learn. create. share. reflect. iterate.
The Navy has laser cannons. Watch said laser cannon set fire to a drone during a demo.
http://www.theverge.com/2013/4/8/4197316/navy-laser-weapon-deploying-2014-shoots-down-drone
Pretty impressive. And terrifying. But so cost-effective!
The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect
Holy shit, if you can get past the intense, violent sex and murder of the first chapter, this book is one of the best Singularity thought experiments I’ve ever read.
Like, wow.
Lockheed Martin Buys $10 Million Quantum Computer
Meet the D-Wave Two! One of the most powerful commercially available quantum computers, the D-Wave Two is capable of performing analytical tasks that conventional computers struggle with. It can recognize objects, fold proteins, generate accurate labels across large databases of news articles, determine the mood of a blogpost, and learn.
And it has an API for Java and C++ developers to write applications for!
Hard to believe 62 years ago the first commercial computer was sold for almost $10 million and ran on vacuum tubes.
Oh yeah, and Lockheed Martin is the first to buy one, I almost forgot to make the title relevant.
Google may already be conscious.
The Internet is waking up.
And it’s breaking things.
Excellent.
Optogenetics just got easier.
Controlling neurons with light is one of the most powerful emerging tools for exploring and understanding the brain, but it has always been extraordinarily complicated. Delivery of genes, light, and electricity was once three separate tasks; a team of German researchers has developed an implant that consolidates all three tasks into one.
This is gonna catapult neuroscience research and pave the way for manipulating and understanding the brain. Woo!
Harvard’s RoboBees to Fill Pollination Gap Caused by Bee Die-off
The Robobees won’t just share the pollinating function of real bees; the team is also looking to imbue them with colony behaviors. Although they won’t have a queen, the Robobees will live in a hive, which functions as a refueling station. Coordination algorithms and communication methods are in the works as well, hopefully giving the Robobees the ability to inform and help one another—sadly, without dancing.
The Microrobotics lab seems a host of possible uses for the robotic insects, including military surveillance, search and rescue missions, exploration of hazardous environments, traffic surveillance, and weather and climate mapping. Unfortunately, though, it seems they won’t be taking over all of the bees’ regular duties. While these Robobees don’t come with stingers yet, they aren’t off making honey, either.
Am I the only one who finds the idea of bee-sized predator drones terrifying?
Nope. We could have just, you know, stopped killing bees awhile ago….
Bomber-bees.
Fixing our accidental eradication of one of the most fundamental species on the planet is good too though.
(via randomactsofchaos)
Advanced Prosthetic Hand Ties Shoes, Deals Cards
This hand, the bebionic3, actually shows it doing some of the stuff you’d think it might: tying shoes, dealing cards, picking up household items, etc.
Those tasks make it sound mundane, but it’s actually a pretty darn impressive hand. Not only can it squeeze and pinch, it can also do some less commonly used movements, like making the rock-on devil horns or spinning in a full circle. It even automatically grips an object when it detects that the object’s slipping.
(via Watch This Unbelievable Robot Hand Tie A Shoe | Popular Science)
This decade people, it’s gonna be a big one for biotech.
(via emergentfutures)
Behold the 3Doodler, the world’s first pen that lets you draw 3D sculptures in real time.
brilliant. fucking brilliant.
(via jonesygeri)
Indie Game: The Movie
I just watched one of the most touching and inspiring movies ever.
Microsoft unveils its Huawei 4Afrika Windows Phone to aid the rapidly growing African tech market - The Next Web (via thenextweb)
Good Guy Gates, at it again.
(via emergentfutures)
New Media
Okay, I really liked this one, and it’s the shortest! Watch these War of the Worlds type machines (and also symbols for media) take over human civilization. I love how brief it is. It’s like a trailer: you get just enough to really want more, and then credits.
