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Jul 13, 2015

Interconnected Rat Brains Create Organic Computer

Posted by in categories: bioengineering, bionic, biotech/medical, computing, neuroscience

Linked rat brains

Scientists have been experimenting with brain-to-brain interfaces for years. Miguel Nicolelis, a neurobiologist at Duke University Medical Center, has created a “Brainet” or a network of interconnected brains with four rats. With electrodes implanted directly in the cortex rodents exchange information to create an organic computing device. Collectively, they were able to solve computational problems including image processing, storing and recalling information and even predicting precipitation.

Read the full story by Mona Lalwani at Engadget

Jul 12, 2015

Interplanetary Travel Is Only for the Rich in the Short Film The Leap

Posted by in category: space travel

The Leap is a short film from Karel van Bellingen that takes place decades from now, where interstellar travel has opened up access to a new world, but only for a select few who can afford the journey. This is a film that packs a lot in to just half an hour.

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Jul 12, 2015

What’s Involved In World’s First Head Transplant?

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

A patient’s set to undergo the world’s first head transplant. Here’s what’s involved. Read more: http://bit.ly/1FYP4Ep.

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Jul 12, 2015

Transhumanismus: Bring mir den Kopf von Raymond Kurzweil!

Posted by in categories: computing, transhumanism

A full Sunday feature on transhumanism (with mentions of Transhumanist Parties) in one of Germany’s largest papers (circulation 400,000): http://www.faz.net/…/transhumanismus-bring-mir-den-kopf-von… and the English: http://translate.google.com/translate

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Jul 12, 2015

Some new ideas for fixing science — Cathleen O’Grady | Ars Technica

Posted by in category: science

“It’s much easier to replicate experiments and catch fraud if you have access to the original data. Some journals currently reward researchers for sharing the data that they used in an experiment. In the highest level of this new framework, data sharing would not only become compulsory, but independent analysts would conduct the same tests on it as those reported by the researchers, to see whether they get the same results.” Read more

Jul 12, 2015

Pluto’s Mysterious Dark Splotches Come Into Focus

Posted by in category: space

At this point, it’s safe to say that we’re going to be receiving a new ‘highest resolution image ever’ of Pluto on a close to 24 hour basis. Yesterday, we got our first peek at geologic features on the dwarf planet’s surface. And today, New Horizons beamed back the best image to date of four mysterious dark splotches near Pluto’s south pole.

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Jul 12, 2015

Scientists Can Now Meld Minds

Posted by in category: neuroscience

Duke scientists successfully linked the brains of two rats and three monkeys this week—bringing us one step closer to a superbrain that could harness the power of collective thought.

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Jul 11, 2015

IBM Watson CTO: Quantum computing could advance artificial intelligence

Posted by in categories: computing, engineering, futurism, quantum physics, robotics/AI

IBM Watson CTO: Quantum computing could advance artificial intelligence by orders of magnitude.

Quantum computers have already been used to test artificial intelligence by researchers in China, albeit in a very limited capacity. Earlier in 2015, a team from the country’s University of Science and Technology developed a quantum system capable of recognising handwritten characters in a demonstration they dubbed quantum artificial intelligence.

This demonstration was on a quantum computer using only four qubits, leading to speculation of what a system using hundreds – or even thousands – of qubits would be capable of. Such machines do not yet exist, at least not commercially, but Canada-based quantum computing firm D-Wave systems recently claimed it has built a 1,000 qubit quantum computer.

Continue reading “IBM Watson CTO: Quantum computing could advance artificial intelligence” »

Jul 11, 2015

New wireless power tech can charge multiple devices in any orientation

Posted by in categories: electronics, energy, futurism

‪#‎Handy‬ New Wireless Charger Can Simultaneously Power 30 Mobile Phones at Distance.

Scientists at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed an omnidirectional wireless charging technology that can charge multiple devices at once, at a distance and, crucially, at peak efficiency regardless of which way the devices are facing.

An effective wireless transmitting power of 30 watts means the device can, according to the researchers, power either 30 smartphones or five laptops simultaneously.

Continue reading “New wireless power tech can charge multiple devices in any orientation” »

Jul 11, 2015

Is consciousness an engineering problem? – Michael Graziano – Aeon

Posted by in categories: engineering, robotics/AI

We could build an artificial brain that believes itself to be conscious. Does that mean we have solved the hard problem?

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