is abook in progress by Siva Vaidhyanathan, and the result of a collaboration between him and the Institute for the Future of the Book, and is dedicated to exploring the process of writing a critical interpretation of the actions and intentions behind the cultural behemoth that is Google, Inc. 10|21|08 |
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The purpose of a new currency is to be, initially, complementary to standard national currencies and eventually, in the event of economic meltdown, a replacement for them. An essay by Charles Eisenstein. 10|9|08 |
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If the 100 largest cities in the world replaced their dark roofs with white shingles and their asphalt-based roads with concrete or other light-colored material, it could offset 44 billion tons of greenhouse gases, a study shows. 10|9|08 |
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This year four recipients have received the award: Krishnammal and Sankaralingam Jagannathan, and their organisation LAFTI (Land for the Tillers' Freedom) (India), Amy Goodman (USA), founder of Democracy Now!, Asha Hagi (Somalia) "for continuing to lead at great personal risk the female participation in the peace and reconciliation process in her war-ravaged country," Monika Hauser (Germany), gynaecologist and founder of medica mondiale, receives an Award "for her tireless commitment to working with women who have experienced the most horrific sexualised violence in some of the most dangerous countries in the world, and campaigning for them to receive social recognition and compensation." 10|6|08 |
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All humans are forecasting the future to some degree. Just a quick search of the internet will provide dozens of forms of future forecasting. Half Past Human employ a technique based on radical linguistics to reduce extracts from readings of dynamic postings on the internet into an archetypical database. With this database of archetypical language, they calculate the rate of change of the language. The forecasts of the future are derived from these calculations. 10|6|08 |
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in which large satellites would collect plentiful solar energy in orbit and beam it safely down to Earth, is the only energy technology that is clean, renewable, constant and capable of providing power to virtually any location on Earth. 10|1|08 |
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Might the balls of light that have been appearing in photographs in recent years be evidence that the solar system is undergoing a phase transition to a higher-energy state? 9|21|08 |
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is an international initiative of the geological surveys of the world and a flagship project of the "International Year of Planet Earth". Its aim is to create dynamic geological map data of the world available via the web. This will create a focus for accessing geological information for everyone. 8|12|08 |
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| Daniel Pinchbeck is a best-selling author, iconoclast, and explorer of the Other, and he will be a key speaker at the "Orbs: Interacting With Other Realms" Conference taking place in the perfect setting of mystical Glastonbury, England, from 11 to 13 July. The following is an abstract of Daniel Pinchbeck’s presentation. 6|24|08 |
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Can macrohistories accurately predict future directions? Yes, if the model in question deals with a deep-enough structural level of history. If it doesn't, you are safer going to your local fortune-teller than to a macrohistorian. 6|21|08 |
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Over two years, more than 50 economists have worked to find the best solutions to ten of the world’s biggest challenges. During the last week, an expert panel of 8 top-economists, including 5 Nobel Laureates, sat down to assess the research. The result: A prioritized list highlighting the potential of 30 specific solutions to combat some of the biggest challenges facing the world. 6|13|08 |
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The MIT was so advanced in 1965 that it actually had a computer. Housed in its own building, it cost USD 11 million and was shared by all students and faculty. Four decades later, the computer in your cellphone is a million times smaller, a million times less expensive and a thousand times more powerful. That's a billion-fold increase in the amount of computation you can buy per dollar. The exponential growth in computing speed will unlock a solution to global warming, unmask the secret to longer life and solve myriad other worldly conundrums. A contribution by Ray Kurzweil. 4|23|08 |
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The mythology of our modern, high-tech culture teaches us that the last frontier for humanity is outer space. Somehow, according to this emerging mythos, the fragile human body is supposed to be able to survive the rigors of travel in outer space over vast distances. The writers of science fiction and Star Trek-style television shows would have us believe that human beings can somehow endure every kind of radiation and danger to successfully colonize other planets and solar systems. 4|2|08
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Jaron Lanier seriously proposes that we should begin the process of repositioning the sun and other nearby stars in order to send signals to aliens, and that we begin the search for signs that aliens might have done the same for our benefit. A proposal to create special constellations that nature would never produce. 3|28|08 |
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In this interview, RU Sirius, a writer, musician, and counterculture icon, shares his thoughts about the future of biological and cultural mutations such as transhumanism, Virtual Reality, and life extension; the philosophies of Terence McKenna and Robert Anton Wilson; and Open Source politics. 2|29|08 |
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is an excerpt of SpaceCollective.org, a soon to be released, invite only information exchange dedicated to the future of everything. SpaceCollective is about to go into public beta and is issuing a limited amount of exclusive beta generation invites now. Watch the SpaceCollective preview for further information. 12|3|07 |
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Futurologist Ian Pearson talks about his profession, explains why he doesn't think we will understand intelligent machines when they finally arise, and warns to the big ethical dilemmas our technological civilization will have to face sooner or later. 10|29|07
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is a comprehensive whole system discovery which demonstrates that time is the universal factor of synchronization. The principle formulation of the Law of Time -T(E) = Art, Energy factored by Time equals Art - accounts for the intrinsic elegance of all natural phenomena. 10|12|07
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For the first time since becoming host of Dreamland in 1999, Whitley Strieber had a fight with a guest on the air. It's known that Strieber cultivates a very special approach to his guests. In order to draw them out and make them feel at home, he’s unreservedly enthusiastic about their ideas. I keep my own beliefs to himself. This time, it didn't work quite that way. The guest was Daniel Pinchbeck. 9|21|07 |
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Daniel Pinchbeck's post on his fight with the bestselling author of alien abduction memoirs and science fiction novels, and Dreamtime radio host, Whitley Strieber. 9|21|07 |
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is a method of transport which eliminates the necessity for breaking the cohesive forces in water. This "transport system" is based on a topological deformation of water, resulting from rotation but without
application of pressure, in which the cohesive forces are not affected during upward transport. 9|1|07 |
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Architect and well-known French modern artist Yona Friedman is exhibiting his "Ville Spatiale" at DEsign Island. His vision of living quarters in space (or cyberspace) is a multi-leveled build, with personal environments developed by each inhabitant on the various floors. 8|27|07 |
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Around the world, a handful of scientists are trying to create life from scratch and they're getting closer. Experts expect an announcement within three to 10 years from someone in the now little-known field of "wet artificial life." 8|27|07 |
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David Sinclair is very good at persuading people; the controversial biologist at Harvard claims he can extend life span and treat diseases of aging. He may even be right. 8|23|07
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Levitation has been elevated from being pure science fiction to
science fact, according to a study reported today by physicists. 8|15|07 |
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The MIT introduced the first sociable robot. It was developed by graduate students and was named Mertz. It had camera sensors behind its eyes, which were programmed to detect faces, and when it has found one, the robot was supposed to gaze at it directly in order to initiate a kind of conversation. 8|13|07 |
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The future is not what it used to be. What does our future look like from this particular point in time? Scanning the distressing ecological data, we might find ourselves reminded of Marlene Dietrich's exit line to Orson Welles in Touch of Evil: "Your future's all used up." Intriguing reflections by Daniel Pinchbeck. 6|29|07 |
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Tom Friedman on how America can regain its international stature by taking the lead in alternative energy and environmentalism. 5|27|07 |
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The business of the future will see much of the intellectual work being done by intelligent machines - and only people with good interpersonal skills will do well. This is the prediction of BT futurologist Ian Pearson, who believes women will do especially well by providing the emotional skills machines won't be able to master. 5|9|07 |
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The creation of a superhumanly intelligent AI system could be possible within 10 years, with an "AI Manhattan Project," says Ben Goertzel. 4|17|07 |
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is still ahead of us. Over the next 50 years, thousands of people will gain access to the orbital realm -- and then, to the Moon and beyond, says Sir Arthur C. Clarke, 89. 2|25|07
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