A more pessimistic vision of the future than I usually share. I think unduly so (though they do acknowledge that some are optimistic). There are definitely big challenges ahead, though, and few governments are prepared for them; many haven’t caught up with the technology that exists today, let alone thought about what’s on the near horizon.
Originally shared by Winchell Chung
Just look at all those robots
https://theoutline.com/post/1316/fourth-industrial-revolution-developing-economies
This is not the same as GM crops (introducing DNA from another organism); it’s editing the existing organism’s DNA as a faster version of selective breeding.
It’s still not fast, though, partly because the genetics of crops are not well understood yet.
And, of course (something the article doesn’t address), the big problem with genetically manipulated crops isn’t that they’re somehow “dangerous”; it’s that they’re owned by the large corporates that develop them, who use their monopoly power and leverage for their own benefit, not that of the farmers or consumers (or the environment).
Also not addressed: a large part of the problem with the food supply is, and has been for decades, not the amount of food that can be produced worldwide, but the logistics of distributing it to where it’s needed. And political barriers and corruption are a big part of that.
That’s without even getting into the question of food waste.
(Sorry, food and nutrition are interests of mine, and something I’ve studied at a university level; they’re complicated, and a lot of the problems are people problems, not technology problems.)
Originally shared by Singularity Hub
How to Feed 9.7 Billion People? CRISPR Gene Editing For Crops http://bit.ly/2nfpxFL
Yes, really. Because it already has veins.
Originally shared by Aung Thiha
https://futurism.com/researchers-have-transformed-a-spinach-leaf-into-working-heart-tissue/
Iron Man is at it again.
Originally shared by Larry Panozzo
Can’t wait until this is created. But I’m pretty sure that a prerequisite to this is a much better understanding of the brain than we have now. Read/write capability is a long way off, but it’s exciting.
Preliminarily, the brain ‘lights up’ on MRI scans in very specific ways depending on the thought, so even if Neuralink creates a top-notch BMI (brain-machine interface) then it will create a explosion in the tech world, something Musk would love to do.
http://www.theverge.com/2017/3/27/15077864/elon-musk-neuralink-brain-computer-interface-ai-cyborgs
Not humans vs machines, but humans + machines.
Originally shared by Singularity Hub
Why the Rise of AI Makes Human Intelligence More Valuable Than Ever http://bit.ly/2o2BF0Z
Haven’t watched this one yet.
Originally shared by Larry Panozzo
Interesting point at the end. When the human brain is directly coupled with technology, we can ride the machine intelligence explosion instead of getting left in the dust.
A probably overoptimistic, definitely starry-eyed view, but with plenty of story fodder.
Originally shared by Singularity Hub
The Rise of a New Species of Human Being
Early, crude experiments with integrating technology and biology.
Originally shared by Singularity Hub
The Weird World of Cyborg Animals Is Here http://bit.ly/2nfdEAB
Via a private share. Trade networks in the early Middle Ages were a lot more extensive than we often realise. Lapis lazuli from Afghanistan made its way to Ireland, for example, where it was used in some of the pages of the Book of Kells.
VR, like all new media, changes the kind of stories that are possible. And it appears to create a high degree of empathy, which is promising.
Originally shared by Singularity Hub
The Power of VR as an ‘Empathy Machine’ and Office Holodeck http://bit.ly/2mpKXnx