What will Iowa’s farms look like when the combines and tractors drive themselves?
How will Des Moines’ banking and insurance sectors fare when supercomputers run financial markets?
Where will Iowans live when a self-driving car can take them anywhere with the tap of a smartphone?
These are the kind of questions Thomas Frey ponders.
Continue reading… “Futurist Thomas Frey predicts farming drones, driverless streets”
It goes without saying that preservation of life is the reason to invest in road and car safety technology, but the financial implications which fatal and non-fatal accidents have on the economy are another factor which cannot be ignored.
According to Reported Road Casualties Great Britain Annual Report 2014 the total cost of prevention of reported road accidents in 2014 was estimated to be £16.3 billion – this includes an estimate of the cost of damage only accidents but does not allow for unreported injury accidents.
Continue reading… “Driverless cars could save the UK around £14.3 billion annually”
Over the past few years, a number of governments have stepped forward in order to bring a host of innovative technologies to life, and in so doing, they have accelerated the future as never before. Now, Dubai has just taken us another great leap towards bringing some of the world’s most futuristic ideas to life.
The Dubai Future Foundation recently organized an International Hyperloop Competition in order to help make the (seemingly) impossible possible. The two day competition had contestants design three Hyperloop terminals which were evaluated by a panel of judges.
Continue reading… “The Dubai Hyperloop: Superfast Transport Closer to Reality”
Robots haven’t reached human intelligence yet, but Google’s researchers are showing how they’re closing the gap using downloadable intelligence.
Imagine if you could get better at some skill not just by learning and practicing it, but by accessing the brains of others to tap directly into their experiences?
Continue reading… “Google’s next big step for AI: Getting robots to teach each other new skills”
In 2016, those who still say battery-electric vehicles don’t have a future probably haven’t spent much time in California. The California Air Resources Board (CARB)’s policies, which predate those of the federal government, treat the internal-combustion engine as a chronic offender that is beyond hope for reform. For 26 years, the state has been keeping the faith in a single solution: zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), a category that includes both hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles and battery-electric vehicles.
Continue reading… “What Replaces Gasoline?”
Scientists say early experiments suggest it may one day be possible to make babies without using eggs.
They have succeeded in creating healthy baby mice by tricking sperm into believing they were fertilising normal eggs.
The findings in Nature Communications, could, in the distant future, mean women can be removed from the baby-making process, say the researchers.
For now, the work helps to explain some of the details of fertilisation.
Continue reading… “Scientists say making babies without eggs may be a possibile”
My dad, a former Wall Street trader always advised me “cash is king” and to “hold on to it” when the economy gets tough.
But in the Netherlands, cash is definitely not getting the royal treatment. In so many places, it has simply ceased to be recognised as legal tender. More and more Dutch stores, from upscale health-food store Marqt to my local baker and bagel shop, take pin — or debit — cards exclusively. Some retailers even describe going cash-free as “cleaner” or “safer”.
Continue reading… “Cash is on the verge of extinction in these countries”
Hitachi’s EMIEW3 will help travelers find their terminal.
Getting lost in an international airport is never fun — but if you’re lost in Japan’s Haneda this month, you’ll at least be able get help from an adorable talking robot. From now until the 14th, Hitachi is testing its EMIEW3 humanoid robot in the airport’s passenger terminal. Over the course of two weeks, EMIEW3 will direct visitors to an information display and answer questions in both English and Japanese.
Continue reading… “Adorable robots help travelers at Haneda airport in Tokyo”
In the constant search for low-cost spaceflight, Norwegian startup Ripple Aerospace has come up with a unique solution: How about we just get rid of, like, the land? Their plan calls for reusable cargo rockets to be built in shipyards, transported to open ocean, and launched from the sea, without so much as a floating launch pad to get in the way of the rocket’s journey from ocean to space.
Continue reading… “Spaceflight startup Ripple Aerospace want to launch rockets from the ocean”
Free wi-fi almost anywhere you go.
When the president of the European commission gave his annual state of the union speech this week, he hit all the typical SOTU talking points—unity, pride, stability.
But tucked amid all that was an unusual promise for EU residents: free wireless internet for parks, libraries and other public spaces across Europe.
Continue reading… “Europe’s Plan for Free Public Wi-Fi Puts America to Shame”
The thinking: Spend billions of dollars, save even more.
The $8.5 trillion global construction industry isn’t exactly known for its efficiency. The U.K. Green Building Council estimates that 15% of materials delivered to construction sites end up in landfills, the result of mismanaged scheduling and purchasing.
Continue reading… “The Construction Industry Loves Drones”
The tech industry is rapidly changing, but one thing has stayed the same: there’s a lot of demand for workers. Many people rule out the idea, though, feeling like they need a relevant degree to break into tech. However, that’s not even remotely true.
Here are six reasons why you don’t need a computer science or technology-based degree to get ahead in tech.
Continue reading… “Six reasons you don’t need a college degree to excel in tech”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.