Futurist Thomas Frey: Earth’s appetite for power continues to grow. Since the 1960s, power consumption has quadrupled around the globe, with many countries opting to build large oil and coal plants to meet the demand.
Continue reading… “The Next Great Space Race – Space-Based Power Stations”
Space-based solar
Some newer clean energy sources are becoming mainstream industries with low prices and established financing models like solar panels and wind turbines. But even in this era of emerging predictable clean energy, there are some pretty weird, experimental and ambitious energy projects under development. And they’re trying to move out of the lab and off of research papers, and into actual production.
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShip Two
NASA has lost the urgency of the space race years of the 1960’s, but today’s commercial space sector looks to be recapturing some of that fervor. On Friday, May 2nd at New York City’s historic Explorer’s Club the players in America’s private space race were out in force at this event, each one promising major breakthroughs that will arrive within the next year or two.
Continue reading… “Commercial space travel revs up”
Automation will help agriculture via large-scale robotic and microrobots.
Below are 15 emerging technologies related to agricultural and natural manufacturing under four key areas of accelerating change: Sensors, Food, Automation and Engineering.
Continue reading… “Top 15 emerging agriculture technologies that will change the world”
When will robots replace our jobs? It will take some time, and there will always be some jobs that will, at least for the near term, always be the exclusive domain of humans, but lots of really smart people are predicting and anticipating a future where robots/automation do many of the jobs that people do today.
Continue reading… “When will robots replace your job?”
Graphene and carbon nanotubes can generate intense surface plasmons for use in nanoelectronics and cancer therapy.
Engineers at Monash University Department of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering (ECSE) have modeled the world’s first “spaser” (surface plasmon amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) to be made completely out of carbon.
Continue reading… “Smartphones in the future could be printed on your clothes”
Aerographite
Scientists are always on the look out for lighter, stronger, and more energy-efficient materials. Here’s a glance at some materials that will change the way we build things in the future.
Futurist Thomas Frey: Every day we wake up different.
Moment by moment, our lives are changing. Much like a strobe light with flashes of memories jumping through our minds we randomly recall where we’ve been.
Continue reading… “Betting on Your Future Self”
“Don’t make me dig out my claws!”
Quote of the Day: “A wise man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends.” – Baltasar Gracian
Continue reading… “Top 14 Photos of the Week”
Bitcoin and other digital currencies have captured the attention of the media, entrepreneurs, and regulators. The coverage has described exchange meltdowns, price volatility, and government crackdowns. However, the focus on Bitcoin as a currency may distract businesses and governments from its disruptive impact: as a technology.
Continue reading… “Bitcoin will go far beyond payments in the future”
Science fiction can be used to help scientists think about the uses and ethics of their inventions.
The Smithsonian Magazine May issue has an essay on the relationship between science, science fiction, and the future by Boing Boing buddy Eileen Gunn. She writes, “What’s science fiction good for? Major writers — Ursula K. Le Guin, William Gibson, Neal Stephenson, Samuel R. Delany, Kim Stanley Robinson, Cory Doctorow and others — talk about why science fiction likes to think about the future and how science fiction can be used to help scientists think about the uses and ethics of their inventions. The rest of the issue covers science and ethical issues of the near future.”
Continue reading… “Science fiction influences our thinking about the future”
E-Learning carries with it the promise of an educational revolution.
E-Learning has the potential to revolutionize education. It can provide for a truly personalized learning experience, and take each student down the path that is uniquely theirs.