Category Archives: Transhuman News

Unique Forms of Continuity in Space by Umberto Boccioni. 1913. (Photo: Wikipedia)

Fascinated by new industry and thrilled by what laid ahead, the early 20th-century Futurists carved out a place in history. Growing out of Italy, these artists worked as painters, sculptors, graphic designers, musicians, architects, and industrial designers. Together, they helped shape a new, modern style of art that still has staying power today.

The Futurists were revolutionaries, members of an avant-garde movement that sought to free itself from the artistic norms of the past. Through frequent, well-laid-out manifestos, they were able to spread their ideas widely and enjoyed great success prior to World War I. This group firmly looked forward and couldnt get enough of what they saw. For the Futurists, the past was something to look down on. Airplanes and automobiles symbolized the speed they craved and the dynamism with which they saw the world.

Today, the Futurist movement is known for its embracing of speed, violence, and youth culture in an attempt to move culture forward. Though the movement is probably most widely associated with Umberto Boccionis sculpture Unique Forms of Continuity in Space, theres a lot more to explore.

Italian futurists Luigi Russolo, Carlo Carr, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Umberto Boccioni and Gino Severini in front of Le Figaro, Paris, February 9, 1912 (Photo: Wikipedia)

Futurism was founded in Milan by the Italian poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti. He published his Manifesto of Futurism in 1909, first in the La gazzetta dellEmilia and then in Frances daily newspaper Le Figaro.

This initial manifesto laid out the Futurists disdain for the past, stating We want no part of it, the past, we the young and strong Futurists! In the text, its also clear that Marinetti wishes to reestablish Italy as a new cultural center. Italy, which was only unified in 1870, was still basking in the glory of the ancient Roman Empire and the Italian Renaissance. For the Futurists, this wasnt enough.

In fact, Marinetti was through with the past, writing, We will free Italy from her innumerable museums which cover her like countless cemeteries. Futurists saw much more beauty in the great industrial discoveries of the 20th century than classical painting and sculpture. In the manifesto, they outright state that modern industrial inventions are much more appealing: We declarea new beauty, the beauty of speed. A racing motor caris more beautiful than theVictory of Samothrace.

The manifesto also promoted violence and the necessity of war, but interestingly did not discuss or outline any rules for the visual arts. That would come later, with the 1914 Technical Manifesto for Futurist Painting. It was just one of many manifestos that they would produce, as the Futurists wrote about all sorts of topics, from architecture and religion to clothing.

Surrounding Marinetti during this early stage was a core group of artists that would shape Futurism and, particularly, the visual arts. Composer Luigi Russolo, as well as painters Umberto Boccioni, Carlo Carr, Giacomo Balla, and Gino Severini formed the original Futurists.

Dynamism of a Cyclist by Umberto Boccioni. 1913. (Photo: Wikipedia)

As the early manifesto did not directly address the artistic output of Futurism, it took some time before there was a cohesive visual. A hallmark of Futurist art is the depiction of speed and movement.

In particular, they adhered to principals of universal dynamism, which meant that no single object is separate from its background or another object. The sixteen people around you in a rolling motor bus are in turn and at the same time one, ten four three; they are motionless and they change places. The motor bus rushes into the houses which it passes, and in their turn the houses throw themselves upon the motor bus and are blended with it.

This is best exemplified in Giacomo Ballas Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash, where the motion of walking the dog is shown through the multiplying of the dogs feet, leash, and owners legs. Urban scenes such as this were typical subject matter for the Futurists, who saw the city environment as the apex of their ideals.

Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash by Giacomo Balla. 1912. (Photo: Wikipedia)

Umberto Boccioni explained the principals of Futurist art by distinguishing it from another avant-garde movementImpressionism. While the impressionists paint a picture to give one particular moment and subordinate the life of the picture to its resemblance to this moment, we synthesize every moment (time, place, form, color-tone) and thus paint the picture.

The Futurists were also highly influenced by Cubism, which was first brought to the group by Gino Severini. Severini came into contact with the style while visiting Paris in 1911 and introduced its use of broken color fields and short brushstrokes to the Futurists. The core artists used these techniques to create even more dynamic scenes of everything from cyclists to dancers to cities under construction.

Eventually, Boccioni took his work from two dimensions to three dimensions and created the acclaimed sculpture Unique Forms of Continuity in Space. Aerodynamic and fluid, its emblematic of the painters new obsession with sculpture and its ability to suggest motion. Interestingly, the sculpture was never cast in bronze during Boccionis lifetime. His original plaster cast is located in So Paulos contemporary art museum. Several bronze casts were made beginning in 1931, with one of the original casts acquired by New Yorks MoMA.

Dynamic Hieroglyphic of the Bal Tabarin by Gino Severini. 1912. (Photo: Wikipedia)

Brooklyn Bridge by Joseph Stella. 1919-1920. (Photo: Wikipedia)

The beginning of World War I signaled the end of the original Futurist group. Boccioni created only one painting during the war and was drafted into the Italian army. It was a huge blow for the group when he was killed in 1916 during a training exercise.

After the end of the war, Marinetti revived the movement. This period was later called Second Futurism which became associated with Fascism. Similar to many Fascists, they felt that Italy was a country divided between the industrialized north and agricultural south and wished to build a bridge to bring them together. Marinettis Futurist Political Party was actually absorbed into Benito Mussolinis Fascist Party, though Marinetti would later disagree with some of their principals and withdraw from political life.

Post-World War I Futurism was dedicated to new types of expression. In particular, Aeropainting became a popular style in the 1920s. It combined the love for flight with aerial landscapes and was often used in propaganda. Not limited to landscapes, Aeropainting was actually varied in its subject matter and remained popular until 1940.

After the defeat of Mussolini and Marinettis death in 1944, Futurism as a formal movement was dead. However, it remained highly influential for subsequent 20th-century art movements like Dada, Surrealism, andin terms of designArt Deco.

Today, works by Futurist artists can be found in major collections around the world and are essential to understanding early 20th-century culture.

Speeding Motorboat by Benedetta Cappa. 1923. (Photo: WikiArt)

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What is Futurism? Italy's Art Movement that Love Speed and Technology - My Modern Met

Big Picture

While dust devils arent exactly uncommon on Mars the Red Planet is, after all, a very dustyand windy place the whirlwinds often fade almost as quickly as they appear. That makes capturing an image of one in action a rare treat.

But in October 2019, NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter managed to snap a photo of a massive active dust devil and you can now see it for yourself.

The Reconnaissance Orbiter took the photo using its High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE), a powerful camera thats been snapping photos of the Martian surface since 2006.

On Monday, the University of Arizona team that built and manages HiRISE published details on the newly photographed dust devil, which formed on Amazonis Planitias volcanic plains.

The core of the dust devil is 50 meters (164 feet) wide, according to the HiRISE team, and based on the length of its shadow, they believe it is probably about 650 meters (2,132 feet) tall.

Though the dust devil is a big one, its far from the biggest.

In March 2012, HiRISE took a photo of an active dust devil that was a mind-blowing 20 kilometers (12 miles) tall. But despite its impressive height, that dust devil was barely wider than this newly spotted one: just 70 meters (229 feet).

In other words, Martian colonists already had a lot to worry about and now they can add towering swirls of dust and debris to the list.

READ MORE: NASA captures rare view of dancing Mars dust devil, and its a monster [CNET]

More on HiRISE: SpaceX Working With NASA to Find Mars Landing Sites for Starship

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NASA Snaps Photo of Epic Dust Devil on the Surface of Mars - Futurism

China released an app over the weekend that lets residents check to see if theyve come in close contact with Covid-19, the coronavirus thats killed more than a thousand people in the nation.

According to Chinese state-run media agency Xinhua, app users must scan a QR code on one of several popular Chinese apps, such as WeChat, to make an inquiry. Next, they register their phone number and enter their name and government-issued identification number, with each phone number good for three inquiries.

The app then lets the user know whether theyve been in close contact with anyone infected with the coronavirus, suspected of being infected with it, or exposed to it.

As for how China defines close contact, according to the Xinhua story, it includes working with, going to school with, or living in the same house as a person. People who traveled in a fully enclosed air-conditioned train compartment together are also considered to have been in close contact, as are people who sat within a few rows of one another on an airplane.

If the app determines that a person has been in close contact with the coronavirus, it advises that they stay home and contact health authorities.

Xinhua wrote that the General Office of the State Council, the National Health Commission, and China Electronics Technology Group Corporations worked together to develop the app.

The app uses data collected and shared by several government agencies, including the National Health Commission, the Ministry of Transport, China Railway, and the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

While China is regularly criticized for the mountain of data it collects on citizens, this is one example of how that collection can benefit the public.

In China, and across Asia, data is not seen as something to be locked down; its something that can be used, provided its done in a transparent way, with consent where needed, Carolyn Bigg, a technology lawyer at the law firm DLA Piper, told BBC News.

From a Chinese perspective, this [app] is a really useful service for people, she continued, adding that its a really powerful tool that really shows the power of data being used for good.

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App Checks Whether You've Come in Contact With Deadly Coronavirus - Futurism

Coming Soon

NASA announced last week that its moving forward with a plan to commercialize the International Space Station (ISS) and that the private company Axiom Space will develop a space hotel to tack onto the orbital space station.

Now, Axioshas obtained more details about the plan, which will see a shift from NASA providing orbital services itself to depending more heavily on private companies take the helm.

Its a marked shift in priorities for a space agency thats spent over 20 years helping run the ISS.

Any Axiom-run space hotel is still several years away, Axios reports. The companys plan is to launch its first module by the end of 2024,followed by two more modules one for habitation and one for manufacturing over the course of the next year.

But even before that, Axiom crews will become a regular sight on the ISS. Company cofounder Michael Suffredini told Axios that it already booked tickets to the ISS on rockets that will launch starting next year.

Were beginning these flights early in order to set the cadence and the rhythm, Suffredini said.

The ISS is expected to be retired at some point in thefuture past reports suggest some time between 2024 and 2028.

When that happens, Axios reports that the Axiom Space modules will detach, and the private company will continue to operate its own space station for the foreseeable future.

READ MORE: Axioms big space station future [Axios]

More on the space station: NASA Has a Plan To Encourage Private Space Stations

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Plans Are Moving Ahead to Open a Space Hotel Attached to the ISS - Futurism

In 2016, Jang Ji-sungs seven-year-old daughter Nayeon died of an incurable disease. Three years later, the South Korean mother was reunited with Nayeon sort of in a virtual world created for a televised documentary.

On Thursday, the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation shared a clip from the special documentary, titled I Met You, on its YouTube page, with the footage cutting between the real world and the virtual one.

In the former setting, Jang stands in front of a massive green screen while wearing both a VR headset and what appear to be some sort of haptic gloves. In the latter, she and her daughter talk, hold hands, and even have a birthday party complete with a lit cake.

The VR reunion is, as you might expect, extremely emotional. Jang appears to begin crying the moment she sees the virtual Nayeon, while the rest of the family Nayeons father, brother, and sister watch the reunion unfold with somber expressions and the occasional tear.

Maybe its a real paradise, Jang said of the reunion in VR, according to Aju Business Daily. I met Nayeon, who called me with a smile, for a very short time, but its a very happy time. I think Ive had the dream Ive always wanted.

According to Aju Business Daily, the production team spent eight months on the project. They designed the virtual park after one the mother and daughter had visited in the real world, and used motion capture technology to record the movements of a child actor that they could later use as a model for their virtual Nayeon.

All that to say: the process might not be simple and the final product might not be perfect, but we now have the technology to recreate the dead in VR convincingly enough to move their loved ones to tears.

And the implicationsof that are impossible to predict.

It may have taken an entire team of experts to produce I Met You, but how far can we be from a platform that lets anyone upload footage of a deceased love one and then interact with a virtual version of that person? Years? Months?

And what sort of impact will that have on the grieving process? Will seeing a loved one in VR help people find closure and move on following a death? Will some people become addicted to this virtual world, spending more and more time in it and less and less in the real one?

And will it stop with VR? Or is this just the first step to androids designed to mimic our dead loved ones in both appearance and personality, like in the Black Mirror episode Be Right Back?

Several startups are setting the groundwork for that future, compiling dataabout people both living and dead so they can create digital avatars of those people. Other companies are already building robot clones of real people.

The key to a VR reunion being a positive thing that is, more like a twenty-first century take on flipping through a photo album and less like that Black Mirror episode appears to be in the living person fully accepting their loved ones death.

Since you know the person is gone, you accept the virtual equivalent for what it is a comforting vestige,Princeton neuroscientist Michael Graziano told Dell Technologies in December. There is nothing wrong or unethical about it.

Perhaps regulation is necessary. Rather than letting startups offer the public the chance to interact with virtual versions of their dead loved ones undoubtedly at a cost maybe we can make the technology available only to people whove submitted to a screening with a psychologist.

Its hard to say what might work as the opportunity to interact with convincing versions of the deceased in VR is decidedly uncharted territory but now that weve officially entered that arena, we have a lot of questions we need to answer as soon as possible.

Editors Note, 2/07/20: This article was updated to correct the name of the broadcaster that aired the documentary.

READ MORE: Sorrow-stricken mother reunites with deceased daughter in virtual world [Aju Business Daily]

More on clones: A Russian Startup Is Selling Robot Clones of Real People

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Watch a Mother Reunite With Her Deceased Child in VR - Futurism

Lunar Bonus

Returning humans to the Moon by 2024 isnt going to be easy or cheap.

On Monday, NASA human spaceflight chief Doug Loverro announced that the agency will need $35 billion over the next four years to successfully complete the Artemis mission and that the cash will need to be in addition to NASAs existing budget.

Loverro shared the news in conjunction with President Donald Trumps release of his fiscal year 2021 NASA budgetrequest, which asks Congress to increase the space agencys budget to $25.2 billion.

The budget proposed represents a 12 percent increase and makes this one of the strongest budgets in NASA history, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a statement. The reinforced support from the President comes at a critical time as we lay the foundations for landing the first woman and the next man on the South Pole of the Moon by 2024.

For NASA to obtain the $35 billion it needs for Artemis, Congress will not only need to approve this budget increase, but also agree to budgets of $27.2 billion, $28.6 billion, and $28.1 billion for the years 2022, 2023, and 2024, respectively.

Even if Congress approves Trumps budget request for 2021, though, theres a chance the White House could change hands in 2020 and the next administration might not be in as much of a hurry to reach the Moon.

READ MORE: NASA puts a price on a 2024 Moon landing $35 billion [Ars Technica]

More on the Moon: NASA Just Gave the New Moon Program an Epic Name

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NASA: Next Moon Landing Will Cost About $35 Billion - Futurism

As Jordan Brand stands today, there are two distinct avenues of inline design: one is by and large more heritage-focused with vintage shapes while the next is ambitious with its eyes planted firmly on the future and untapped innovations. React lead the charge for a series of silhouettes just last year and the Aerospace 720 surprised many for its aesthetics just a few months ago, but now, as an ostensible offshoot of the latter, the Meta-Morphy Utility has joined the makeshift series as its newest flagship. Appearance-wise, the model seems to be based on the Air Jordan 1s last, though it offers up just a bit less volume for a somewhat sleeker overall profile. Leading upwards, the pair starts with a toe cap detailed by aggressive perforations and ends with a minimal heel counter only enhanced by a bulky lower heel support as well as a small vertically stitched bit of paneling. Above, you can find a bright red pull in match of the stitch seen on the sides circular base as well as the various detailing that etch atop the tongue and center points ornate markings. Grab a detailed look at these here and find them available now at a host of retailers. Also, be sure to check our Jordan Release Dates page for the latest.

Jordan Meta-Morph UtilityAvailable$110Style Code: BV5936-100

Make sure to follow @kicksfinder for live tweets during the release date.

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Jordan Brand Continues To Infuse Futurism With The Meta-Morph Utility - Sneaker News

February 7th 20__Victor Tangermann__Filed Under: Advanced Transport

When this baby hits 88 miles per hour, youre gonna see some serious shit.

A YouTuberwho calls themselves Elon McFly has uploaded a pixel-perfect vision of what would it would look like if the iconic DeLorean in the 1985 blockbuster Back to the Future was replaced by a Tesla Cybertruck.

In the clip, the Cybertruck can be seen accelerating to 88mph before traveling through time leaving behind only two burning tire tracks and a bent license plate that reads LOL GAS.

Its a surprisingly competent fan remake that manages to fool the eye with impressive lighting and rendering. The truck is also exactly what youd expect a converted time machine Cybertruck to look like, from the haphazard wiring on the exterior to the light-up buttons on the inside.

Its not the Cybertrucks first appearance in popular culture. Rapper Travis Scott heavily featured the pickup truck and its electric ATV companion in his December music video for the song Gang Gang.

READ MORE: Tesla Cybertruck blasts Back to the Future in amazing fan-remake [Teslarati]

More on the truck: Elon Musk Admits He Worried Nobody Would Buy Teslas Cybertruck

Up Next__NASA: Next Moon Landing Will Cost About $35 Billion >>>

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Watch a Cybertruck Replace the DeLorean in "Back to the Future" - Futurism

Costume Party

Irans Minister of Information and Communications Technology Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi uploaded an image to Twitter last week with the caption astronaut costume #bright_future.

But users were quick to point out that the alleged space suit was actually a $20 Halloween costume, soldby online retailers including Amazon and Walmart.

The smoking gun is what appears to be two outlines one rectangular and one round, on the chest area of the suit that perfectly align with two fake NASA patches found on the childrens costume, The Drive points out.

After being founded in 2004, Irans space agency has launched a number of satellites into orbit over the last decade but has yet to send any astronauts into space.

The preposterous tweet feels reminiscent of previous attempts by Irans Revolutionary Guard Crops, a paramilitary militia, to pass off a Qaher 313 stealth fighter mockup as the real thing theres still no evidence it can actually fly, despite unconvincing video footage of a test flight involving a small-scale drone, The National Interest reported in October.

The militia even claimed to have developed, or helped develop, the US Space Shuttle in a recently erected billboard, according to The Drive.

Its a tough era for Irans space efforts. An Iranian satellite Zafar 1 failed to reach a high enough speed on Sunday to enter orbit after liftoff, as Space.com reports.

READ MORE: Iranian Minister Tried To Pass Off A $20 Halloween Costume As A Real Spacesuit [The Drive]

More on Iran: Two More US Sites Hacked With Pro-Iran Propaganda

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Iran Tries to Pass Off $20 Walmart Costume as Space Suit - Futurism

Ominous Message

Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, shared a grim outlook on the state of the world at a Tuesday conference.

The underlying message of his speech was that our global society should strive to bring about a more peaceful and prosperous future, NPR reports. But until a big shift happens, his prognosis is one of worsening violence, conflict, global instability, and environmental decay.

A wind of madness is sweeping the globe, Guterres told the press.

Guterres warned that world leaders often violate or entirely ignore U.N. resolutions meant to reduce global instability and promote peaceful resolutions between conflicting nations.

As future prospects look bleak, populist and ethnic nationalist narratives gain appeal, Guterres said.

As instability rises, investment dries up, and development cycles down, he continued. When armed conflicts persist, societies reach perilous tipping points. And as governance grows weak, terrorists get stronger, seizing on the [vacuum.]

During his speech, Guterres spoke at length about the worsening climate emergency facing the planet, NPR reports. But he also said he was encouraged by growing public awareness of environmental issues and the fact that some leaders are taking the problem seriously.

Guterres urged global leaders to break the vicious circle of poverty and inequality, according to NPR.

Through improved healthcare, equality, and education, he said the world could create the virtuous circle we know is possible and that can point the way toward growth and prosperity for all.

READ MORE: Wind Of Madness Is Sweeping Earth, U.N. Secretary-General Says [NPR]

More on global instability: New Research: Climate Change Causes Migration and Conflict

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UN Secretary-General: "A Wind of Madness Is Sweeping the Globe" - Futurism