Global energy an utilities sectors faces significant challenges from ongoing environmental sensitivity.
Gartner, Inc. has released a new report that identifies the top ten technology trends affecting the global energy and utility markets in 2013, as the industry faces significant challenges from ongoing environmental sensitivity, changing policymaker attitudes and consumer expectations.
Continue reading… “Top 10 global technology trends for the energy and utility markets in 2013”
Ray Kurzweil believes that Moore’s Law applies to advances in the biological sciences. Will advances like artificial hips, cardiac pacemakers and spinal stimulators for pain be only the beginning of the realization of how humanity will be “re-engineered”” to take fuller and richer advantage of what science offers us?
Continue reading… “Medical technology and The Frankenstein Syndrome”
COMAN
Mimicking the many distinct balancing adjustments standing humans make when unexpectedly shoved, or while encountering shifting terrain (such as on a boat or moving train) is a skill that most robots haven’t mastered. Nevertheless, one lab in Italy has created a humanoid robot that comes very close to matching our skill at avoiding taking a spill. (Video)
Continue reading… “COMAN – a robot that can’t be knocked over no matter how hard you shove it”
Self-healing artificial leaf.
Scientists reported the creation of the “world’s first practical artificial leaf” back in 2011. The leaf mimics the ability of real leaves to produce energy from sunlight and water. Touted as a potentially inexpensive source of electricity for those in developing countries and remote areas, the leaf’s creators have now given it a capability that would be especially beneficial in such environments – the ability to self heal and therefore produce energy from dirty water.
Continue reading… “World’s first self-healing “artificial leaf” produces energy from dirty water”
Futurist Thomas Frey: Fifteen years ago in an article I wrote for The Futurist Magazine, I made the prediction that once we had talking computers, we would soon have downloadable personalities to create a more human-like experience. I went on to suggest that most of us would actually download multiple personalities so we could interact with the right persona at any given moment.
Continue reading… “Downloadable Personalities for Your Computer”
One of the blast sites on Boylston Street near the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon.
There is a lot of restless energy surging through the web.A legion of Internet investigators are scrutinizing every available photo of the Boston Marathon finish line, searching for clues that will help nab a killer. At Reddit, Imgur and a zillion blogs, notes are being shared, theories propounded — and, without question, innocent people are getting slandered.
Continue reading… “Future of crowd-mobbed vigilantism”
Santiago Swallow
One of the most famous people that no one has heard of is Santiago Swallow. His Twitter profile shows a handsome man with high cheekbones and dirty blond, collar-length hair. Next to his name is one of social media’s most prized possessions, Twitter’s blue “verified account” checkmark. Underneath it are numbers to make many in the online world jealous: Santiago Swallow has tens of thousands of followers. Swallow sends tweets that are cryptic nuggets of wisdom that unroll like scrolls from digital fortune cookies: “Before you lose weight, find hope,” says one. Another: “To write is to live endlessly.”
Continue reading… “For $68 you can become internet famous”
Facebook fans have jumped almost 30 percent in value since 2010. In fact, social marketing firm Syncapse says they could be worth hundreds of dollars each, depending on the industry and company.
Continue reading… “Facebook fans jump up 30% in value since 2010”
The Delight
It’s a hard job in developed countries to maintain a safe, clean network of public toilets is where most people have other places to go to the bathroom. In countries like India, with limited facilities and a big “floating population,” it’s doubly difficult. Facilities easily get damaged and misused, and quickly become no-go places. (Video)
Continue reading… “The Delight – an automated public toilet system being installed throughout India”
Hollywood’s scripts always call for a protagonist. Margin Call has none.
Raymond Alvarez: The film Margin Call has to be regarded as a distorted reflection of reality. Just as Michael Douglas stood before a soon-to-be-fired audience in Oliver Stone’s Wall Street, declared greed good, rationalization has become a mainstay. At the end of the day, we’re just cannon fodder.
Continue reading… “The dark hours before the storm: “Margin Call””
An artist’s rendition of a Mars One colony.
Martian colonization non-profit, Mars One, will begin accepting applications in July from people who want to colonize Mars, Space.com reports. The applications must be in video form and applicants have to pay a fee (the company told Space.com that it was to weed out insincere candidates).
Continue reading… “Mars One to begin accepting applications in July for 2023 mission”
MOOCs – massive open online courses
One of the world’s oldest, largest, and best business schools is the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. They have 11 academic departments, 20 research centers, 230 standing faculty, and an endowment nearing $1 billion. With all those resource, it has produced 92,000 living alumni.
Continue reading… “A view into the digital world of MOOCs”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.