Category Archives: Futurist

When people think of iconic timepieces used as movie props, the Seiko Giugiaro 7A28-7000 worn by Sigourney Weavers Ellen Ripley in James Camerons Aliens always comes to mind. But the character wore another vintage timepiece in Ridley Scotts original Alien too, which Casio is now re-issuing just like Seiko did.

It might not be immediately obvious to anyone watching Alien because the watch was doubled up to create the futuristic-looking timepieces worn by Ripley, Dallas, and other crew members aboard the Nostromo, but the films prop makers used a vintage chronograph called the Casio F-100 (although it wasnt vintage at the time of filming) which was the companys first watch to feature a plastic casea common feature of cheap but durable digital watches today.

Aside from the resin case, the watch also included advanced features for the late 70s including a highly accurate stopwatch and a light for the screen. But what makes it stand out are the four function buttons located on the face below the display which today would be typically located on the sides of the watch. It makes the F-100 look more advanced than it really was, and also gives the watch the unique charm of vintage electronics, which is probably why Casio is bringing it back given collectors ravenous appetites for everything retro.

Renamed the A100 series, the watch has been updated with a metallic case and strap and includes a gold option and one with an inverted LCD display. The front-facing buttons are still here, and perform the same functions including changing modes, starting, stopping, and resetting the chronograph, and activating the screen lighting. The Casio A100 also now includes an LED that flashes along with alarms or when a countdown timer completes.

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Available next month for $90, the A100 will also come in a version featuring a limited edition gold Pac-Man motif, with a matching etched stainless steel back and patterned strap reminiscent of the retro games maze levels.

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Casio Is Re-issuing the Futuristic Digital Watch Ripley Wore In Alien - Gizmodo

"The tipping point is here, it is now."Tipping Point

Regions of the Amazon rainforest are now releasing more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than they can absorb. That, experts are warning, could mean that were nearing a tipping point at which the planets largest region of tropical forests will start to contribute to rather than save us from climate change.

According to a new study published in the journal Nature, changing weather patterns are reducing the Amazons ability to absorb carbon. These patterns are likely to become increasingly commonplace thanks to global warming, releasing even more carbon dioxide in the future a grim feedback loop that could spell even more trouble for the global environment.

The study examined the air measurements taken during hundreds of flights between 2010 and 2018 over the Amazons rainforests.

Deforestation, the increasing burning of lumber, and severe droughts have only worsened the effect.

We find that total carbon emissions are greater in eastern Amazonia than in the western part, mostly as a result of spatial differences in carbon-monoxide-derived fire emissions, the international team of researchers wrote in their paper. Southeastern Amazonia, in particular, acts as a net carbon source to the atmosphere.

Experts, however, argue that it may not be too late to reverse the trend. Thomas Lovejoy from George Mason University, who was not involved in the research, told The New York Times that our ability to build back a margin of safety via reforestation is very real. I dont think youll ever get it back to what it was, but you can certainly improve it.

But for now, the phenomenon may only get worse thanks to the skyrocketing deforestation happening in the Amazon. Despite political pressure to reduce the trend, rates of deforestation have climbed significantly particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Its a delicate and dangerous moment that requires immediate action. In an editorial for the journal Science Advances, researchers warned that the precious Amazon is teetering on the edge of functional destruction and, with it, so are we.

Today, we stand exactly in a moment of destiny: The tipping point is here, it is now, they concluded.

READ MORE: Parts of the Amazon Go From Absorbing Carbon Dioxide to Emitting It [The New York Times]

More on the Amazon: Covering the Planet in Forests Still Wouldnt Stop Climate Change

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The Amazon Rainforest Is Starting to Emit More Carbon Than It Absorbs - Futurism

In a scathing and eye-opening Twitter thread, the co-creator of popular altcoin Dogecoin, Jackson Palmer, eviscerated the technology and community behind cryptocurrencies in general.

It was a blistering takedown.

After years of studying it, Palmer wrote, I believe that cryptocurrency is an inherently right-wing, hyper-capitalistic technology built primarily to amplify the wealth of its proponents through a combination of tax avoidance, diminished regulatory oversight and artificially enforced scarcity.

The thread makes it very clear that unlike Dogecoin co-creator Billy Markus, who recently decided to invest in the token himself Palmer believes the crypto industry promotes exactly the kind of financial systems it claims to replace.

Its also a convincingly argued reminder that cryptocurrencies offer very little in terms of protection to those they end up victimizing.

The cryptocurrency industry leverages a network of shady business connections, bought influencers and pay-for-play media outlets to perpetuate a cult-like get rich quick funnel designed to extract new money from the financially desperate and naive, Palmer wrote in the thread.

In other words, like traditional financial systems, the crypto industry serves to separate the haves from the have-nots.

Financial exploitation undoubtedly existed before cryptocurrency, but cryptocurrency is almost purpose built to make the funnel of profiteering more efficient for those at the top and less safeguarded for the vulnerable, he argued.

He has a point. The industry has been rife with scams and embezzlement schemes that have only served to undermine the legitimacy of a technology meant to put an end to a profiteering Wall Street.

In fact, its only getting worse. Americans lost more than $80 million in crypto scams between October 2020 and June 2021, a rise of 1,000 percent year over year, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Despite the total lack of safety precautions for the most vulnerable, US regulators have done little to change that dangerous vacuum.

Cryptocurrency is like taking the worst parts of todays capitalist system (eg. corruption, fraud, inequality) and using software to technically limit the use of interventions (eg. audits, regulation, taxation) which serve as protections or safety nets for the average person, Palmer wrote.

This is the type of dangerous free for all capitalism cryptocurrency was unfortunately architected to facilitate since its inception,Palmer argued.

In short, Palmer has called it quits with crypto, saying it doesnt align with his politics or belief system.

Dogecoin was, after all, meant to be a joke cryptocurrency that skewered the very nature of the then-burgeoning industry.

But with its tremendous rise in value, in large part driven by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the joke turned into exactly the kind of thing it was making fun of in the first place.

And Palmer is sick and tired of having to explain why thats a really bad thing.

More on cryptocurrencies:A Cache of Ancient Bitcoin, Possibly Mined by Satoshi, Just Awakened

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The Creator of Dogecoin Says He Now Believes That All Cryptocurrency Is Horrible - Futurism

Well, that doesn't seem great.Grim Prophecy

Back in 1972, a team of MIT scientists published research predicting the end of our current industrial civilization within the 21st century.

While the study was lambasted at the time, new research shows that its predictions have been eerily accurate so far, Motherboard reports. New research published in the Yale Journal of Industrial Ecology looked back at how things have gone since the initial 1972 report and concluded that we could indeed witness the collapse of civilization as soon as the year 2040. But thats only if we continue our business-as-usual approach to resource extraction and overexploitation suggesting that theres hope for society as long as we can change course.

The new study offers plotted the MIT teams projections against actual, tangible data on economic development and resource extraction in order to see how far down the road to oblivion weve traveled.

Given the unappealing prospect of collapse, I was curious to see which scenarios were aligning most closely with empirical data today, study author Gaya Herrington explained in the study announcement. After all, the book that featured this world model was a bestseller in the 70s, and by now wed have several decades of empirical data which would make a comparison meaningful. But to my surprise, I could not find recent attempts for this. So I decided to do it myself.

Herrington is the Sustainability and Dynamic System Analysis Lead at the accounting firm KPMG, but she conducted the study independently as part of her Harvard masters thesis.

Herrington clarified to Motherboard that collapse does not mean that humanity will cease to exist.

But it will destroy our way of life, she added, saying that economic and industrial growth will stop, and then decline, which will hurt food production and standards of living In terms of timing, the BAU2 scenario shows a steep decline to set in around 2040.

READ MORE: MIT Predicted in 1972 That Society Will Collapse This Century. New Research Shows Were on Schedule. [Motherboard]

More on the end of civilization: New Research: Human Civilization Will Likely Collapse By 2050

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MIT Prediction of Civilization Collapse Appears to Be on Track - Futurism

Abasi Concepts the company behind some of the most futuristic, ergonomic electric guitars currently around has treated its celebrated range of Space T models to an array of new-for-2021 colorways.

Not only that, the brand set up by Animals As Leaders guitarist Tosin Abasi has introduced a collection of fresh wood choices new to the catalog, which will be used for the bodies, necks and fretboards.

Build-wise, the brands new-look guitars boast an assortment of okume and sugar pine bodies, which aim to achieve both a lightweight playability and a bright, resonant character. Other functional appointments found in the range include roasted maple necks, and a choice of either Richlite or birdseye maple fretboards.

Abasi Concepts has pulled no punches in the aesthetic department, either, and has introduced to the fold a handful of vintage-inspired pastel colors, as well as an array of bold, modern finishes.

Lining up alongside the more eye-catching Pink Sparkle and Champagne finishes are the elegant Violinburst, Miami Blue and Black Raven tones. Other colorways in the smartly stylized collection include Sapphire Red, Arctic White and Solarbeam Yellow.

Further features found on the spec sheet include a set of Greg Koch signature Fishman Fluence pickups, tweakable via a conventional Tele-esque control layout composed of a three-way switch, master volume and master tone knob, and a Wilkinson Three-Saddle T-style bridge.

Elsewhere, whereas the original Space Ts had nickel fretwire, all of the new-and-improved iterations will also come equipped with 22 stainless steel frets.

Turns out, these suave new six-strings sound just as good as they look, having been put through their paces by blues guitar icon Josh Smith and Periphery wizard Misha Mansoor.

In a pair of posts, the two guitar gurus can be seen wielding the Champagne and Miami Blue models, respectively, using them to maximum effect as they make their way up and down the fretboard.

Its not the first time weve seen a modern blues player go to town on one of Abasis space-age instruments Gary Clark Jr. tried a Cheddar Space T on for size at a gig last year.

Unfortunately, the Abasi Concepts official website lists most of its new products as being out of stock. Not to worry, though, for there are still a number of Sapphire Red models, equipped with a Richlite fretboard, up for grabs.

These currently list for $3,499.

For more information, head over to Abasi Concepts.

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Abasi Concepts treats its futuristic Space T range to all-new finishes and stainless steel frets - Guitar World

"The company is building the tower at its own risk."Demolition Derby

Over the past four months, SpaceX has constructed a massive launch tower at its facility in Boca Chica, Texas that serves as a monument to the incredible power of the companys Super Heavy booster and the potential of its Starship spacecraft.

But now, pending further review, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) may tell SpaceX to tear it all down, CNBC reports. The launch tower has been centered in a tense disagreement between SpaceX and the FAA, as the company initially claimed it would only be used for research and manufacturing but now wants to use it for, you know, launching a change that subjects it to further FAA regulation. At the heart of it all, the tower seems to be the latest battleground in the bigger fight over who has the real power within the space industry: the private companies pushing the field forward or the regulatory agencies meant to keep them in check.

The issue stems from the FAAs ongoing environmental review of SpaceXs Texas operation. The most recent environmental assessment of SpaceXs launches was completed in 2014 and involved an entirely different rocket than the current Super Heavy. Even though SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said the company wanted to launch in July, SpaceX will need a new FAA license before it can proceed with the next phase of Starship testing, according to CNBC.

The company is building the tower at its own risk, an FAA spokesperson told the news channel.

Aside from the greater impact that a Super Heavy booster could have on the surrounding area, the new launch tower is far bigger than any structures the FAA assessed back in 2014, so questions remain about how well it will perform or how big a hazard it may pose during an actual launch.

But unfortunately for the FAA and perhaps for debris-dodging residents of the area SpaceX CEO Elon Musk doesnt always listen when the agency tells him no.

READ MORE: FAA warns SpaceX that massive Starship launch tower in Texas is unapproved [CNBC]

More on SpaceX: SpaceX President Says Orbital Starship Launch Is Shooting for July

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The FAA May Force SpaceX to Tear Down Its Starship Launch Tower - Futurism

NASA has no plans to retrieve the Lucy spacecraft, so someone else will have to.Message in a Bottle

As NASA prepares to launch Lucy, a spacecraft that will explore the asteroids that share Jupiters orbit, engineers added an important finishing touch: a little time capsule for the descendants of modern humanity.

The spacecraft, slated for an October 16 launch, will travel out to Jupiter to study the Trojan asteroids, which NASA believes contain secrets about the earliest days of the solar system and how its planets formed, Gizmodo reports. But because the space agency has no plans to bring Lucy back to Earth, it also included a little message for whatever civilization might find the spacecraft in the distant future not unlike the Pioneer and Voyager probes, which each carried messages announcing our existence to any theoretical aliens.

Its not clear that whatever future civilization finds Lucys message will be able to understand our language, Gizmodo notes. But just in case, the full list of messages includes quotes from famous musicians including The Beatles as well as civil rights leaders, Poet Laureates, Nobel Prize winners, and others.

The plaque will also carry a depiction of the solar system as it will be on Lucys expected launch date. That way, any astro-archeologists, as NASA called future space explorers in a press release, will be able to determine exactly where we were when we launched our message.

READ MORE: NASAS Lucy Spacecraft Will Carry a Time Capsule for Future Earthlings [Gizmodo]

More on space messages: NASA Facility Will Beam Messages To Space Through Lasers

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New NASA Spacecraft Will Carry Time Capsule for the Descendants of Humans - Futurism

The drone can ferry a live grenade up to 12 miles away.Special Delivery

As prominent militaries around the world try to develop sophisticated killer robots, the US Marines are taking a simpleryet still brutal approach: sticking a grenade onto a tiny drone and steering it to blow up their enemies.

The device, named a Drone 40 modular quadcopter in reference to the 40mm grenade launcher, provides soldiers with a way to lob explosives to targets that would typically be out of reach, Popular Science reports, or to leave the grenades hovering in the air like a sort of aerial landmine. Though the concept is simple compared to other bleeding-edge military tech, recent Drone 40 field tests highlight the ways that robotic and semi-autonomous tech is already permeating the face of combat.

In recent field tests, Marines practiced throwing and launchingthe small quadrotor drones. According to specs, the drone can stay in the air for an hour, travel at speeds up to 45 miles per hour, and travel up to 12 miles away before detonating. The idea is to make the grenade far more effective and dangerous than normal, especially for infantry who would otherwise be limited by their throwing arms.

You can see some of the tests in this strangely-upbeat video that shows marines launching the grenade-bearing drone then reaching up to pluck them out of the sky

READ MORE: The US Marines are testing flying, remote-controlled grenades [Popular Science]

More on military technology: Autonomous Killer Robot Accused of Attacking Soldiers

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Marines Are Testing Tiny Drones That Carry Explosive Grenades - Futurism

Sam Hall & Ewan Gale Thursday 15 July 2021 15:59 - Updated: 16:00

Formula 1 officially launched its new era in an online presentation ahead of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

The covers have been lifted off the 2022 car modelled on new aerodynamic regulations, leading to the drivers giving their initial reactions to a full-scale model it is hoped will improve racing and increase overtaking from next year into the future.

Click here to see the GPFans Global image gallery of the 2022 car.

"2022 will be a serious challenge, getting used to a new car and a new era of car. If it enables us to follow and race like it is planning to then I think it will be amazing for the fans and the sport."

"Interesting, it is very different to what we are used to. The most important is that we can improve the racing, that we can race closer and if this is the way forward then, of course, I am for that."

"I like the rear of it. The rear looks pretty old school and reminds me more of like 2008 - that style, which is cool. The front is very different but I think like all things, the more you stare at it the more it will start to look."

"It looks great to be honest and I'm excited. The idea behind the change is the right idea and I guess we just have to wait and see when it hits the track if it performs as well as we all hope.

"But it's definitely the first time the sport has ever had a working group towards making racing better and that, as a driver, is all we want.

"There has been a lot of interest in just making the cars faster and faster and faster and the racing side of things has been secondary.

"Now, I think everybody has really pushed to have a car that allows us to race, allows us to push and I really think this will provide that.

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F1 drivers react to "futuristic" 2022 car reveal - GPfans

Christian Horner has continued his offensive against Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton by suggesting the F1 world champion "loves a bit of kidology".Read more...

Formula 1 officially launched its new era in an online presentation ahead of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.Read more...

Lando Norris has revealed he is "not in perfect condition" ahead of the British Grand Prix after being mugged outside Wembley Stadium on Sunday.Read more...

Sebastian Vettel has criticised F1's decision to hand pole position to the winner of the inaugural sprint qualifying event.Read more...

Valtteri Bottas has insisted his sole focus is on remaining a Mercedes driver for 2022 but refused to rule out a switch to rallying should he miss out on a leading F1 seat.Read more...

Lewis Hamilton has dismissed comments from former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone who has claimed the seven-time champion to be "not quite the fighter he was" ahead of the British Grand Prix.Read more...

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Hamilton accused of mind games by Horner as F1 shows off its "futuristic" side - GPfans