May 2014 – Lifeboat News: The Blog

White Swan Update by Andres Agostini

Andres Agostini — Sun, 01 Jun 2014 06:57:50 +0000

White Paper — Market Research and Social Media in the 21st Century http://ciowhitepapers.com/owp/119/156

How Digital Currency Could End Corruption in Afghanistan http://www.wired.com/2014/05/how-digital-currency-could-end-…ghanistan/

“Humans are lazy. People go from plausible suspicion to way overconfidence.” http://www.technologyreview.com/news/527756/lazy-humans-shap…omous-car/

Driverless Cars: Optional by 2024, Mandatory by 2044 http://spectrum.ieee.org/transportation/advanced-cars/driver…ign=buffer

Winning in the Digital Channel: The E-Commerce Opportunity in Consumer Goods http://www.accenture.com/us-en/Pages/insight-winning-digital…sf26766071

Chinese Internet Companies Rapidly Gaining Global Influence http://www.technologyreview.com/view/527706/chinese-companie…ce=twitter

Maybe Dogs Don’t Want to be Walked by a Drone http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/dog-spies/2014/05/30/2-r…y-a-drone/

Mars Ahead? SpaceX Unveils Dragon V2 Capsule for Astronaut Trips http://www.cnbc.com/id/101717620

How Smart Houses And Big Data Will Change Real Estate Economics http://www.forbes.com/sites/modeledbehavior/2014/05/19/how-s…ium=social

As Big Data Grows, a New Role Emerges: the Chief Data Officer http://asmarterplanet.com/blog/2014/02/chief-data-officer.html

LA Optometrist Selling Google Glass Says Interest Is “Huge” http://internetmedicine.com/2014/05/19/la-optometrist-sellin…t-is-huge/

Glitz, Glam and SpaceX: Inside Elon Musk’s Dragon V2 Spaceship (Video) http://www.space.com/26068-elon-musk-spacex-dragon-v2-glam-reveal.html

Teen invents battery-free flashlight http://www.engineering.com/DesignerEdge/DesignerEdgeArticles…light.aspx

Walmart CEO Says Retail Giant May Buy 3D Printer Company http://www.engineering.com/3DPrinting/3DPrintingArticles/Art…mpany.aspx

Edison2 – Daytona Speedway http://www.engineering.com/DesignSoftware/DesignSoftwareArti…dison2art6

Mentor Graphics — Becoming the Standard for Electronics Design http://www.engineering.com/DesignSoftware/DesignSoftwareArti…esign.aspx

Future Observatory, White Swan Update by Andres Agostini

Andres Agostini — Sun, 01 Jun 2014 06:13:05 +0000

What the future of work looks like http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2014/05/29/what-the-future-of-work-looks-like/

The first 21st Century Passenger Spacecraft – Dragon Version 2 is Unveiled http://www.21stcentech.com/21st-century-passenger-spacecraft…-unveiled/

Our Universe May Exist in a Multiverse, Cosmic Inflation Discovery Suggests http://www.space.com/25100-multiverse-cosmic-inflation-gravitational-waves.html

Entanglement in a Quantum Annealing Processor https://journals.aps.org/prx/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevX.4.021041

Learning http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/futurium/en/content/learning
A trans-humanistic era http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/futurium/en/content/trans-humanistic-era

Hyper-connected human http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/futurium/en/content/hyper-connected-human

Google gets 12,000 requests to be ‘forgotten’ on first day http://phys.org/news/2014-05-google-forgotten-day.html

Scientists use 3D printing to make artificial blood vessels http://phys.org/news/2014-05-scientists-3d-artificial-blood-vessels.html

New drugs may make a dent in lung, ovarian cancer http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-05-drugs-dent-lung-ovarian-cancer.html

NASA suggests humans could be on Mars by 2035 http://phys.org/news/2014-05-nasa-humans-mars.html#nRlv

Amazon Awarded Bitcoin-Related Cloud Computing Patent

Seb — Sat, 31 May 2014 18:38:35 +0000

Nermin Hajdarbegovic — Coin Desk

E-commerce giant Amazon has been awarded a bitcoin-related cloud computing patent that envisions the use of digital currencies as payment for cloud computing services on Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Amazon’s cloud is by far the biggest remote computing service on the market. Market research firm Gartner estimates AWS annual revenue at upwards of $3bn, and it believes Amazon’s cloud has five times the capacity of its next 14 rivals.

Physicists use diamonds to reach quantum teleportation breakthrough

Seb — Sat, 31 May 2014 17:20:55 +0000

BY Philip Palermo — Endgadget

Quantum teleportation promises a leap into the next great era of computing — but first we’ve got to get it working consistently. Scientists at the Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft say they’ve managed to reliably teleport quantum info stored in one bit of diamond to another sitting three meters away (roughly 10 feet). Now, they want to go much farther.

The key with quantum teleportation is its ability to move quantum information (called a qubit) from one point to another without that information crossing the space between those two points. That’s thanks to a phenomenon known as quantum entanglement, where the properties of a pair of particles are linked so tightly that they remain connected regardless of distance. In a research article published today in Science, the team described how they used quantum-entangled particles to consistently transmit data from one nitrogen-infused bit of diamond to another.

The Lifeboat Foundation Worldwide Ambassador Mr. Andres Agostini’s own White Swan Update, Countermeassuring Every Unthinkable Black Swan, at http://lifeboat.com/blog/2014/04/white-swan

Andres Agostini — Sat, 31 May 2014 07:44:59 +0000

The Lifeboat Foundation Worldwide Ambassador Mr. Andres Agostini’s own White Swan Update, Countermeassuring Every Unthinkable Black Swan, at https://lifeboat.com/blog/2014/04/white-swan

‘Nanodaisies’ deliver more powerful drug cocktail to cancer cells http://www.kurzweilai.net/nanodaisies-deliver-more-powerful-…ncer-cells
A research agenda for potential ecological risks of synthetic biology http://www.kurzweilai.net/a-research-agenda-for-potential-ec…ic-biology

How to make robots and self-driving cars think faster http://www.kurzweilai.net/how-to-make-robots-and-self-driving-cars-think-faster
Google’s self-driving car prototype: no steering wheel, brake, or accelerator http://www.kurzweilai.net/googles-self-driving-car-prototype…ccelerator
Can ‘Mixed Reality Living Spaces’ fix our overcrowded future? http://www.theverge.com/2014/5/26/5751336/virtual-reality-walls-bernando-schorr
Scientists achieve reliable quantum teleportation for first time http://www.cnet.com/news/scientists-achieve-reliable-quantum…irst-time/
DARPA unveils four ‘big’ cybersecurity projects http://washingtonexaminer.com/darpa-unveils-four-big-cyberse…le/2549057

Beam me up, Scotty: teleportation ‘could become reality’ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/10863929/Bea…ality.html
Pew Report: The Internet of Things http://www.ctovision.com/2014/05/pew-report-internet-things/
How MIT and Caltech’s coding breakthrough could accelerate mobile network speeds http://m.networkworld.com/community/node/85496?hpg1=bn
This Futuristic Car Design Was Inspired By A Fighter Jet’s Wing http://www.businessinsider.com/deltawing-concept-car-2014-5
100 Amazing Futuristic Design Concepts We Wish Were Real http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/04/100-amazing-futurist…were-real/

SpaceX unveils first commercial capsule capable of manned flight

Seb — Fri, 30 May 2014 16:20:18 +0000

By Jordan England-Nelson, Los Angeles Daily News

The long-awaited presentation by Elon Musk, SpaceX’s billionaire CEO and founder of Tesla Motors, showcased the 12-year-old company’s engineering prowess with the flair of an Apple product release party.

Starry-eyed engineers cheered and flashed their smartphone cameras inside SpaceX’s Hawthorne factory as Musk took the stage in a crushed velvet blazer and a boy-band mic strapped to his ear.

After a 10-second countdown, a curtain dropped behind Musk to reveal the gumdrop-shaped Dragon V2, a seven-passenger capsule that could begin shuttling astronauts to the ISS as early as 2017.

TransEvolution (2014) by Daniel Estulin (@EstulinDaniel): Review

Harry J. Bentham — Fri, 30 May 2014 16:00:55 +0000

- @ClubOfINFO — TransEvolution: The Coming Age of Human Deconstruction (2014) is an alarmist book by Daniel Estulin, a commentator on the secretive Bilderberg Group who is well-liked by many – in particular on conspiracy theorist forums. Essentially, this should be regarded as conspiracy theory material. My refutations of it are too many to cram into this review, so I will mainly focus on what the book itself says.

Daniel Estulin connects disparate events and sources to depict an elaborate conspiracy. The main starting claim of the book is a link between the 2005 Bilderberg Conference and the 2006 document Strategic Trends 2007–2036 prepared by the British government (p. 1–12). Estulin claims that the latter report’s predictions betray “Promethean” plans that represent “designs by the Bilderberg Group”.

The book makes the allegation that the economic pressure on the world today “is being done on purpose, absolutely on purpose. The reason is because our current corporate empire knows that “progress of humanity” means their imminent demise”. The “powers-that-be” destroy nation-states to maintain power, and “this is by design” (p. 13). Estulin decries international money flows and globalization, and promotes “physical economy” instead. To make a long story short, he describes the apparatus of globalization, integration, etc. as a clash between the nation-state and global oligarchy and frames this as a classic battle between good and evil respectively (p. 13–35). “The ideas of a nation-state republic and progress” are intrinsically connected (p. 34), Estulin argues, putting forward his preference for the old Jacobin ideological script of the Nineteenth Century rather than modern discourses on integration and communication.

In his preference for the nation-state, Estulin attacks the WTO’s record on free trade, and makes criticisms that are provisionally valid. However, he confuses the tendency for weaker nations to be exploited through free trade with a conspiracy against the nation-state. The WTO’s commitment to what it calls free trade, a commitment to “One World, One Market”, reflects “anti-nation-state intent”, Estulin argues (p. 37–38).

Although they attach too much agency to global “elites”, Estulin’s description of the way international trade on agriculture has been manipulated to disadvantage poor nations and advantage rich nations (p. 38–49) agrees with already powerful sociology theories of “free trade imperialism” and the larger humanitarian message of the alter-globalization movement. Estulin quotes William Engdahl’s The Seeds of Destruction at length to argue against the destructive local impacts of global agribusiness (p. 47–53).

Estulin interprets the spread of the pharmaceuticals industry as evidence of the elite seeking a docile and controlled population, “massive drugging of the population”, “controlled chaos”, and even goes as far as to say that GMOs will be poisoning everyone on the planet and finally kill 3 billion people indiscriminately (p. 63–68). More puzzlingly than what has already been specified, Estulin blames the Club of Rome thesis itself (which predicted the depletion of resources leading to economic collapse) for making an enemy of humanity and submitting a plan for no less than the deliberate depopulation of the Earth (p. 17–20).

Synthetic biology is not spared from criticism by Estulin. He immediately labels it as “founded on the ambition that one day it will be possible to design and manufacture a human being” (p. 69). For the record, nowhere in the field of synthetic biology has anyone actually advocated manufacturing human beings, and nor does such an ambition coincide with the conspiracy theory about depopulating the Earth. Estulin further confuses science with pseudoscience, stating “genetics, as defined by the Rockefeller Foundation, would constitute the new face of eugenics” (p. 71). “Ultimately,” Estulin writes, “this is about taking control of nature, redesigning it and rebuilding it to serve the whims of the controlling elite” (p. 72).

In further arguments against the perceived “elite”, Estulin demonizes space exploration, saying “the elite are planning, at least, a limited exodus from the Planet Earth. Why? What do they know that we don’t? Nuclear wars? Nanowars? Bacteriological wars?” (p. 123) Chapter 4, although titled “space exploration”, is dedicated to explaining the deadly potential of future security and defense technologies when used by regimes against their own people (p. 115–156).

Then, we get to transhumanism (only in the last chapter.) The chapter alleges that the US government thought up a transhumanist agenda in 2001 as a strategic military contingency – in particular the Russian 2045 Movement. According to Estulin, the transhumanist conspiracy in its present form comes from a conference, “The Age of Transitions” (p. 159–161). Using little more than the few links between political or business figures and transhumanism as evidence, he alleges that transhumanism is “steered by the elite” and that “we, the people, have not been invited” (p. 161–162).

The movie Avatar (2010) by James Cameron (mistakenly named as David Cameron in Estulin’s book), is connected by Estulin with the 2045 movement’s enthusiasm for humans becoming “avatars” by means of being uploaded as digital beings (p. 162–164). Further, the movie Prometheus (2012) by Ridley Scott reflects the “future plans of the elite” according to Estulin (p. 165–170). However, he does not analyze either movie, and fails to note that Peter Weyland (the “elite”) in the movie is actually a vile character and his search for life-extension is a product of his greed and vanity (this is not exactly a glamorization of the search for life extension). If anything, Prometheus joins a long tradition of literature and film that encourages people not to trust transhumanism and life extension and to fear where such movements could lead.

Exaggerated connections and resemblances between disparate conferences, such as the US government and Russian longevity enthusiasts, are put forward as evidence of a conspiracy (p. 170). Then, we get to Estulin’s real complaint against transhumanism:

“Many people have trouble understanding what the true transhumanism movement is about, and why it’s so evil. After all, it’s just about improving our quality of life, right? Or is transhumanism about social control on a gigantic scale?” (p. 172–173)

Estulin also asserts:

“Transhumanism fills people’s hopes and minds with dreams of becoming superhuman, but the fact of the matter is that the true goal is the removal of that pesky, human free will itself.” (p. 186)

Estulin (and Engdahl’s) belief in a eugenic “depopulation” agenda (p. 57), as hideous as the crimes of Nazism, in Monsanto’s work is an example of a conspiracy theory appealing to irrational fears. Both of these writers are confusing corporate greed and monopolistic priorities with actual wicked and genocidal intent, and assigning motives that do not exist. They are confusing structural evils in the world system with actions by evil men gathered in dark rooms. Estulin also conveniently misses out the fact that the indiscriminate poisoning of all life by changing the DNA of every living thing would also threaten the conspirators and their own families. I guess we must assume that the conspirators are also a suicide cult, of the same breed as Jim Jones’ “People’s Temple”.

At the end of the book’s tirade about synthetic biology being a ticket for the elite to control all life, Estulin reverts back to a question very prominent in mainstream fora: “can we trust the major corporations with the right thing?” (p. 74). The answer from almost everyone would be No – but not for any of the reasons Estulin has put forward. We can’t trust the major corporations, because their only interest is endless profit in the near term, and such profit is maximized by their ability to monopolize and detain real progress. Monsanto and other agri-giants are only vainly forestalling and trying to contain the real technium for their own greed – there is nothing radical about them.

One thing I find ever entertaining about conspiracy theories is the tendency to get their ideas from Hollywood movies, while at the same time refuting the movies as an example of brainwashing and propaganda. Apparently, despite all their warnings to people not to be influenced by media, conspiracy theorists are incapable of noticing how impressionable and easily pressured they themselves are.

The book even attacks Darwinian evolution and natural selection, seeing a sinister agenda in them (p. 179–180), which adds to the book’s already deep anti-science message. He connects the theory of evolution with the destructive idea of social Darwinism, and with transhumanism in turn (p. 190–191). The elite plan to “bring society down to the level of beast” by encouraging such social Darwinism, Estulin alleges (p. 211–219).

Bizarre speculated connections between Malthusian theories, Darwin, the British Empire, eugenics and ultimately transhumanism (p. 174–178) do not take note of the fact that transhumanists and technoprogressives are the one camp in the world most opposed to Malthusianism. Technoprogressives are the camp with the most faith in the idea that the entire world can be fed and sustained. No-one has more faith in the infinite resources of humanity and the ability to meet everyone’s needs than the technoprogressives.

Perhaps reflecting the book’s confusion, Chapter 1 is dedicated to asserting that the “elite” will reduce everyone to a primitive and chaotic setting, whereas Chapter 2 onwards alleges that the plan is a high-tech dystopia. These two polar opposite conspiracies do not coincide in any way, as do the paradoxical claims that transhuman technologies are never going to be seen by the world’s poor, yet are also going to be forced on the whole of humanity.

The coverage of transhumanism and understanding of it in this book is not positive (to put it politely). It fails to take account of transhumanism’s real basis as a movement exploring emerging trends to change humanity for the better. Instead, it simply exaggerates marginal influences by futurism, popular science and technology enthusiasm on governments and business elites as representing a global conspiracy.

A more informative theory about the relationship of the “elite” towards transhumanism would instead explore the habit of ignorant opposition by Neoconservatives, warmongers, and the mainstream media towards international peace, development, science, education, web freedom, and ultimately transhumanism.

By Harry J. Bentham — More articles by Harry J. Bentham

Originally published on 20 May 2014 at h+ Magazine

Artificial Intelligence: Data formula makes robots autonomous

Seb — Thu, 29 May 2014 16:30:47 +0000

Deutsche Welle

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They recognise how unfamiliar objects move, find their way in rooms they don’t know, and securely grasp completely differently shaped objects. Oliver Brock has programmed his robots so they can almost learn the way people do. His trick is an algorithm that trawls through large amounts of data and subdivides movements into individual segments.

You’ll soon be able to pay your TV company in Bitcoin. The future is now.

Seb — Thu, 29 May 2014 15:06:47 +0000

Brian Fung — Washington Post

We’ve been talking for months about how Bitcoin has been slowly getting more integrated into the mainstream. Well, now the cryptocurrency is taking a bigger step in that direction: Beginning this summer, Dish Network, one of the largest satellite TV operators in the country, is going to start accepting bitcoins as a form of payment.

The company said Thursday that it’s partnering with the virtual wallet company Coinbase to help process the transactions. Users who want to pay with bitcoins will do so through Coinbase, which will instantly convert the bitcoins into dollars and forward them to Dish.

“Bitcoin is becoming a preferred way for some people to transact and we want to accommodate those individuals,” said Dish executive vice president Bernie Han in a statement.

Suspended Animation Goes Primetime: Say Goodbye To Death As We Know It

Seb — Thu, 29 May 2014 14:56:57 +0000

Steven Kotler — Singularity Hub

In The Princess Bride, the always sagacious Miracle Max—aka Billy Crystal—points out “there’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead.” And he wasn’t wrong.

Death has always been something of a moving target. Take, for example, the first edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica, published in 1768, that defined the term as “the separation of soul and body; in which sense it stands opposed to life, which consists in the union thereof.

But how can you tell when said separation occurs? Well, that’s a slightly more complicated procedure and one we still haven’t quite cracked. Thus, moving forward, and trying for an—um— more practical definition, we began to define the end of life by a series of cessations.