Futurist Thomas Frey: Last year the DaVinci Institute launched a computer programmer training school, DaVinci Coders, and one of the key people we tapped to be one of our world-class instructors was Jason Noble. On Friday I attended a talk given by Jason at the Rocky Mountain Ruby Conference in Boulder, Colorado titled “From Junior Engineer to Productive Engineer.”
Continue reading… “Trimming the Fat – Introducing the Lean Micro-College Model for Education”
One common problem with electric cars is there is a lack of charging stations to charge the cars on long drives. “After you run out of battery power, a small four-cylinder engine runs a generator to extend the range of the car for another 300 or 400 miles, and you can always just keep putting more gas into it to keep on going,” writes Evan Ackerman.
Continue reading… “Tesla patents next-gen battery that will last 400 miles”
The big money has moved from developing psychiatric drugs to manipulating our brain networks.
Has the psychiatric drug age reached its peak? Mind-altering drugs have are being prescribed in record numbers but there are signs of a radically new approach to understanding and treating mental illnesses. A huge research effort is now devoted to altering the function of specific neural circuits by physical intervention in the brain and the focus is no longer on developing drugs.
Continue reading… “Why neuroscience is ending the Prozac era”
In New York last week, A working prototype of a low-cost electroencephalography device funded by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) made its debut, the first step in the agency’s effort to jumpstart a do-it-yourself revolution in neuroscience.
Continue reading… “Can DARPA jumpstart the DIY brain-scanning movement?”
Surrogacy agencies in both countries say demand has risen rapidly in the last two years.
Rich Chinese couples are hiring American women to serve as surrogates for their children, creating a small but growing business in $120,000 “designer” American babies for China’s elite.
Continue reading… “Wealthy Chinese hire American surrogate mothers to carry ‘designer’ babies”
Is the movie industry dying at the hands of home theaters, Netflix, Redbox, LoveFilm, and Amazon Instant Video?
Jack Valenti, former President of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) once said, “I say to you that the VCR is to the American film producer and the American public as the Boston strangler is to the woman home alone.” That was a controversial claim but it helps highlight the fears that emerging technologies can cause amongst those with an interest in the status quo. In this instance, the underlying concern was that VHS-enabled time-shifting meant that viewers could not only copy and distribute copyrighted broadcasts, but also fast-forward commercials, which could discourage advertisers.
Continue reading… “The future of movie theaters”
Companies that want to sell software to enterprise in the next few years might be wise to start thinking about data. That doesn’t mean they need to become a “big data” company, per se, but at least thinking of what metrics your customers need tracked and how to deliver that information to them.
Continue reading… “The future of software is all about analytics”
The internet has made it possible for people to educate themselves, independently or in groups large and small, on an unprecedented scale.
There hasn’t been much change in universities since the Middle Ages. Universities have the campus with its lecture halls, dormitories, libraries, and laboratories surrounded by leafy quadrangles. They have added giant sports complexes, gyms and swimming pools, and gourmet restaurants, but the basic layout is the same. And the production process hasn’t changed since around 1200. Professors give lectures, students read books and take notes, there are examinations and grades, along with the occasional tutoring session, and a great deal of hanky panky. The professors wear tweed jackets instead of gowns, and the students wear – well, just about anything, including pajamas – but otherwise the university remains one of society’s most conservative institutions.
Continue reading… “Are universities terrified of MOOCs?”
A new study from the Oxford Martin Program on the Impacts of Future Technology suggests that almost half of U.S. jobs could be susceptible to computerization over the next two decades.
Continue reading… “Almost half of U.S. jobs at risk of computerization: Study”
Bitcoin is an online virtual currency that may be exchanged for goods and services from establishments that accept them.
The ministry of finance in Germany has recognized Bitcoin as a form of digital currency in the country. The four year old virtual money, Bitcoin, is now a formally recognized digital currency or “unit of account,” which can be used for private transactions in Germany.
Continue reading… “Bitcoins legalized in Germany”
102 billion mobile apps will be downloaded around the world during 2013.
Everywhere you look there’s someone using a mobile app for something. It’s an industry that’s flourished at an incredible rate since the arrival of the iPhone in 2007–and now, Gartner says this year, global revenues from apps will be $26 billion, a rise of more than 44% since last year.
Continue reading… “What’s driving the $26 billion mobile app economy?”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcZSU40RBrg[/youtube]
Many urban cites don’t have enough street space for setting up proper bike storage infrastructure. The problem of overcrowding and illegal parking can cause potential hazards for emergency situations and general pedestrian navigation. In Japan, an earthquake-resistant underground bike parking system has been developed by Giken to help resolve the issue, approaching the situation through their design concept, which is based on culture above ground, and function underground. (Pics)
Continue reading… “Eco-cycle is an automated bike parking system”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
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