The World Transformed

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More Proof We Live in the Matrix: Jim Elvidge on Digital Reality Feb 16, 2016

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Jim Elvidge returns to The World Transformed to discuss his ideas about the digital nature of reality and the possibility that consciousness is separate from the brain and an influencer, if not the creator of reality. Hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon discuss the implications of these ideas with Jim, including such far-reaching topics as: Quantum Physics Transhumanism Reincarnation The Nature of Matter And, of course... The Berenstain Bears Mind-blowing stuff. Join us! About Our Guest Jim Elvidge holds a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University. He has applied his training in the high-tech world as a leader in technology and enterprise management, including many years years in executive roles for various companies and entrepreneurial ventures. He also holds 4 patents in digital signal processing. Beyond the high-tech realm, however, Elvidge has years of experience as a musician, writer, and truth seeker. He merged his technology skills with his love of music, developed one of the first PC-based digital music samplers, and co-founded RadioAMP, the first private-label online streaming-radio company. Jim has spent many years researching the fields of quantum mechanics, cosmology, ancient history, consciousness, anomalous occurrences, and future technologies. He explored the interrelationship of these factors in his first book, The Universe Solved and is currently working on a second book that digs deeper into the possibility of digital consciousness.

Why the Pessimists Are Wrong (and They Are) Feb 09, 2016

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A recent Motley Fool essay by Morgan Housel raises a question we have asked many times before: Why Does Pessimism Sound So Smart? (Especially when things are so good.) Housel suggests several possible reasons: 1. Optimism appears oblivious to risks, so by default pessimism looks more intelligent. 2. Pessimism shows that not everything is moving in the right direction, which helps you rationalize the personal shortcomings we all have. 3. Pessimism requires action, whereas optimism means staying the course. 4. Optimism sounds like a sales pitch, while pessimism sounds like someone trying to help you. 5. Pessimists extrapolate present trends without accounting for how reliably markets adapt. Generally, pessimism benefits from being both more serious than optimism and way cooler. But that doesn't mean it's the right way to look at things! Hosts Phil Bowermaster and stephen Gordon provide numerous examples of how the pessimists get it wrong time after time, and why optimism is the most realistic and, yes, serious way to approach the world. Join us.

Ninth Planet, Extinct Aliens, and Dimming Stars Feb 02, 2016

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Hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon delve into some interesting recent space news. Is there a ninth planet out there beyond Neptune? And even if not, what can we expect to discover out there in the deepest reaches of the solar system? Meanwhile the lastest theory proposed to account for the Fermi Paradox is that The Aliens Are Extinct. Okay, maybe. But then if that's the case, who is building those megatsructures out in deep space? (And even if there aren't any, just what the heck is going on with KIC 8462852?) Mysteries abound! Join us.

Best Days Behind Us (or Before Us?) Jan 26, 2016

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Writing for the New York Times, Eduardo Porter claims that America’s Best Days May Be Behind It. Citing Robert J. Gordon, author of The Rise and Fall of American Growth, Porter makes the following claims: Innovation will trundle along at the same pace of the last 40 years, Professor Gordon predicts. Despite the burst of progress of the Internet era, total factor productivity — which captures innovation’s contribution to growth — rose over that period at about one-third the pace of the previous five decades. That’s hardly the worst part of the story. The labor force will continue to decline, as aging baby boomers leave the work force and women’s labor supply plateaus. And gains in education, an important driver of productivity that expanded sharply in the 20th century, will contribute little. Moreover, the growing concentration of income means that whatever the growth rate, most of the population will barely share in its fruits. Altogether, Professor Gordon argues, the disposable income of the bottom 99 percent of the population, which has expanded about 2 percent per year since the late 19th century, will expand over the next few decades at a rate little above zero. In short, wethe argument goes, we are seeing the rise of the first generation in US history who will not be better off than their parents. Is decline inevitable? Hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon argue that is is not. Moreover, they make that we are on the brink of unprecedented economic growth. Are the best days behind us or right in front of us? Tune in and explore.

Falling to Earth: David Bowie, Transhumanism, and the Philip K. Dick Award Jan 18, 2016

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World Transformed favorite PJ Manney joins hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon to discuss the life and legacy of musician / artist / polymath David Bowie. Beyond the world of the arts, how did he help to shape the future? Plus PJ talks about her recent experience discussing transhumanism with college students. BONUS: PJ's thoughts on being nominated for the Philip K. Dick award and (if we're lucky) the inside scoop on her next book! Join us! About Our Guest PJ Manney is a former chairperson of Humanity+, the author of “Empathy in the Time of Technology: How Storytelling is the Key to Empathy,” and a frequent guest host and guest on podcasts including the World Transformed. She has worked in motion-picture PR at Walt Disney/Touchstone Pictures, story development and production for independent film production companies (Hook, Universal Soldier, It Could Happen to You), and writing for television (Hercules–The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess). She also cofounded Uncharted Entertainment, writing and creating pilot scripts for television. PJ is a culture vulture and SF geek, and the daughter and mother of them, too. When not contemplating the future of humanity, she is a mother, wife, PTA volunteer and education activist in California. Her Novel (R)evolution was recently nominated for the 2016 Philip K. Dick award. WT 136

Happiness Is Solving the World's problems Jan 11, 2016

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Hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon welcome philosopher and artificial intelligence reseracher Andrés Gómez Emilsson to discuss the Hedonistic Imperative and Andres' recent piece on Solving the World's Problems which lays out four scenarios for how we might do so: 1) Homogeneous world ideology 2) Widespread social reform (full justice, rights and healthcare) 3) Universally accessible on-demand mystical experiences 4) Globally available inexpensive hedonic tone recalibration Which of the four would achieve the best results? Join us as we discuss. Our guest: Andrés Gómez Emilsson was born in México city in 1990. From an early age he developed an interest in philosophy, mathematics and science, leading him to compete nationally and internationally in Math and Science Olympiads. At 16 his main interest was mathematics, but a so-called mystical experience made him turn his attention to consciousness and the philosophical problems that it poses. He studied Symbolic Systems (with an Artificial Intelligence concentration) at Stanford, and later finished a masters in computational psychology at the same university. During his time at Stanford he co-founded the Stanford Transhumanist Association and became good friends with David Pearce, taking on the flag of the Hedonistic Imperative. Thus his ongoing interest in the functional, biochemical and quantum substrates of pure bliss. He is currently working at a Natural Language Processing startup in San Francisco, and in his free time he develops psychophysical tools to study the computational properties of consciousness (for more see qualiacomputing.com). WT 132

The Best Time Ever to Be Alive Jan 05, 2016

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Hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon discuss a recent article in the Atlantic claiming that 2015 was The Best Year in History for the Average Human Being. A few highlights: In the US, 600,000 fewer than violent crimes in 2014 in 1995—that’s a 35 percent decline over the period 6.7 million fewer kids under the age of five are dying each year compared to 1990 The number of kids not in school has fallen from 100 million in 2000 to a projected 57 million in 2015. The World Bank declared in September that, for the first time ever, less than 10 percent of the global population lived in extreme poverty, on less than $1.90 per day. What Does it All Mean? Why doesn’t it feel like the best time to be alive? Why is everyone so upset all the time? What is the likelihood that these trends will continue / accelerate? Plus: Phil and Stephen provide a list of 25 more things that it is the best time ever to to do. Join us. WT 134

The Year in Review: 2016, 2066, and 2116 Dec 28, 2015

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Sure, a lot of shows are doing their Year in Review episodes this week, but how many are willing to take on NEXT year in review? Hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon do exactly that, providing not predictions, but scenarios for possibilities that might well unfold in the coming year. Then the guys look 50 years out to provide a potential Year in Review for the year 2066. And then they take it one step further and provide a Year in review for the year 2116. What technologies, scientific discoveries, and economic and political shifts might we see over the next 12 months? The next 50 years? The next century? Tune in and explore! WT 133

The Force is with Us: Why Star Wars Matters Dec 21, 2015

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Hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon talk about the lasting impact of Star Wars on popular culture. How did a series of space fantasy movies change everything? Topics: A long time ago or a long time from now? What makes Star Wars so great: The Characters The Universe The Issues How geeky became cool. Prequels vs. the Original Trilogy Star Trek or Star Wars? What's wrong with Star Wars? The Future of Star Wars Plus: The man behind it all. What will be the legacy of George Lucas? Phil and Stephen explain it all! Join us.

Doing Everything with Nothing: Ephemeralization and the Future of the Future Dec 08, 2015

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R. Buckminster Fuller famously predicted that technological advancement will allow us to do "more and more with less and less until eventually you can do everything with nothing." So how is that working out for us? Are we doing more and more with less and less? And when do we reach that end point? Hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon examine how Fuller’s concept of ephemeralization is showing up in numerous current developments: Getting the world to go solar using this one weird trick Beating cancer the easy way Cutting costs on going to Mars Virtualizing everything Redefining the human body as a computer programming project Join us. WT 131

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