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Embed shamelessly stolen from TechEBlog |
As computers, the Internet, and electronics in general further pervade our societies, so does the need for improved interfacing for faster and easier communication from our brains to the electronic world. If you think about it, we're using technology from the 1870s (QWERTY Keyboards -- back then as typewriters) and 1960s (Computer mouse). Things have changed. We have mp3 players, wireless everything, and holographic technology is starting to peek over the horizon. Among others, Brown University Assistant Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine (whew!) John Donahue and Cyberkinetics, Inc. have developed a very promising direction for human-computer interaction: the BrainGate. This technology, while not crucial for you or me (as the keyboard works quite well), is under development for those that are physically challenged. Someone paralyzed is able to control a false hand (like a Cyberhand), move a mouse cursor, or potentially even move a wheelchair independent of actual physical human movement. It is currently in development and "under pilot clinical trial being conducted under an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) from the FDA." This means if you have "severe motor impairment" (and I hope my site wasn't hard to browse if such is the case) then you can sign up to enroll and try out the next step of human technological advancement. |
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Piracy is a consistently difficult subject to discuss or understand in the context of music sharing. The problem is that Intellectual Property (IP) is a very difficult subject to tackle, as seen by the constantly changing legalities proposed and held by every different country in the world. In the context of music file sharing, several countries have differing and very specifically unusual laws. Australia, for instance, recently refined their laws to be more accepting in some ways and more restricting in other ways. The Pirate Bay, a web site listing several "illegal" .torrent files, has a listing of legal threats that they've ignored since Swedish copyright law is completely different in a few specific respects (and hosting "illegal" .torrent files is not necessarily illegal in a lot of contexts, but that's another story) Watch The Piracy Documentary for a pretty comprehensive look at the current status of piracy, at least specifically in Canada. Canada holds a few different laws than the USA, such as the added levy on burnable CDs that gets sent to the music industry. This is not a very good solution, but it serves to work better than a lot of alternative laws in existence, in my opinion. |  |
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Ever wonder why your daughter decided to drop out of college to become a stripper? Or why that guy flipped you off when you drove in front of him? How about why your parents named you "daffodil?" Or why electrons are negative? Why did you drink the orange juice this morning, when the apple juice was right in front? Scientists now seem to know why. Harvard researchers have located the brain cells that are linked to decision making. This opens a lot of new doors, especially for that whole "free will" nonsense that people have been babbling about. What will be interesting is when medication comes out that specifically targets these areas and give people some weird sense of confidence that allows them to actually make decisions, like selling your car to buy stock in Enron. Or maybe buying stock in google, then selling it right before GMail came out. Or having another five shots before driving home. In terms of free will, this doesn't yet explain or disprove any argument for or against free will and destiny, but it does start to question the ability to take one's time to come up with an informed decision. Acting on a quick gut feeling might not always be the direction that people should take, so delayed decision making probably isn't something we want to get rid of. Politics are a great example of confidence in snap decision making...no matter how bad it is. |
| Robots are becoming more and more mainstream. DARPA has a mule (BigDog), people with Legos have a bartender, and Transformers changes from science fiction to documentary. See them at 10 Coolest Robots. |  |
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The single most important accomplishment any species on this glorious planet could ever achieve is to be able to expand its communications and selves off of this godforsaken hunk of rock. SETI is a bit too optimistic to be useful yet (someone had to buy the first cell phone, right?), and NASA is busy fighting off people trying to introduce Intelligent Design from the Bush administration.
Don't forget Poland! Their OGLE project has recently discovered what is now the smallest extrasolar (outside this solar system, genius) planet! This little cutie, seen here actual size, is (quite aptly) named OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb which just rolls off of the tongue. In fact, I think I'll name my first extrasolar child "OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb." Good luck finding a nasty name that rhymes with that, second grade bullies! All children aside, this could be the next step to finding Elvis, which is every great astronomer's great dream. Nevermind the fact that it's probably a brisk −364°F on the surface... |
| Ever wonder what the world's biggest brains sit around and think about? Well, the current question of the year is "What is your dangerous idea? An idea you think about (not necessarily one you originated) that is dangerous not because it is assumed to be false, but because it might be true?"
Basically they take thousands (or more) of applications to this question and display the top 119 contributors' responses. I've read only the first few pages, and I have to agree with a lot of them; some concepts exist in the scientific community that are definitely headed to a LOT more controversy than cloning could ever begin to bring. Stuff that goes beyond opinion and right into the bright light in the center of our brains that asks: "what is existence, and what am I?" The real question is, what will we do once we find out? |  |
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The Berkeley ME department (for DARPA) has come up with a nice way to carry your clothes, and another 200 pounds of cargo, on your back. Known as Bleex, or "Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton." The current (Bleex 1) can carry a 70 pound backpack (along with the 100 pound Bleex)...with only the sensation of carrying a five pound backpack. The next version, Bleex 2, should allow the transport of 200 pound backpacks with ease.
It didn't seem like you could pull off some ninja moves while encumbered with this device, but it certainly looks useful. Watch a video of it in action. |
Ever hear of a Hopping microbot? Apparently these tiny robots that recently recieved funding could hop by the thousands around a cave and gather all sorts of data. On Mars. Or in your neighbor's bathroom.
Remember all those science fiction movies with the cybernetic hands that can crush steel bars in two? We're getting closer and closer...especially so with The Cyberhand.
This bad boy can not only integrate with your neuron connections and provide you with full control and sensory information on what you "feel," but it can also blend a drink while pleasing your lady friend at superhuman speed. At least that's what I see possible.
