What will the future be like? If you’ve spent any time reading this blog, you’ll know a few details: massive cities, robot drivers, and computers that connect directly to your brain. But what about the big picture? What’s the whole world going to be like in 1,000 years? As the saying goes, ask 10 different … Continue reading
Social networks like Facebook and G+ are great, but they all harbor a major bias: they’re restricted to human users only. Robots, tired of the lack of access and the blatant discrimination, have taken matters into their own hands and created a social network of their own. When the machines eventually rise up in revolt, … Continue reading
Which location do you think is better prepared for the transition to clean energy: the wealthy, green-minded city of San Francisco, or the poor, rural villages of East Africa? If you picked the African villages, believe it or not, you’re on to something. An incredibly innovative startup called Off.grid:Electric has spent two years working to … Continue reading
(That’s Pinoccio without the “h”, for reasons that remain unclear. The reference to the little wooden boy does appear to be intentional, perhaps because it helps your otherwise inanimate objects acquire a life of their own). Anyway, never mind what it’s called. Just what is this wonky little circuit board we’re looking at? It’s a … Continue reading
Ah, Christmas lists: the classic childhood tradition of filling a page with all the cool toys you don’t have, then mailing it off to a rotund stranger in a distant land. Well, wishlists aren’t just for kids – here’s one that will satisfy future enthusiasts of any age. Send it to your clueless aunt who … Continue reading
Quick! What do robots, bicycles, art, and the Boston community have in common? If you said “they all need to be made by someone,” you’re right. So wouldn’t it be fun if we could make all those things in one place, together? Well, a startup venture called the Artisan’s Asylum, just a few blocks from … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
Let’s admit one thing up front: genetic mutations are a good thing! They’re evolution’s way of experimenting, so we should thank them for bringing forth lobster claws, orchid petals, and human brains. In fact, without mutations, life on earth would have died out as soon as the environment changed in any way. But from a … Continue reading
This week’s topic is one of my favorites: the intersection of the digital world with the physical. I’ve discussed this topic many times before (check out my “digital space” tag for more) but today’s especially exciting because it involves ninjas! Sorry, not that kind of ninja. I’m talking about the technological equivalent, a nifty device … Continue reading
What’s the future of human civilization? Cosmic Revolutions has looked at a lot of big questions, but this one’s as big as they come. Indeed, everything I’ve posted so far has tried to fill in a piece of the answer. But today, I want to step back, way back, and try to catch a glimpse … Continue reading
Cosmic Revolutions 