’s a world that enjoys the benefits of animal uplift, but they have achieved it independently -- without human help. (Apparently there are no humans in this world.) But even in the over-the-rainbow future where predators no longer eat prey, trouble still has a way of rearing its ugly head -- and fangs. What might this tell us about our own over-the-rainbow futures?

Miracle Meds and Meat? Marvelous! Apr 14, 2016

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Hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon review some interesting developments in medical and biotechnology that point to an amazing future unfolding. They discuss: New stem cell treatment using fat cells could repair any tissue in the body So isn’t this pretty much a cure for all diseases? Could it also be a treatment for aging? The Fridge-sized machine makes prescription drugs 'on demand' Many kids are homeschooled. A lot of us now work at home. Activities such as banking which once took us out of the home are now routinely done there. Will we one day have our own pharmacy at home? And how about one day having our own supermarket? (see next story.) Lab-Grown Beef is Now Almost Affordable Okay, but does it almost taste like beef? How close are we on both of those milestones? And what happens to the meat business after we achieve that milestone?

What Do We Do When The Machines begin to Think? Apr 13, 2016

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Hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon discuss a major breakthrough in artificial intelligence: IBM’s resistive computing could massively accelerate AI — and get us closer to Asimov’s Positronic Brain From the linked story: Using chips densely packed with these RPU tiles, the researchers claim that, once built, a resistive-computing-based AI system can achieve performance improvements of up to 30,000 times compared with current architectures, all with a power efficiency of 84,000 GigaOps per-second per-watt. If this becomes a reality, we could be on our way to realizing Isaac Asimov’s fantasy vision of the robotic Positronic brain. And it’s not just Asimov’s robots -- Data on Star Trek also had a positronic brain... If true AI is on its way, we better start unlearning some of our misconceptions about it. Luckily, George Dvorsky is on the case: Everything You Know About Artificial Intelligence is Wrong Well, maybe not everything. But then for something this important, we don't want to be wrong about anything, do we? Join us. WT 148

Brain Zapping (and Other Stories) Apr 08, 2016

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Hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon discuss several recent news stories that speak to disruptive changes occurring right now: Brain Zapping Can we really make ourselves faster, smarter, more productive, even happier by shooting electrical currents into our heads? Maybe. Uber's Billions What does the massive Valuation of Uber tell us about the future of business (and more valuations to come?) Do-it-yourself Orthodonture Did you hear about the college guy who corrected own crooked teeth with 3d printed clear retainers he created himself? What does this guy tell us about the future of pretty much everything? Join us. WT 147

It's a Toy: Skepticism and New Technologies Apr 06, 2016

Show notes

In previous shows, hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon have discussed how some emerging technologies are dismissed off as impossible. Then when these technologies begin to look possible, there is this rejection based on credibility: we're not falling for flying cars again! Then when they REALLY show up (in an early stage) they are rejected as being useless: "It's just a toy." Phil relates the story of a friend who is a very savvy computer guy--owned his own software company for a while--who once predicted that "broadband" was never going to work the way some were saying. Millions of people streaming different movies at the same time? Ridiculous. The networks could NEVER support it. Of course, when the technologies finally arrive, everybody, including the naysayers, just accepts them as part of the landscape. The guys discuss some technologies that are in various stages of this process. And what to make of the recent announcement about cold fusion? Join us. WT 146

Elon Musk: the Man who Built Tomorrow Mar 29, 2016

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Stephen shares his review of Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future Elon Musk: Co-founder of Paypal Founder of Tesla Motors Founder of SpaceX And If we're going to Mars, is Musk the man to do it? [From Amazon.com] In Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, veteran technology journalist Ashlee Vance provides the first inside look into the extraordinary life and times of Silicon Valley's most audacious entrepreneur. Written with exclusive access to Musk, his family and friends, the book traces the entrepreneur's journey from a rough upbringing in South Africa to the pinnacle of the global business world. Vance spent more than 30 hours in conversation with Musk and interviewed close to 300 people to tell the tumultuous stories of Musk's world-changing companies: PayPal, Tesla Motors, SpaceX and SolarCity, and to characterize a man who has renewed American industry and sparked new levels of innovation while making plenty of enemies along the way. Join us.

Franchises Revisited: Star Wars and X-Files Are Back Mar 24, 2016

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They say you can't go home again. Hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon challenge this idea as they geek out over the huge return of Star Wars to movie theaters and the much more muted return of the X-Files to the small screen. Important questions: Is The Force Awakens more than just a rehash of A New Hope? Will there ever be another villain as awesomely evil as Darth Vader? Has X-Files painted itself into a hole, or is there somewhere it can go from here? Tune in and explore!

Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Everything Mar 17, 2016

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Hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon talk discuss rapid progress in artificial intelligence and how AI is fundamentally reshaping our world. Topics include: AI Researchers Solve GoGo champion Lee Se-dol strikes back to beat Google's DeepMind AI for first timeThese engineers are developing artificially intelligent hackers$20,000 self-driving carScientists made a robot art critic that is able to form its own opinionsAI Playing MinecraftWhen robots do all the work, how will people live?Martin Ford, Lights in the Tunnel: still one of the best explorations of these issues Where will it all end? Join us.

Lighting Up the Universe Mar 15, 2016

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Hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon discuss people and ideas who are lighting up the universe, both figuratively and literally. First two news stories that are all about light: Matter will be created from light within a yearInternet by light promises to leave Wi-Fi eating dust Next, two videos that are guaranteed to brighten up your day Samsung SmartThings Future Living ReportExplorations Finally, some music that demonstrates the importance of leaving the dark side behind Imperial March in a major key Will the future really be this bright? Tune in and explore!

Moon Music, Chicken Teeth, and the World's Simplest Language Feb 23, 2016

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Hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon present a sampler plate of curiosities -- a few recent news stories that indicate what a truly weird (and therefore truly wonderful) world we live in. Mystery Music from the Moon World’s Smallest Language Will Let You Say Anything What might we do with it? Flying car just a couple of years away? Seems like we've heard that one before. People on Mars by 2025 Or so says Elon Musk. A Creepy preview of our VR future? Mark Zuckerberg looks awfully happy in his room full of newly minted Borg drones. Birds with Dinosaur Faces Because we've waited long enough, damn it! And of course a new cure for cancer Tune in and explore.

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