Imagine you could build the city of the future, from scratch, right now. What would it look like? What would it do? It’s not a hypothetical question. According to this Salon article, software developer Plan IT intends to do exactly that: “Plan IT Valley” will be a new city located in northern Portugal, and is …
Just came across this bizarre story on Nextnature.net: Tired of spending time, money and energy on preparing meals, [Rob Rhinehart] decided to find a new way to survive without actual food. He created a unique mixture called “Soylent”, which contains nothing but the elements the body needs: iron, vitamins, fat, calcium and dozens of other …
Welcome to Cosmic Revolutions’ Topic Guides, where we wrap up a series of articles on a common theme. This week, let’s look at one of the biggest tags at Cosmic Revolutions: Sustainability. Sustainability is all about whether we humans survive as a civilization, and how well. Earth’s resources are finite, meaning the our growth potential …
The best way to solve the world’s hunger problem is a hotly debated topic. In the next few paragraphs, I’ll take a look at one fairly conventional idea, and explore another proposal that’s a bit more out of the box. But in the end, I’d like to poke at some of the assumptions underlying both …
It’s no secret that the internet has given us new ways to communicate. But if you think the information revolution has come and gone, I’ve got news for you: it’s just getting started, and we’re already seeing a dramatic transformation in the way we learn about the world. It’s also causing a shift in some …
Last week, we looked at some reasons why even the most rational individual might feel a touch of dread at the thought of a car that drives itself. This week, let’s zoom out a bit, and imagine a future society where driverless cars are the norm. I think this is a very plausible scenario, but …
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. – Arthur C. Clarke In last week’s post, we looked at the emerging technologies that allow a direct interface between your brain and a computer (or machine) – a BCI. Check out last week’s links if you’re interested in the “how.” Intracranial wiretaps, hands-free driving and monkey-robot …
Three times a week, I go to the gym on my way home from work. And three times a week, I ask myself the same question: isn’t this a waste? I don’t mean the exercise. A longer lifespan, plus reduced risk of Alzheimer‘s and cancer, is all the justification I need. No, I’m talking about …
Happy Halloween, fellow future hunters! This has always been my favorite holiday, perhaps because it’s the one time of year that we all celebrate mystery and the great unknown. Today, in the spirit of the season, I offer you a glimpse of the ghosts of the future. Hint: chain-rattling is not involved. It starts with … Continue reading
Today’s Future Bites brings you the future of meat… maybe. Here’s Singularity Weblog with the latest on lab-grown animal tissue for human consumption. The motivation for growing meat flesh in-vitro, without the animal, is many-fold. After all, growing animals for consumption requires vast amounts of water, grain, fertilizer, land area and oil. Not to mention … Continue reading
Hooray! It’s hard to believe, but Cosmic Revolutions has been tracking trends and pondering the future for one full year as of today. Back in October ’11, CR was little more than a vague idea pinging around in my skull, a general craving for discussion and big ideas. It finally took shape as a blog … Continue reading
This week, I’m putting the “bite” back into Future Bites with a look at cake trends. Believe it or not, there’s not a lot of prognostication out there about what the cake of the future might look like. Which I personally find shocking, considering how many people are affected by cake every day. But I … Continue reading
I definitely spend more time wondering about the future than the average person, but I can hardly claim exclusive rights. Much like the sky, folks have been gazing into the future since ancient times. Here, I collect for you some of my favorite observations people have made on the subject over the centuries, along with … Continue reading
Wired is reporting the debut of a tracking bracelet called the Larklife. It’s a simple wristband with an accelerometer that can tell when you’re sleeping, exercising or neither. It comes with a connected iPhone app that allows you to add information about your meals, then crunches all the data for you and reports back. This … Continue reading
The music industry, as you’ve probably noticed, is in the midst of a cosmic shift. As with books and movies, the arrival of the digital era has demolished the old ways of doing business. MP3 sales recently beat CD sales for the first time ever, and it won’t be long ’til all music is digital. … Continue reading
California just became the third state to legalize autonomous cars. They’re not available to consumers yet, but test vehicles can now operate in public there, just as they can in Nevada and Florida. I reacted to this news with delight, while others had a more sober appraisal: I’ve written about the implications of driverless cars … Continue reading
Here’s some heartening sustainability news to file under this week’s Future Bites: Co.exist is reporting that grocery store giant Safeway is boosting the sustainable fishing industry in a big way. This is good because sustainable fishing (like sustainable agriculture) reduces pollution and resource depletion, ensuring that future generations will be able to access the same … Continue reading
Last week I looked at why bicycles should have a privileged place in future planning. Today I take the other angle: What’s the future of bicycles themselves? Curious, I dug around a bit looking for current trends in bicycle design, as well as new innovations that might take off. I found quite a few, and … Continue reading
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