Category Archives: Transhuman News

But there could be terrible consequences to the ecosystem. Hurricane Killer

A Norwegian company called OceanTherm says it has a novel solution to stopping a hurricane in its tracks: bubbles.

More specifically, it wants to use bubbles to cool down sea temperatures in order to cut off a hurricanes supply of warm water, according to WFTX. Since hurricanes typically feed off waters 80 degrees fahrenheit or higher allowing them to intensify and grow more dangerous the idea is that cooling them down would diminish their power.

Im an old submariner and knew that the water is colder deeper down in the ocean, OceanTerm CEO Olav Hollingsaeter told Fast Company last year. So my thought was, why dont we use this cold water in the deep sea mixed with the surface water and thereby reduce the sea surface temperature.'

OceanTherm is developingwhat it calls a bubble curtain system to do just that. The contraption involves ships lowering a series of perforated pipes into the ocean in the path of a storm to generate bubbles to raise colder waters from deep below the surface.

The company also has a bubble curtain concept where the pipes are installed in a fixed location underneath the ocean, according to its website, for areas that are frequently hit by hurricanes.

While its an interesting concept, it still hasnt been tested yet on an actual hurricane so its unclear whether it could work in the real world.

To prevent a hurricane, the bubble curtain would need to stretch miles in order to have an impact. While the company plans to one day implement its system across the Gulf of Mexico, thats a very pie-in-the-sky fantasy for now.

Theres also the environmental concerns that could arise.

When you change one thing there is a domino effect of things that can occur, National Oceanic and Atmospheric environmental engineer Tracy Fanara told WFTX. With Florida red tide, you could be forcing an upwelling event that causes those cells to come from the bottom to up top.

So the jurys still out on whether OceanTherm will ever deliver on their very ambitious, hurricane-killing goals. But we wouldnt hold our breath.

READ MORE: Norwegian company hopes bubble curtain technology can combat major hurricanes [Fox4Now]

More on hurricanes: Todays Killer Hurricane Is Linked to Climate Change, Scientists Say

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Startup Says Its Tech Can Kill Hurricanes Before They Get Strong - Futurism

But its much less than what Blue Origin wanted. Consolation Prize

NASA has announced that it will award contracts to five US companies to help support the Artemis Moon program including one company thats currently suing the space agency.

Jeff Bezos Blue Origin is receiving $25.6 million as part of the agencys Artemis program to send astronauts back to the Moon by 2024, according to aNASA press release. Thats less than one percent of the original $6 billion the company asked for when it lobbied for the coveted human landing system (HLS) contract earlier this year and which it ultimately lost to its main competitor, SpaceX.

Thats resulted in a messy lawsuit thats effectively hamstringing the development of the HLS and, therefore, the Artemis project as a whole. Its also stirred up a lot more bad blood between Bezos and his rival Elon Musk, who has taken to Twitter numerous times to roast his fellow billionaire.

That seems to track with one anonymous NASA source, who told Ars Technica last month that because of the suit Blue Origin will never get a real government contract after this.

The most recent contract awards are under NASAs Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships Appendix N: Sustainable Human Landing System Studies and Risk Reduction. The kicker: Its actually under a different section of the same HLS contract awarded to SpaceX back in August that Blue Origin is suing the agency over.

So yeah, that means Blue Origin may well now be actually working to support SpaceXs vision for the HLS adding insult to injury.

READ MORE: NASA Selects Five U.S. Companies to Mature Artemis Lander Concepts [NASA]

More on Blue Origin drama: NASA Head Confirms Blue Origin Lawsuit Will Delay Moon Program

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NASA Awards $26.5 Million to Company That Sued It - Futurism

A record 14 astronauts are circling the Earth as we speak.Crowded Orbit

There are a total of 14 humans in space right now, circling the Earth on board three different spacecraft. Its a new (off) worldrecord, breaking the previous record by one additional astronaut, according to Space.com.

Lets tally them up. There are currently four space tourists traveling on board SpaceXs Crew Dragon spacecraft. The International Space Station is hosting seven astronauts: three from NASA, two Russian cosmonauts, one from the Japanese space agency, and one from the European Space Agency. And then theres Chinas Tianhe, the core module of its much larger planned Tiangong space station, which is housing three further astronauts.

Its a rare moment in spaceflight history, with human spaceflight becoming more accessible than ever before though, needless to say, there are still billions more people on Earth than space, and its likely to stay that way forever.

The record wont be in place for very long. The three Chinese astronauts are scheduled to return to Earth tomorrow. And the all-civilian Inspiration4 crew will also make their return journey soon, splashing down in the Atlantic on Saturday.

The previous record of 13 astronauts has been matched on several occasions, according to Space.com.

Once was in 1995, when the Space Shuttle Endeavour hosted seven while Russias Mir station hosted six. In 2009, the ISS hosted 13 astronauts all on its own, when seven newcomers joined the station after traveling there on board the Endeavour.

The ISS also got pretty packed this past April, after three spacecraft were docked to it at the same time, bringing the total to 11 astronauts. Some of the crew members had to resort to sleeping in the two SpaceX Crew Dragon capsules that were docked to the outpost at the time.

And with human spaceflight becoming more commonplace, well likely see this weeks record broken sooner rather than later.

READ MORE: SpaceXs Inspiration4 launch boosts population of space to record-breaking 14 people [Space.com]

More on the launch: The View From Inspiration4s Toilet Is Absolutely Incredible

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There Are More People in Orbit Right Now Than at Any Other Point in Human History - Futurism

Amazon is one of the biggest employers to do so. Just Say No

More and more companies around the world are getting rid of drug screening policies in an attempt to attract employees.

A new poll conducted by staffing company ManpowerGroupshowed that roughly nine percent of employers are doing away with drug testing during the application process in order to attract and retain in-demand talent. The company surveyed 45,000 employers across 43 countries about their hiring strategies amidst a worldwide labor shortage sparked by the COVID pandemic.

The global talent shortage shows no sign of slowing, with 69 percent of employers reporting difficulty filling roles, the survey said, later adding that the employment outlook is optimistic, particularly for employers that are prepared to adapt to a new world of work and offer incentives to attract and retain the talent they need.

As employers struggle to fill vacant roles, it only makes sense that archaic practices like drug screenings would be done away with. After all, they only present a barrier to potentially qualified candidates who might safely enjoy recreational drug use from time to time.

Perhaps one of the biggest companies to do away with its drug screening policy recently is Amazon. In June, the ecommerce and web services giant said it would no longer test for marijuana during the application process for jobs not regulated by the US Department of Transportation.

With more and more states legalizing marijuana and politicians striking down old policies that led to the mass incarceration of nonviolent drug offenders, it only makes sense that most employers stop drug testing altogether.

READ MORE: Companies are Getting Rid of Drug Tests Because They Cant Find Enough Workers [Vice]

More on Mary Jane: Scientists Claim that More and More Schizophrenia Cases Are Linked to Marijuana

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Companies Are Ditching Drug Tests Because They're Blocking Good Candidates - Futurism

Tom Freston, a founder of the MTV network, once observed: Whats fascinating about the future is that so many people claim to understand it. In 2006, Freston, then CEO of Viacom, was fired by Sumner Redstone, who explained that Freston doesnt understand the future. As it turned out, Redstone had failed to understand the present.

The incident was brought back to mind last week when Sumners daughter, Shari, led the charge to dismiss Jim Gianopulos as Paramounts CEO. Again, the future was the issue. And the muddled leaks further confused the present.

Gianopulos departure had an end of an era aura to it because he and Disneys Alan Horn have long been revered as movie statesmen, representing a supportive, mentoring style of studio management. Sonys Tom Rothman remains the lone generational survivor more on him below.

Inheriting the top film post at Paramount will be Brian Robbins, whose futurist credentials stem from his aggressive management of Paramount Players.

The leaks initially failed to mention David Nevins, the respected chief of Showtime, who will now assume a broadened Paramount television portfolio, creating more content for its sister services such as Paramount+ rather than as a supplier for Apple TV or Netflix. Naveen Chopra, CFO of ViacomCBS, testifies that spending on content should climb from $1 billion to $5 billion a year, focused on streaming content.

Unmentioned is Emma Watts, president of Paramount Motion Picture Group. Or specifics on how many theatrical movies may actually see the light of day from Paramount.

The Sumner-Freston imbroglio of 2006 focused not on MTV but on the social media. Sumner Redstone wanted to prod Viacom into the future by acquiring MySpace for a formidable tab of $580 million. Freston vetoed the deal, prompting Rupert Murdoch to dive in, thus embarrassing Redstone. Before long, Murdoch dumped MySpace for $35 million.

Redstone, meanwhile, having fired Freston, plunged into a succession of management shifts, culminating in the disastrous reign of his onetime estate lawyer Philippe Dauman, as Viacom CEO. Shari Redstone has now taken her turn in orchestrating change.

With Sharis encouragement, to be sure, a succession of positive moves have been made, including reuniting the company with CBS and recruiting Gianopulos. Paramount, which had reported a loss of $445 million the year Gianopulos was appointed, has lately turned a profit. The studio under its new leader has built franchises like A Quiet Place. It also signed licensing deals, sending studio content to outside platforms (like Coming 2 America to Amazon).

Paramounts television arm, which had also reported to Gianopulos, had put more than 20 shows in production. Resources were plowed into Paramount+, aimed at compensating for its late start in the streaming wars.

Robbins, 58, a former actor, had been recruited by Sharis CEO, Bob Bakish, to run Paramount Players, then Nickelodeon. Prior to that he had produced an Eddie Murphy movie titled Norbit and started a YouTube channel, Awesomeness, which evolved into a multi-channel network and studio, acquired by DreamWorks Animation and eventually by Viacom. His key assignment now will be to oversee film with a likely reduction in theatrical features and a focus on streaming.

To some Viacom skeptics, the fact that the Godfather trilogy, a Paramount legacy, runs on NBCUniversals Peacock is a symbol of Viacoms confused history.

To industry gurus, the key to future growth lies in recapturing initiatives of the past rather than forecasting those of the future. Patient and supportive personalities like Gianopulos and Alan Horn were masters at mentoring, one veteran agent commented. Horn, who is expected to retire this year, was a vital mentoring figure at Warner Bros before Disney recruited him in 2012.

A key rival at that time was the Fox regime then co-headed by Gianopulos and Rothman, whose tenure abruptly ended when Murdoch decided the studio no longer needed Rothmans bombastic presence. The team had experienced an excellent run: Brilliantly innovative but quickly exasperated, Rothman complemented his then-partners calm, reassuring manner.

Rothman, now 66, of course has now renewed a rich deal at Sony, where he has marshalled a counter-strategy to that of Disney or WarnerMedia. He had begun his movie career as boss of Fox Searchlight, then a force in the indie film business.

None of the futurists today are theorizing about the future of indie films, of course. Theyre too busy preparing their obituary.

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Peter Bart: Shari Redstones Gianopulos Firing Leans Into Streaming Future; Is She Repeating Fathers Mistakes That Hobbled Paramount? - Deadline

By Jay Townley

Editor's note: Townley is theResident Futurist atHuman Powered Solutions, an industryconsultancy.

On Aug. 9, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change presented a scientific consensus representing the most complete synthesis of climate science available. The scientific consensus was: It's too late to reverse the damage done to the Earth's climate. But it's not too late to change course right away to prevent things from getting far worse.

The IPCC report doesn't present one future. Its most important finding is that there are several futures possible for the world, including the American bicycle business and the bike shop channel of trade!

What we can expect from most governments, certainly many politicians and some industry trade associations and business executives, is the redoubling of their usage of what we have recently heard and seen as the time-honored rhetoric of distraction called "getting back to normal."

Instead of telling people that we need to truly transform and change the way we live, and our businesses, and organize our societies, we will be told that we can go back to the way it was, except perhaps with fossil fuels and disposable goods replaced with green energy, bicycles, and recyclables. Maybe less driving our automobiles and air travel, but all-in-all, we can get "back to normal" with some green changes here and there.

This way of thinking is perhaps as dangerous as the climate crisis itself. While warning about inflation as a threat to our economic future is the rhetoric of reaction, getting back to normal is the rhetoric of distraction. It builds directly upon how our psychology has evolved over decades.

When you hear a politician, trade association leader or business executive talk about "getting back to normal," remember that while this is comforting to hear, they are peddling a dangerous idea most of the American public is hardwired to accept.

And if we keep accepting it as a plausible goal relative to climate crisis, we will end up further away than ever from where we really need to be. As well as accepting the facts, it's time to give up on getting back to normal and face the fact that there is no normal to return to ... there is only the future, and what we choose to make of it.

Shawn Hubler wrote in The New York Timeson Aug. 6, "This is the summer that feels like the end of summer as we have known it."

Ever since reading this I have thought about what it means. When I was growing up, and for many years after, I think of summer as a time for family and individual enjoyment and fun. Like most of you, I looked forward to being able to enjoy bike riding, swimming, and working outside.

This summer 20 months after COVID-19 was identified and 18 months after a pandemic was declared that totally disrupted the U.S. economy and the American bicycle business was different from any summer I have ever experienced.

On Aug. 14, Greenland had rain at the highest point of its ice sheet for the first time in recorded history. There were bare rocks where snow once capped the Sierra Nevada. Wildfires burned across the West, creating their own weather and sending smoke and large-particle pollution up to the jet stream, delaying planes in Denver and turning the sun red in New York City. Heatwaves killed people in the West and contaminated shellfish along the Pacific coast while floods in the South carried homes and people away and heavy rains swept cars from the roads in Arizona.

The hurricane season extends from June 1 through Nov. 30. For 2021, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting a likely range of 13 to 20 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which six to 10 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including three to five major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher).

Where I live in Wisconsin, the lakes and flowages I enjoyed with my grandchildren in the summer are polluted and many have algae-blooms that are deadly to wildlife and will make people sick. Friends tell me they could not fly fish this summer because their favorite streams are too overrun with pollution in various forms, and we have already experienced our first derecho (a straight-line wind and storm event).

Like many people, I especially looked forward to the summer of 2021. It felt like the country was opening up from the pandemic, and after being fully vaccinated in April, I watched with anticipation as at least 10 live bicycle and micromobility events were announced through the rest of the year.

By the time I attended the Big Gear Show in Park City in early August, the Delta variant was stalking the land; two of the smaller bicycle business events were canceled by the last week of August.

Americans, including those of us in the bicycle, e-bike and micromobility businesses, were about to enjoy the season we thought we understood. We were looking forward to it because we remembered what it was ... a warm, sunny, pleasant time where we could sit back and relax and enjoy ourselves as we prepared for the event and show season.

But it wasn't to be. As Shawn Hubler said, "This is the summer we saw climate change merge from the abstract to the now, the summer we realized that every summer from now on will be more like this than any quaint memory of past summers."

Many avid cyclists around the country could not and still cannot ride during bad air alerts or when the temperatures and humidity are too high. Some have turned to indoor cycling and where the temperatures permit, some are changing to riding earlier or later to avoid the heat. This is the summer the world, the country, and our state and local community shifted and changed.

We were already off balance and out of sync because of COVID-19 and the pandemic, and now, this summer the climate crisis became our new inescapable and omnipresent reality, and the end of summer as we have known it.

The folks in the bicycle, e-bike and micromobility businesses that want things to go back to the way they were they want to have their cake and eat it too!

They want to keep the monetary windfall from the pandemic-induced surge in sales and return to the predictable certainty of the pre-pandemic way the mainstream business was conducted with the same supply chains, distribution, channels of trade and pecking order with only enough green changes around the edges and integrity and ESG Integration and accountability to accommodate the most obvious shifts in consumer buying habits.

However, American consumers have been changed by the pandemic that induced them as whole demographic clusters to shift their expectations more rapidly and completely than any other time in history.

Now, many of them, our end users, are applying their new mindsets to where, what, and how they buy and no amount of wishful thinking about the way it was is going to compel them to go back when they have already been exposed to the future ... and found it both satisfying and in line with their expectations for how they want to live their lives. And they are about to be influenced and compelled again by the IPCC report as relates to the climate crisis.

For decades, the bicycle business has spent time and money in great measure on building and enhancing the perception of bicycles and bicycling as viable solutions. The Black Swan economic event and the public health crisis of COVID-19 have accomplished in the last 20 months what the bicycle business has labored at for 46 years, since the end of the last bike boom. What we refer to as the Bicycling Relevance Index has popped up like a balloon, and bicycles and e-bikes are now widely accepted as positive and beneficial means of human transportation and mobility.

Despite the differences between the political parties, an astonishing thing has happened in the House and Senate. Bipartisan legislation in the form of two separate transportation bills has worked their way through both chambers and have a good chance of coming out of conference in a form that will retain bipartisan support, guaranteeing a favorable vote.

This legislation is separate from the much-talked-about infrastructure legislation and contains billions of dollars for state and local governments for transportation alternatives, including electric cars, e-bikes, bicycles, and walking. It is the most human-powered-transportation friendly federal legislation and funding I have seen in my lifetime. There are many reasons for this, but it is another example of the favorable Bicycling Relevance Index and prompts the question: Why would we want to go back to the way it was?

On one side we have politicians, trade association leaders and business executives (some, but not all) who advise us to just hunker down and wait for things to return to normal. And on the other side we have consumers, our end-users, who have been changed by the pandemic and have already moved ahead by shifting their expectations and buying habits to a new rolling future that is continually educating them in innovative types and levels of customer satisfaction.

As well as accepting the facts, it's time to give up on getting back to normal and face the reality that there is no normal to return to there is only the future!

As the IPCC report makes clear, there are now only unknown and unfamiliar alternative futures that we can choose from. Embracing that uncertainty, rather than denying it, is the first step to choosing the right one. And the one thing I am confident of: There will be bicycles, e-bikes and bike shops whatever the future holds.

Jay Townley is a co-founder of and Resident Futurist for Human Powered Solutions, a unique consultancy consisting of some of the most experienced and knowledgeable people in the Micromobility space http://www.humanpoweredsolutions.com

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Jay Townley: There is no return to normal - Bicycle Retailer