Lifeboat Foundation

Is our technology bringing us closer to the “Star Trek” vision of a world that isn’t driven by wealth?

David Brin: “Stephen Hawking writes that rising inequality makes this the most dangerous time for our planet. Why? In America and the West, inequality has only been rising (at accelerating rates) for a few decades, from its lowest levels in human history. 99% of our ancestors lived in far steeper hierarchies. So, in a sense, what’s the fuss?”

“Simple. The vast creativity of a middle class society made us so productive we could avoid a Malthusian collapse. But if we return to feudalism — as our New Oligarchs intend — then all of that will collapse. But seven billions won’t go down quietly. A billion of them have vast technological tools and skills that would make Robspierre, Lenin, Mao or Osama gulp with envy. You do NOT want to see the technical castes radicalize…”

“… yet that is exactly what the Murdoch-Koch + foreign oligarchs seem to have in mind. And that is why rising inequality is an existential threat to all humanity. Because we are led by conniving oligarchs who are clearly way, way less smart than they think they are. “.

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A new TED Talk from the author behind The Social Network features an oddly compelling story about the existence of aliens.

We say a fond farewell to 18 men and women who left a lasting impression on the tech industry.

Instead of ordering batteries by the pack, we might get them by the ream in the future.

Researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York have created a bacteria-powered battery on a single sheet of paper that can power disposable electronics. The manufacturing technique reduces fabrication time and cost, and the design could revolutionize the use of bio-batteries as a power source in remote, dangerous and resource-limited areas.

“Papertronics have recently emerged as a simple and low-cost way to power disposable point-of-care diagnostic sensors,” said Assistant Professor Seokheun “Sean” Choi, who is in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department within the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science. He is also the director of the Bioelectronics and Microsystems Lab at Binghamton.

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Happy Holidays! The Transhumanist Future of #Christmas! http://motherboard.vice.com/read/the-transhumanist-future-of-christmas #Future

Kids might be disappointed.

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好きなキャラクターと一緒に暮らせる世界初のバーチャルホームロボットです。

As pubs and bars in the UK get busier in the run up to Christmas, Barclaycard has uncorked a way to reduce the time people spend waiting to be served. Pay @ Pump is a beer pump that allows customers to pour their own pint and pay with a contactless card in as little as a minute.

According to Barclaycard, people spend an average of 12 minutes per order waiting to be served over the Christmas period. The Pay @ Pump system is designed to reduce customer queuing time and speed up service.

“I’m sure everyone has been stuck behind the person who orders the most complicated cocktail on the menu or a round of 10 drinks for their group of friends,” explains Barclaycard’s commercial director for digital consumer payments Tami Hargreaves. “When people told us that waiting time was one of their biggest annoyances, we wanted to help solve a common problem with a simple solution.”