Category Archives: Futurist

Look at this cute lil Dustbuster!

In case you haven't been paying attention lately, minivans are cool again, and Hyundai has been hard at work on a new minivan (or MPV, as they call it) for a while now. It's called the Staria, Hyundai debuted it on Monday, and it's arguably one of the coolest vans we've seen in a while -- but there's a catch: It's not coming to the US.

*sad trombone*

Subscribe to Roadshow's newsletter for the latest car news and reviews, delivered to your inbox twice weekly.

So, if it's destined to forever be forbidden fruit, why do we care? Well, we care because Hyundai claims that this will establish a model for its future "Purpose Built Vehicles" -- aka, this could be a hint of the shape of things to come, even for us in North America.

But apart from what it could mean, what the Staria is is plenty cool all on its own. On the exterior, it looks a little like the Oldsmobile "Dustbuster" vans from the '90s, only run through some kind of cyberpunk filter. It's odd but charming.

Inside the Staria is where the magic happens. The minivan is configurable to have anywhere from two to 11 seats, depending on your needs. There is even a premium version that offers gorgeous, almost private-planelike reclining leather captain's chairs. Hyundai's press release claims that the interior was inspired by cruise ships, though thankfully, they only took that vibe so far.

The interior is also packed with many little storage cubbies and even a glovebox that can move and give the front passenger more legroom. There are also plenty of cupholders and USB ports -- because minivan. Overall storage capacity in its most cargo-oriented form is a not-inconsiderable 176.6 cubic feet. For comparison, the Toyota Sienna only offers a maximum of 101 cubic feet, while the Chrysler Pacifica -- one of our favorite vans -- has room for 140 cubic feet.

The Staria will be powered by either a 2.2-liter diesel engine or a 3.5-liter gasoline engine from Hyundai's SmartStream family. The diesel can be had with either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic, while the gasoline version only gets an eight-speed automatic.

Like I said earlier, the Staria won't be coming to the US, but it's slated to hit the streets of select markets (we know that South Korea and Australia are getting it, for sure) in the second half of 2021.

Now playing: Watch this: AutoComplete shows you the wild 2021 Hyundai Elantra

3:15

Follow this link:
Hyundai's Staria is the coolest futuristic minivan that we'll never get - CNET

Officials are concerned China may dethrone the US as the global leader in space.Weaponizing Space

The US intelligence community issued a dire warning that China, perceived to be the top threat to Americas dominance in space,is taking steps to weaponize space.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released a new Global Risk Assessment report last week in which it details an upswing in Chinas military and commercial activity in Earths orbit. Chief among its concerns, in Defense News analysis, is Chinas increasing capability to shoot satellites out of the sky with missiles or disable them with lasers a sign of increased space militarization and a concrete threat in any future conflict.

Weapons aside, the report highlights that China seems to be intensely focused on becoming the new global leader in space operations, research, and more.

I think theres just no question, as a general matter, that China is focused on achieving leadership in space, in fact, as compared to the United States and has been working hard on a variety of different efforts in this area to try to contest what has been presumed our leadership, ODNI Director Avril Haines told lawmakers, according to Defense News.

Case in point, China is almost ready to begin constructing its next space station in orbit. Thats not an outwardly military action by any means, but it demonstrates that China is poised to become a major force in space, especially as the International Space Station approaches retirement. With its new report, the intelligence committee is urging officials to take notice of those changing geopolitical dynamics.

READ MORE: China aims to weaponize space, says intel community report [Defense News]

More on the politics of space: Congress Bars NASA From Working With China. Thats Likely a Mistake.

As a Futurism reader, we invite you join the Singularity Global Community, our parent companys forum to discuss futuristic science & technology with like-minded people from all over the world. Its free to join, sign up now!

Read more:
US Spies Warn That China Is Building Space Weapons - Futurism

Turns out it wasn't an escaped iguana after all.Pastry Panic

A mysterious creature caught in a tree caused residents in Krakow, Poland, to shut their windows and hunker down.

People arent opening their windows because theyre afraid it will go into their house, a woman recalled, as quoted by the BBC.

The putative creature spent two days in the tree worrying onlookers. Eventually the Krakow Animal Welfare Society was called in, not sure what to expect. What they found was as amusing as it was unexpected: a croissant stuck in a tree.

According to a post on the Societys Facebook page, a womanwho called the sighting in said she thought the mysterious entity was an iguana.

When the inspectors arrived, they were looking for a mysterious legless and headless reptile stuck high up in a lilac tree.

It is difficult to help something that has been previously baked, but not by the means of the Suns rays, an official quipped in the post, as crudely interpreted by Google Translate.

Helpfully, the Society took the opportunity to remind residents that it is still very much worthwhile to report any concerning sightings of animals in trouble, adding that theyre still taking donations which may or may not go toward future croissant rescues.

READ MORE: Mystery tree beast turns out to be croissant [BBC]

More on creepy creatures: This Creepy Toddler-Sized Robot Will Haunt Your Dreams

As a Futurism reader, we invite you join the Singularity Global Community, our parent companys forum to discuss futuristic science & technology with like-minded people from all over the world. Its free to join, sign up now!

See more here:
Terrifying Mutated-Looking "Creature" Turns Out to Be a Croissant - Futurism

"So then please drink it."Shots Shots Shots

Last week, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced that the government could no longer delay its plan to dump radioactive water from the destroyed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean.

The Japanese government has repeatedly insisted that the plan wont put biodiversity or people in the area at risk, but plenty of residents of Japan and neighboring countries are reasonably concerned about the dump. Now, the Chinese government is demanding dramatic proof that the water is safe, Japanese newspaper The Mainichi reports.

A Japanese official said it is okay if we drink this water, so then please drink it, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters on Wednesday, according to the paper.

Japan is already capable of purifying Fukushimas contaminated water to a certain extent, but it cant scrub out the radioactive tritium. The plan, however, is to dilute the water down so it contains just 2.5 percent of the tritium concentration permitted by its national standards before dumping it over the course of decades. But still, drinking it straight from the source sounds a bit dicey.

Lijian has since doubled down on the challenge.

Japanese politicians said treated [waste water] is innocent, why dont they drink, cookand wash clothes with the water first? he tweeted on Thursday. They should guarantee sea food wont be contaminated; accept the advice of [The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)] and set up a technical working group with China and [Korea] to make assessment.

However, its worth noting that the IAEA came out in support of Japans plan before Lijian issued his challenge.

The Japanese Governments decision is in line with practice globally, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano said in a press release, even though the large amount of water at the Fukushima plant makes it a unique and complex case.

READ MORE: Please drink treated Fukushima water: China asks Japanese minister [The Mainichi]

More on Fukushima: Japan Says Sorry, But it Has To Dump This Radioactive Water Into the Ocean

As a Futurism reader, we invite you join the Singularity Global Community, our parent companys forum to discuss futuristic science & technology with like-minded people from all over the world. Its free to join, sign up now!

Read the original:
Japanese Prime Minister Challenged to Drink Radioactive Water Before Dumping It Into the Ocean - Futurism

Based on estimated holdings, Satoshi Nakamoto just beats out Michael Bloomberg.High Score

Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous figure who created Bitcoin back in 2009, is now one of the richest people alive assuming the unidentified coder is still alive in the first place.

Based on Bitcoin.coms calculations, the roughly 1 million Bitcoin in Nakamotos account is worth around $59 billion today. With additional funds like various Bitcoin caches, that would make Nakamoto the 19th-wealthiest person alive, according to Forbes recently updated list of the worlds richest billionaires right above Michael Bloomberg and immediately between Walmart heirs Sam and Jim Walton.

Of course, no one really knows who Satoshi Nakamoto is, or even whether theres really just one person or a team behind the pseudonym all questions that help explain why Nakamoto wasnt included in Forbes ranking in the first place.

But Bitcoins creator, whoever it may be, mined and then never spent between 750,000 and 1.1 million of the cryptocurrency shortly after creating it. So even with a more conservative estimate than Bitcoin.coms, theres definitely a whole lot of money at play here given that each Bitcoin is worth around $63,150 today.

And most of that value appeared very recently. Just five months ago, Nakamotos Bitcoin stash was only enough to make them the 159th richest person on Earth, Bitcoin.com notes.

READ MORE: Bitcoins Creator Satoshi Nakamoto Is Now a Member of the Top 20 Worlds Richest People [Bitcoin.com]

More on Satoshi Nakamoto: Shocker: John McAfee Suspends Plan to Unmask Bitcoins Creator

As a Futurism reader, we invite you join the Singularity Global Community, our parent companys forum to discuss futuristic science & technology with like-minded people from all over the world. Its free to join, sign up now!

Read more from the original source:
Bitcoin Creator Satoshi Nakomoto Is Now One of the World's Wealthiest People - Futurism

Whatever that means.Imperator of Mars

Another week, another preposterous outburst by SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Last month, Musk claimed the title Technoking of Tesla, a mostly nonsensical distinction. Now, the billionaire has added the phrase Imperator of Mars to his Twitter bio.

Characteristically, nothing in particular seems to have prompted the move. Its also a bit unclear what he means. Imperator is a term that usually refers to a commander in chief of the ancient Romans, Newsweek pointed out in the wake of the update.

Is Musk suggesting hes taking martial control over the Red Planet? Will his space company declare martial law? With this mercurial billionaire, anything is on the table.

The bio might also be a nod to the hit 2015 action film Mad Max: Fury Road, which starred Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa, a driver in a post-apocalyptic Australia.

Perhaps the explanation is simpler than that, though. Musks ambitions with SpaceXs Starship are sky high, with Musk suggesting one thousand of them could one day allow us to establish a permanent foothold on Mars.

After all, weve learned over the years not to take Musks mutterings at face value. Theres a considerable chance Musks new-and-improved Twitter bio is the result of a couple of hours of idly scrolling through his Twitter mentions.

Besides, its still far too early for Musk to declare himself emperor of Mars. The prototypes of his companys Mars-bound rocket have yet to launch to orbit or even land without erupting in a violent fireball.

Carthaginian general Hannibal, one of the Romans most reviled enemies, would laugh him out of the streets of ancient Rome.

READ MORE: Imperator Meaning As Elon Musk Changes Twitter Bio to Imperator of Mars [Newsweek]

More on Musk: Famed Neurobiologist Slams Neuralinks Monkey Demo

As a Futurism reader, we invite you join the Singularity Global Community, our parent companys forum to discuss futuristic science & technology with like-minded people from all over the world. Its free to join, sign up now!

Excerpt from:
Elon Musk Says He Is Now the "Imperator of Mars" - Futurism

Image by YesMore via Unsplash / Futurism

There appears to be a troubling link between aluminum in the brain and the early signs of Alzheimers Disease, according to a new study.

Researchers have known for years that aluminum has something to do with Alzheimers, but now Keele University scientists have discovered that the metal pops up at the same places in the brain as the tangles of tau protein that appear in the early stages of the disease, according to research published last month in the Journal of Alzheimers Disease Reports. The discovery suggests that its possible that aluminum could even play a role in forming those tangles and plaques which precede the onset of Alzheimers in the first place.

The presence of these tangles is associated with neuronal cell death, and observations of aluminum in these tangles may highlight a role for aluminum in their formation, lead study author Matthew Bold said in a press release.

That doesnt mean that you need to ban aluminum cans from your home. Aluminum, perhaps introduced through food or other exposures, is commonly found in healthy brains, according to the Alzheimers Society, a dementia-focused charity based in London. But as people age, their kidneys may lose the ability to filter it out of the brain potentially leading to the Alzheimers ties uncovered in the new study.

Aluminum accumulation has been associated with Alzheimers disease for nearly half a century, Journal of Alzheimers Disease editor-in-chief George Perry said in the release, but it is the meticulously specific studies of Drs. Mold and Exley that are defining the exact molecular interaction of aluminum and other multivalent metals that may be critical to formation of the pathology of Alzheimers disease.

As a Futurism reader, we invite you join the Singularity Global Community, our parent companys forum to discuss futuristic science & technology with like-minded people from all over the world. Its free to join, sign up now!

The rest is here:
The Stuff Beer Cans Are Made From Is Linked to Alzheimer's Disease - Futurism

The ants undergo a bizarre transformation while they fight over their colony's throne.Mind Melting

When the queen of an Indian jumping ant dies, other females immediately begin to compete for the throne, undergoing a bizarre internal transformation in the process.

A team of scientists studying the bizarre ritual found that the Indian jumping ant can actually change the size of its brain, according to research published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B on Wednesday. So far, its the only insect known to be capable of both shrinking and regrowing its brain later on, The New York Times reports, thanks to a complex process thats likely meant to reallocate and conserve energy as the ants vie to take on a new role.

When the queen croaks, most of the female ants in a colony will immediately begin to lash each other with their antennae in a grand battle for the throne. Eventually, a handful of victors called,and we are not joking, gamergates emerge and begin to reproduce en masse.

Gamergates and female worker ants look very similar, but gamergates actually have much tinier brains, according to the study especially in regions related to vision and cognition.

If you look inside their bodies, you can see the huge transformations that they undergo, lead study author and Kennesaw State University biologist Clint Penick told the NYT.

Because the queen-like gamergates live out their lives mating and laying eggs in the darkness of the colony, they dont really need to be able to see or scavenge for food. And since the brain is an extremely energy-intensive organ, the ant simply does away with those parts to save on fuel.

Worker ants need a large brain to deal with these cognitive tasks, but gamergates dont need to think that much, Penick told the NYT. Once they win the tournament, they become little more than egg-laying machines.

The scientists thought that gamergates would die off when they plucked them out of the colony but instead they transformed right back into their former worker ant selves, regrowing their brains to the exact same size they had been before the tournament.

READ MORE: These Ants Shrink Their Brains for a Chance to Become Queen [The New York Times]

More on ants: Researchers Used CRISPR to Manipulate the Social Activities of Ants

As a Futurism reader, we invite you join the Singularity Global Community, our parent companys forum to discuss futuristic science & technology with like-minded people from all over the world. Its free to join, sign up now!

Here is the original post:
This Type of Ant Can Shrink and Regrow Its Brain - Futurism

Los Angeles, USA, April 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CRISPR Therapies Pipeline Insights 2021: Analysis of Key Companies, Emerging Therapies, Recent Happenings and Futuristic Trends

The leading gene-editing companies looking at commercializing CRISPR-based therapeutics are CRISPR Therapeutics, Intellia Therapeutics, and Editas Medicine. CRISPR Therapeutics has the largest market cap of the three, at $10.9B, with a clinical development program that is more advanced than those of Intellia and Editas. Editas Medicine has the smallest market cap of the three companies. Intellia has established high profile collaborations with Regeneron and Novartis.

DelveInsights CRISPR Therapies Pipeline Insight report offers a broad view of available CRISPR therapies in the market, pipeline CRISPR therapies, their MoA, RoA, key companies working in the domain and competitive assessment.

Some of the key takeaways from the CRISPR Therapies Pipeline Report:

Interested in knowing more? Request for the sample @ CRISPR Therapies in the Pipeline

The report underlines the present unmet needs in the market, driving factors and market constraints, along with the holistic view of the inactive therapeutics (comprising dormant and terminated products) with the reasons behind their downfall, detailed insights into the structure and gene editing tool of the pipeline CRISPR therapies to help clients gauge the opportunities and risks in the market.

In the News

Know what is happening in the CRISPR Pipeline Therapies @ CRISPR Pipeline Recent Happenings

What is CRISPR?

CRISPRs (Clusters of Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) are specialized stretches of DNA and are a shorthand for CRISPR-Cas9, which are transcribed by the bacteria to RNA stretches during viral infections. The same CRISPR technology can be leveraged to identify, alter and modify the DNA sequences and genomes.

The technique is used to correct genetic defects, prevent the spread of disease by altering the genetic sequence, improving crop viability and durability, and so on without affecting the functions of other genes.

Want to learn more about the leading candidates in different clinical stages of trials? Reach out @ CRISPR Emerging Therapies and Key Companies

At a Glance: Emerging CRISPR Therapies, RoA, MoA and Companies

Know more about budding CRISPR therapies projected to transform the landscape @ Emerging CRISPR Therapeutics and Market Scenario

CRISPR Therapeutic Assessment The CRISPR Therapies Pipeline report proffers comprehensive insights into active pipeline assets segmented by Stage, Product Type, Route of Administration, Molecule Type, Target and Indications of various drugs.

By Product Type

By Stage

By Route of Administration

By Mechanism of Action

By Targets

By Stage and Route of Administration

By Stage and Product Type

To know more, Visit CRISPR CAS-9 Technology and Emerging Trends

Scope of the report

Learn more about the scope and highlights of the report @ CRISPR Pipeline Emerging Drug Pipeline

Key Questions Answered in the Report

Got queries? Get in touch @ CRISPR Technology and Pipeline Therapies

Table of Contents

Know more about report offerings @ CRISPR Pipeline Insights

Related Reports Adeno Associated Virus Vectors In Gene Therapy MarketDelveInsight's "Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors in Gene Therapy - Market Insights, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast-2030" report.

Gene Therapy In Oncology Innovation To Commercialization Competitive LandscapeDelveInsights Gene Therapies in Oncology - Innovation to Commercialization: Competitive Landscape, Technological Advancements, Market Opportunities & Future Directions, 2018 report.

Complicated Urinary Tract Infections MarketDelveInsight's "Complicated Urinary Tract Infections - Market Insights, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast-2030" report.

Usher Syndrome Type 2 MarketDelveInsight's "Usher Syndrome Type 2 - Market Insights, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast-2030" report.

Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma MarketDelveInsight's "Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma - Market Insights, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast-2030" report.

Beta Thalassemia Thal MarketDelveInsight's "Beta-thalassemia (B-thal) - Market Insights, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast-2030" report.

Sickle Cell Disease MarketDelveInsight's "Sickle Cell Disease - Market Insights, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast-2030" report.

Gene and Cell Therapies in CNS DisordersAnalysis of the key companies in the domain is BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics, Helixmith, Q therapeutics, Neuroplast, StemCyte, Axovant, Libella Gene Therapeutics, Voyager Therapeutics and many others.

CRISPR Gene-Editing and Stem-Cell Technology

About DelveInsight

DelveInsight is a leading Business Consultant and Market Research firm focused exclusively on life sciences. It supports Pharma companies by providing end-to-end comprehensive solutions to improve their performance. Get hassle-free access to all the healthcare and pharma market research reports through our subscription-based platform PharmDelve.

See the original post here:
CRISPR Therapies Pipeline Insights 2021: Analysis of Key Companies, Emerging Therapies, Recent Happenings and Futuristic Trends - GlobeNewswire

To the dismay of local residents, the New York City police department rolled out its newest toy earlier this week: a four-legged robot dog.

The robot, a modified Spot model manufactured by Boston Dynamics, made an appearance at a public housing building. Videos taken at the scene show the robot dog entering and exiting the buildings lobby.

Now, new details are emerging about the incident. Police have told The New York Timesthat the bot, dubbed Digidog, didnt play an active role in the operation, but that a man who had a gun and was hiding in an apartment along with a woman and her baby was arrested on the scene.

The robodog may not have played an active role in the arrest, but having an armed police squadron deploy a robot to an active crime scene raises red flags about civil liberties and the future of policing.

Locally, the incident was met with outrage.

You cant give me a living wage, you cant raise a minimum wage, you cant give me affordable housing; Im working hard and I cant get paid leave, I cant get affordable child care, Bronx and Westchester County representative Jamaal Bowman said in a video posted to Twitter. Instead we got money, taxpayer money, going to robot dogs?

In the leadup to a mayoral election, candidates took the opportunity to voice their discontent as well.

Rather than $70 million invested into saving residents from dangerous mold & lead paint, N.Y.C. creates another danger for Blackand Latino residents?! mayoral candidate and former MSNBC analyst Maya Wiley wrote in a tweet.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has long called out the use of robot dogs by police enforcement as a gross overreach of power.

One of the things that makes these robots so unnerving is that everybody implicitly understands that the possibility of weaponizing them will continue to hang out there like a tempting forbidden fruit for law enforcement, senior policy analyst Jay Stanley wrote in a recent blog post for the ACLU. There is also the fear that they could evolve from a remote-controlled tool to an autonomous decision-maker that makes actual law enforcement decisions of some kind.

Stanley argues that AI-enhanced decision making, especially when it comes to assisting an already trigger-happy law enforcement system, could end up strengthening existing biases.

Boston Dynamics which has repeatedly attempted to paint its robot in a more whimsical light by showing them go for a jog or complete a dance routine maintains that theres nothing wrong with having a remote controlled robotic dog accompany law enforcement.

As Michael Perry, Boston Dynamics VP of business development, told the Times, its only really willing to draw the line when it comes to arming its robots.

We are adamant that we do not want our robots to be used in a way that harms people, he told the newspaper.

Melanie Aucello, president of the tenant association at the building where the robot dog showed up this week, said that tenants there were being used as guinea pigs.

Were powerless, she told NYT. Were like the scapegoats in society. To further read that they are trying it out and testing it out on us everything that happens bad in our community happens here first.

READ MORE: N.Y.P.D.s Robot Dog Returns to Work, Touching Off a Backlash [The New York Times]

More on the incident: Outcry as Video Shows Robodog Patrolling With NYPD

As a Futurism reader, we invite you join the Singularity Global Community, our parent companys forum to discuss futuristic science & technology with like-minded people from all over the world. Its free to join, sign up now!

Here is the original post:
NYPD Robodog Involved in Arrest of Man With Gun - Futurism