Category Archives: Futurism

A New Plan

They say everythings sweeter the second time around, and that seems to be the casefor SpaceXs plans to colonizeMars. Last year, Musk unveiled his plans to colonize the Red Planet and make it fit for human habitation. Now, that version of the plan has been published and madeavailable for freewith a few notable updates.

In the paper, the focus is on affordability, as that is the primary factor in making life on Mars a reality. As Musk notes, You cannot create a self-sustaining civilization if the ticket price is $10 billion per person. In order for it to be viable, Musk asserts that the cost should be about $200,000equivalent to the median price of a house in the United States. In the paper, Musk outlines the steps he considers essential to ensuring this relative affordability.

But this is just the beginning.Musk posted a tweet today hinting that this version one is already being reviewedand version 2 is on its way.

According to Musk, the version one has one fundamental flaw, which is the cost of developing and operating giant rockets. While SpaceX has been specializing on reusable rockets, getting to Mars would still be costly due to the size of the rockets needed. According to V1 of the plan, getting to Mars depends on a reusable rocket-and-spaceship tandem, which Musk has called the Interplanetary Transport System (ITS). Reducing the costs to developing the ITS is crucial, especially since Musk himself has already put a cap on how much a trip to Mars should be.

Musk asserts that he envisions 1,000 or soITS spaceships, each of which are carrying 100 or more people, leaving Earth orbit during Mars windows, the point in time when Earth and Mars align favorably, which happens once every 26 months.

Outlining the importance of making this information freely available, New Space editor-in-chief Scott Hubbard asserts that publishing this paper provides not only an opportunity for the spacefaring community to read the SpaceX vision in print with all the charts in context, but also serves as a valuable archival reference for future studies and planning.

There is a huge amount of risk. It is going to cost a lot,Musk wrote. There is a good chance we will not succeed, but we are going to do our best and try to make as much progress as possible. By giving everyone access to this information, our chances of success are greatly improved.

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Elon Musk Just Published His Plan to Colonize Mars - Futurism

In BriefA head transplant doctor claims to have made advance towardrealizing the medical procedure, but the scientific communityremains skeptical. The team claims to have used a proprietary"glue" to repair the severed spines of rats and achieved fullrecovery. Head Transplants?

Sergio Canavero, a man who has made the goal of his lifes work to transplant a human head onto a donor body, is claiming a success. He and his team have reported seemingly positive results from a technique called the Gemini Protocol. They used the protocol to repair severed spinal cords in rats, and their findings indicate that their methodology works across the board.

The researchers severed thespinal cords of 15 rats. Nine then received the actual Gemini Protocol, while the remaining six served as controls.

After the team severed the spinal cords, they applied adrenaline and a cooled saline to reduce bleeding. The rats treated with the experimental process received a polyethylene glycol (PEG) substance Canavero simply refers to as glue, which he says repairs and seals nerve cells in damaged spinal cords. The wounds were closed and the rats received antibiotics for three days.

Fourteen of the 15 rats survived for a month following the operation. According to the researchers, the experimental rats treated with PEG mixture recovered motor function steadily and were about to walk again by day 28. In fact, two of them were basically normal by that time.

However, most in the scientific community joined by most in the gaming community for totally different reasons are as highly skeptical about these alleged outcomes as they have been all along.

Scientists are doubtful for several reasons. First, the team didnt describe their methods well enough for other researchers to be sure about them. Case Western Reserve University Professor of Neurosciences Jerry Silver said in an interview with Newsweek that its not clear whether they severed only the dorsal spinal chord or the entire spinal chord.

He also points out an overall lack of evidence: they show no evidence for regeneration. There is no histology [the microscopic study of tissue structure], which is the only way to assess what is really going on here, Silver added.

Moreover, the characterization and scoring of motor function in the experimental rats is, according to Silver, unrealistic. The study reported that two of the treated animals recovered nearly normal locomotor skills (scoring of 19 and 20 points out of a possible 21 total) and that the treated rats had average a score of 12, which means that, on average, they could take multiple weight-bearing steps.

[This is] unbelievable, Silver said in the interview. Too good to be true in my opinion, which mandates that these results will have be independently verified and properly analyzed before this work can be accepted as scientifically valid.

Gamers are also skeptical because this appears to many to be a viral marketing scheme for Metal Gear Solid. The games creator and Canavero both deny this.

The team is now moving on to experimentation on dogs apparently horrifying many potential consumers is not a concern for them. They hope this next stage will provide indisputable proof that the technique works across the board. The first human head transplant remains scheduled in December of this year; the patient will be a Chinese national.

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Head Transplant Doctor Reports Successful Repair of Spinal Cord ... - Futurism

In Brief Toshiba has developed a robot to help survey highly radioactive waters at the site of the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The robot will help find lost fuel rods and gauge the structural integrity of the facility to ensure safe removal.

The 2011 meltdown of the Fukushima Da-Ichi nuclear power plant was a disaster of outrageousproportions. Triggered by a massive earthquake, the meltdown forced tens of thousand of people to evacuate their homes. The cleanup effort is ongoing and has been employing robots to help remove the radioactive fuel still trapped within the ruins of the facility.

Past robots used in the effort have consistently run into issues given the intense radiation on the site. Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco) has made progress in the removal of some of the spent fuel rods, but some melted fuel rods have managed to evade detection.

A new remote-controlled robot, however, is hoping to help locate those melted rods while also surveying the structural damage to the facility. Once the rods are located, the team will have to study the best way to safely remove them. The robot is about the size of a loaf of bread.

Radiation levels in the plant continue to make it impossible for humans to complete the cleanup. One robot, known as the scorpion probe, was exposed to radiation levels of 1,000 Sievert, which would kill a human in a matter of seconds. Robotics give humans control in these impossible conditions.

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Toshiba Has Unveiled a Swimming Robot to Assist in the Fukushima Cleanup - Futurism

In Brief Amazon and Blue Origin CEO Jeff Bezos is asking help over Twitter for a new philanthropy strategy that's focused on helping people in the here and now. Though obviously an innovator, Bezos believes he needs to do something more immediate.

Serial entrepreneur Jeff Bezos needs your help. He recently took to Twitter to post a message about a predicament hes currently facing; he is crowdsourcing for a new philanthropic idea.

Im thinking I want much of my philanthropic activity to be helping people in the here and now short term at the intersection of urgent need and lasting impact, Bezos wrote in the tweet. It seems like the Amazon CEO was inspired by the philanthropic work done at Marys Place in Seattle.

Bezos admitted that much of his time is currently occupied by long-term innovation, as can be seen in his work with Blue Origin. His private space company is currently working on improving its rocket technology as it builds the New Glenn, its biggest one yet. The plan, Bezos revealed previously, is to colonize the SolarSystem, which is obviously a long-term endeavor.

Bezos also has projects that bring long-term ambition into the here and now. One example of this is how Amazon is redefining the retail experience with its unmanned stores. Its a product of how Amazon has been usingartificial intelligence (AI), an advanced and quickly developing technology, to influence business in the present.

As for Bezos new philanthropic idea, one can say that whatever positive changes it could make in the here and now could give people a shot at a better future. And hey, you can even get involved and pitch in an idea or two.

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Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Needs Your Ideas For a New Philanthropic Endeavor - Futurism

In Brief Renewable energy sources, particularly solar and wind, have broken records in the U.S. electricity market. According to a report by the EIA, solar and wind combined generated 10 percent of the nation's total energy, the highest percentage yet.

A new report shows that earlier this year, renewables brokeenergy records in the United States for the first time. The data from the U.S. Energy Information Administrations (EIA) Electric Power Monthlydemonstrated that the monthly electricity generation from solar and wind sources made up10 percent of the countrystotal generation in the U.S.during the month of March.

The date from the EIA showed that around 8percent of the total electricity generated during that month came from wind, and the other 2 percent was from solar sources, including residential and utility-scale solar panels. The EIA noted these two renewable sources are highly seasonal: wind generates increasedin electricity during spring and solar output reaches its highest numbersin the summertime.

The agency saidits likely when they review the data for April, the trend will have continued: Based on seasonal patterns in recent years, electricity generation from wind and solar will probably exceed 10% of total U.S. generation again in April 2017, then fall to less than 10% in the summer months, according to a press release by the EIA. Renewable energy is clearly stirring things up, as it continues to break records andnot just in the U.S. These record-breaking quarters arent surprising, sincethe price of renewables has decreased considerablycompared to traditional coal-based sources. Renewables are also disrupting the U.S. job scene: more people are now employed by solar power than all fossil fuel employers combined. Renewable employees also outnumber those working at huge companies likeGoogle, Facebook, and even Apple.

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Renewable Energy in the US Broke Energy Records for the First Time - Futurism

In BriefThis month has shown that Hawaii may be the U.S.'s mostforward-thinking state. Earlier in June, it became the first stateto formally accept the provisions of the Paris Climate Accord, andnow, the state congress has passed a bill that puts Hawaii on thepath to universal basic income. Eyes on the Future

Innovation and forward-thinking may beHawaiis two biggest exports in 2017. Earlier this month, the state earned the distinction of being the first in the U.S.to formally accept the provisions of the Paris Climate Agreement after President Donald Trump decided to withdraw the nation from it, and now, Hawaii is taking the lead in embracing yet another innovative idea: universal basic income (UBI).

Today, Hawaii state representative Chris Lee wrote a Reddit post aboutHouse Concurrent Resolution 89, a bill he says he introduced in order to start a conversation about our future. According to Lee, After much work and with the help of a few key colleagues, it passed both houses of the State Legislature unanimously.

Lee also mentioned the development via Twitter:

The bill has two major provisions. First, it declares that all families in Hawaii are entitled to basic financial security. As far as Im told, its the first time any state has made such a pronouncement, wrote Lee. The second provision establishes a number of government offices to analyze our states economy and find ways to ensure all families have basic financial security, including an evaluation of different forms of a full or partial universal basic income.

The congressman thanked redditors in his post, as he said the site became his first resource in considering UBI, and added a Reddit-standard TL;DR at the end: The State of Hawaii is going to begin evaluating universal basic income.

Under a UBI program, every citizen is granted a fixed income thats not dependent on their status in life. Despite the current focus on the concept, itactuallyisnt particularlynew. In fact, former U.S. President Richard Nixon actually floated the idea back in 1969.

However, the benefits of such a program havebecome more appealing in light of recent technological advances, specifically, the adoption ofautomated systems that could result in widespread unemployment.

Proponents of UBI have highlighted how it would be an improvement on existing social welfare programswhile mitigating the effects of the joblessness expected to follow automation. Critics think that UBI would encourage a more lax attitudeabout workand argue thatfunding such a system would be difficult, if not impossible.

Existing pilot programs, however, seem to indicate otherwise.

Hawaii may be the first U.S.state to pass any sort of UBI-positive legislation, but several countries around the globe are already testing the system. Finland began its two-year UBI pilotin 2016, and Germany has one as well. Canada plans to start trialsin Prince Edward Island (PEI) and Ontario, while India is currently debating the merits of UBI. Several private UBI endeavorsare also in the works, including one that uses blockchain and cryptocurrency.

Of course, the implementation of any major UBI program requires a great deal of political will. As Lee wrote, Planning for the future isnt politically sexy and wont win anyone an election []. But if we do it properly, we will all be much better off for it in the long run.

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Hawaii Becomes the First State to Pass a Bill in Support of Universal Basic Income - Futurism

In BriefAsgardia wants to be the world's first independent nation inspace. To do this, its would-be citizens are already working onratifying a constitution and coming up with their own government.Now, they plan to launch their first satellite into space. A City Beyond the Skies

Anon-profit organizationunder the leadership of Igor Ashurbeyli, wants to put more than a human or two into space they want to forman entire nation beyond Earth.Their plan is to create the worlds first space nation called Asgardia, named after a city in the skies in Norse mythology.

Asgardia, which sounds like something out of not just myth, but science fiction lore has been busy recruiting citizens: to date, 205,563 earthlings have signed up to become Asgardians. The group has even drafted a constitution, which is now in the process of being ratified. While theyre still seeking UN approval, Asgardia is already planning to launch their first presence in space. The Asgardia-1, a tiny CubeSat satellite being built by Indiana-based company NearSpace Launch, is capable of storing 512 GB of private data in space.

The first presence of the Asgardian nation, we can now say, will be in space this year, Jeffrey Manber, CEO of satellite company NanoRacks, said during a June 13 press briefing in Hong Kong. He added that Asgardia-1 may turn out to be the most important and lasting [idea] that were working with. Asgardia-1 would be launched aboard a NASA-funded mission.

Due to the legal considerations oflaunching a satellite into space, Asgardia-1 would be launched with the help of funding from several undisclosed organizations, but potentially including Ashurbeylis Aerospace International Research. The legal, political, and ethical concerns whilevalid are just one ofthe many issues Asgardia must hurdle overto make their dream a reality. First and foremost, perhaps, isthe challenge of actually putting togethera large enough spacecraft.

Well start small and eventually people will be going there, and working, and having their own rules and regulations This facility will become an independent nation, Asgardia founding member Ram Jakhu previously told Business Insider. Assuming it does get to space, the nations new members would still have to learn to cope with the many challenges ofliving in spacefor any stretch of time, let alone a permanent arrangement. As astronauts would probably tell you, humankind isnt built to live in space which is why visits to the International Space Station are limited to a certain period.

Critics of the plan have been quick to call it absurd,and many expect the project will fizzle out quickly from a lack of funding, manpower, and the required expertise to pull it off. Asgardians arent discouraged by the naysayers, though:Anyone who tries out-of-the-box things is initially ridiculed, Jakhu said. Everything thats amazing starts with a crazy idea. After a while, science fiction becomes science fact, and this is an idea which is just being initiated.

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The World's First "Space Nation" Will Attempt a Launch This Summer - Futurism

In Brief Researchers from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology have developed a paint that can generate hydrogen fuel from moist air and sunlight. The team expects the technology to be ready for commercial use in five years. Powerful Paint

Powering homes using clean energy is becoming easier thanks to a growing number of innovative technologies and initiatives. Some government programs help homeowners with the financial burden of equipping their residences with energy-generating solar panels, and Elon Musks Tesla has developed roofing tiles that double as solar panels to give solar power generation an aesthetic boost. Now, a new innovation out of Australia is poised to make clean energy even more appealing.

A team of researchers from theRoyal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) has developed a paint that can be used togenerate clean energy. The paint combines the titanium oxide already used in many wall paints with a new compound: synthetic molybdenum-sulphide. The latter acts a lot like the silica gel packaged with many consumer products to keep them free from damage by absorbing moisture.

According to a report on RMITs website, the material absorbssolar energy as well as moisture from the surrounding air. It can then split the water into hydrogen and oxygen, collecting the hydrogen for use in fuel cells or to power a vehicle. [T]he simple addition of the new material can convert a brick wall into energy harvesting and fuel production real estate, explained lead researcher Dr. Torben Daeneke.

Though the paint isnt expected to be commercially viable within the next five years, Daeneke told Inverse he believes the end product will be cheap to produce. He also claims the paint would be effective in a variety of climates, from damp environments to hot and dry ones near large bodies of water: Any place that has water vapor in the air, even remote areas far from water, can produce fuel.

The paint could be used to cover areas that wouldnt get enough sunlight to justify the placement of solar panels, maximizing the capability of any property to generate clean energy. Any surface that could be painted a fence, a shed, a doghouse could be transformed into an energy-producing structure.

When this new material finally makes its way to consumers, itll join the ever-growing list of innovative technologies that are moving humanity away from fossil fuels and toward a future of clean, renewable sources of energy.

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A New Solar Paint Lets You Transform Your Entire House Into a Source of Clean Energy - Futurism

In Brief CEO Elon Musk hinted at a possible target for the next generation of Tesla Roadsters expected to launch by 2019, and it's going to be the fastest one yet. Of course, with all the vehicles Tesla's currently working on, we'll have to wait a while to test it ourselves.

From 2008 and 2012, Tesla actually had a line of electric sports cars called the Tesla Roadster, which was the first-ever highway legal serial production of an all-electric car powered by lithium-ion batteries. Tesla has since discontinued its production, but it was announced three years ago that a second generation roadsteris coming.

CEO Elon Musk plans for this Tesla Roadster 4.0, so to speak, to outdo the first version. It will be capable of a Maximum Plaid performance mode, as Musk would call it in reference to the movie Spaceballs. In a recent tweet, Musk hinted at just how fast this Maximum Plaid would be.

If the first generation, had a Ludicrous mode capable of 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration in just 2.5 seconds, the Tesla Roadster 4.0 might just hit 97 km/h (60 mph) in under two seconds. That would [be] an interesting target, Musk said in a tweet, replying to a question about the new roadster.

Would, of course, only count if capable of doing so right off the production line with street legal tires, Musk added, which Electreks Fred Lambert considers a possibility for the roadster to be faster with aftermarket components.

However, because Tesla is still busy with launching the Model 3 and perhaps working on the Model Y, and not to mention the highly-anticipated all-electric semi, the roadster is still a few years away supposedly in 2019. But the Roadster still gives Tesla fans who love sports cars something to look forward to.

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Elon Musk: The Next Generation Tesla Roadster May Achieve 60 MPH in Under 2 Seconds - Futurism

In Brief Elon Musk's talk at the International Astronautical Congress has been adapted as a journal article in this month's New Space. The CEO of SpaceX focuses on the affordability of tickets to Mars as a key factor in its successful colonization. Mars Planning

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, delivered an address at the International Astronautical Congress held in Guadalajara, Mexico last year outlining his vision of getting humans into space. This talk has now been adapted into a fifteen-page article that was published in this months issue of the journal New Space. Musk focuses on affordability as a major factor to ensuring the possibility of Mars colonization. He says You cannot create a self-sustaining civilization if the ticket price is $10 billion per person. He believes that the cost should be about $200,000; equivalent to the median price of a house in the United States.

Musk outlines the steps he considers essential to ensuring this relative affordability. The first step, developing fully reusable transport, is already well underway at SpaceX. The company has already proven the reliability of itsreusable rockets,and have recently demonstratedthe reusability of theDragon spacecraft. Fueling is also a key factor in controlling costs: equipping any craft with additional fuel will significantly increase the weight of the craft. Musk proposes using methane which is produced on Mars and would thereforeallow for refueling viasources directly on the plant.

Many experts believe that in order to ensure the survival of our species, we must work to be multi-planetary beings. Perhaps Musks vision to get us to Mars is the first step toward that goal. Musks enthusiasm for his Mars project is quite timely if we are to believe Stephen Hawking, who predictshumanity only has 100 years left on Earth.

But colonizing Mars is only a one possibility space has to offer. Space miningand manufacturingcan help to decrease the burden on Earths resources and give us the capabilityto create products that would be impossible to manufacture on Earth.

We are at the beginning of an exciting crossroads for humanity. The space race of the mid-20th century brought about great change for humanity. Its looking like this iteration will completely transform us.

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Elon Musk Puts a Cap on Ticket Price to Mars Colony. Here's How Much It Could Cost. - Futurism