Raffaello D’Andrea, in a robot lab at TEDGlobal, demos his flying quadcopters: robots that think like athletes, solving physical problems with algorithms that help them learn. In a series of nifty demos, D’Andrea show drones that play catch, balance and make decisions together — and watch out for an I-want-this-now demo of Kinect-controlled quads.
Continue reading… “The astounding athletic power of quadcopters: Raffaello D’Andrea”
Handwashing is the most effective thing one can do to reduce the spread of infectious disease.
When consulting the CDC’s official guide to handwashing you might be surprised to learn that they don’t distinguish between using warm or cold water.They say what is important is that you use soap, that you scrub well (including the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails) for at least 20 seconds, and that you dry your hands afterwards. The CDC also officially recommends humming the “Happy Birthday” song twice through for an accurate measure of time.
Continue reading… “95% of people don’t wash their hands correctly: Study”
Buying objects rather than experiences tends to disappoint.
Over and over again, the idea that you can’t buy happiness has been exposed as a myth. Richer countries are happier than poor countries. Richer people within richer countries are happier, too. The evidence is unequivocal: Money makes you happy. You just have to know what to do with it.
Continue reading… “Why thinking about buying something makes us happier than buying it”
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/67177328[/vimeo]
We think of 3-D printers as desktop machines. But Silk Pavillion, a new, stunning piece of architecture by the Mediated Matter Group at MIT Media Lab brings all of those assumptions into question.
Continue reading… “Silk Pavillion: ‘3D printed’ structures created from silkworms”
For people who graduate with a bachelor’s degree, higher education is overwhelmingly a smart investment. But what about students who drop out? As it turns out, less than 60 percent of Americans actually complete a B.A. within six years of starting. Do they reap a benefit?
Continue reading… “Going to college is worth it even if you drop out”
RoboRoach
The minds behind Backyard Brains, a neurological education and outreach company, are bringing the first commercially available cyborgs to the general public. They landed on Kickstarter Monday, and they’re wooing support from Internet backers worldwide. (Videos)
Continue reading… “The RoboRoach: Control a living cockroach with your smartphone”
Baxter is a robot meant to work with people in small manufacturing facilities.
Erik Brynjolfsson, a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and his collaborator and coauthor Andrew McAfee have been arguing for the last year and a half that impressive advances in computer technology—from improved industrial robotics to automated translation services—are largely behind the sluggish employment growth of the last 10 to 15 years. Even more ominous for workers, the MIT academics foresee dismal prospects for many types of jobs as these powerful new technologies are increasingly adopted not only in manufacturing, clerical, and retail work but in professions such as law, financial services, education, and medicine.
If a blood screen detects five or more nanograms of THC er milliliter of blood in a person’s bloodstream, that individual is considered legally under the influence of drugs.
Late last year Colorado and Washington state each passed ballot measures legalizing marijuana for recreational use. While one legal challenge was resolved another was just beginning. Before, marijuana was simply prohibited. Now it has to be regulated. With their new legal standards for possession and use, Colorado and Washington now have to draw hard lines on a rather hazy landscape, creating legal standards not just for for taxation and licensing, but also some far more nebulous questions, like how much marijuana is reasonable for a single person to possess, and even what constitutes legal intoxication. Meanwhile, forty-eight other states are watching closely to see exactly how they do it.
Continue reading… “How will stoned drivers be regulated by police?”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9RKXO1rr7g[/youtube]
We have seen food delivery drones, and drones that even deliver wedding proposals, but there is one restaurant in the U.K. that aims to inject a bit of this robo-fueled futurism into your dining experience.
Continue reading… “Drone waiter serves diners at U.K. restaurant”
Recent lawsuits and Justice Department investigations have uncovered grotesque abuses of mentally ill inmates at state and local prisons.
It has been an extraordinary three weeks , and maybe the darkest period in the history of the American penal system. In four states the systemic abuse and neglect of inmates, and especially mentally ill inmates, has been investigated, chronicled and disclosed in grim detail to the world by lawyers, government investigators and one federal judge. The conclusions are inescapable: In our zeal to dehumanize criminals we have allowed our prisons to become medieval places of unspeakable cruelty so far beyond constitutional norms that they are barely recognizable.
Continue reading… “The American prison system’s darkest period in history”
Can this couple live on Bitcoin alone for 90 days?
There has been a lot of attention recently on bitcoin from tech early adopters and the mainstream media. The last six months has seen the value of the virtual currency grow more than tenfold and then fall half as much, as well as the government intervene in a series of suspected fraud and money-laundering cases. The crypto currency has been hailed by many as a potential future global currency, but amid all this fervor, it remains little more than an intellectual curiosity to most. That is, those who own bitcoin, have used it to complete a transaction of any sort, or are even aware how to do so are firmly in the minority.
Continue reading… “Newlyweds plan to live for 90 days entirely on Bitcoin”
QR codes lets bus riders pick up a few things on the way home using their phones.
The time you spend waiting for a bus can normally be put to better use, if only you weren’t stuck at the bus stop. That’s exactly why Walmart has decided to bring the supermarket to you, making it possible to do some of your weekly shopping while you wait.
Continue reading… “Now you can shop at Walmart while waiting at the bus stop”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.