futurism
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Public webcams, not CCTV, urged to avoid Big Brother society [in UK]
"Footage from surveillance cameras must be made freely available to the public if Britain is to avoid becoming a Big Brother state, researchers warned yesterday." Someone's been reading DaviWoW of Fortune
"...while sleeping on it hasn’t yielded any additional insight, there’s something intriguing about the idea of mashing up casino slot gambling with - of all things - an MMORPG."Singularity Reading Recommendations
"For those interested in more seriously exploring the issues of Artificial General Intelligence and the Singularity, I’d like to recommend the following writings ..." None of which are sf noFly by light
"Roger Shawyer has developed an engine with no moving parts that he believes can replace rockets and make trains, planes and automobiles obsolete." A propellant-free propulsion device ... anViridian Note 00475
"A glum and comprehensive fit of handwringing as it dawns on everybody that matters that climate change is not just "an issue" but destined to become "the" issue." BruceBetting on a Long-Term Future
"A partial spinoff from the Long Now called the Long Bets Foundation is increasingly active in providing a competitive arena for predictions about the future."Walker Takes Shape
"Here he is, ladies and gentlemen, fresh from the 3D printer and ready for his close-up..." SecondLifer gets a fabbed miniature of his avatar made. The membranes are becoming more permeableThe Next Big Thing
"...the Web for many will become the cliched 3D virtual reality that has been so overused as a literary and cinematic device that most of us have forgotten how compelling that vision was when itWill Open Source Software Rule the World?
"Open source sounds like a great idea, in theory. But so does socialism. And while I'm not ready to throw in the towel on socialism either, let's just say that thus far it hasn't performed as welCheap, Transparent, and Flexible Displays
"New high-performance transistors could lead to windows and helmet visors that double as high-quality displays."Move Into Space, but Where?
"While the question is not a pressing one for most people, for the futurists mapping the humans path to space, the destination makes all the difference in the world." Orbital colonies get myViridian Note 00477: Worldchanging, the Book
Captain Bruce plugs the new Worldchanging book - a copy of which I badly want, and will probably have to buy.IBM's 'secret island'
"... IBM's latest research project - a "secret island" within the confines of Linden Labs' Second Life massively multi-player games environment ... " Everyone's getting on-board, sHarnessing the tides
"...the UK resource of tidal stream energy accounts for about 15 per cent of the planet's total ... If this is correct, the country would be in a good position to develop a strong tidal energy exEarth, from a £1,000 spaceship
"These amazing images were taken by Cambridge University students who sent a camera close to the edge of space for less than £1,000." The Brits are keeping it lo-fi...thanks, New Scientist BAndart: Warning Signs for Tomorrow
"All the truly cool transhuman technologies are going to require warning signs." These are a work of sublime genius.Vernor Vinge Paints the Future at AGC
"Award-winning science fiction Vernor Vinge, speaking at the Austin Game Conference, gave his vision of a future in which connectivity was literally in the air around us." Hat-tip to Bruce SAs books go online, publishers run for cover
"Unlike record companies, which faced the double whammy of the iPod and illegal file sharing, the online market has given book publishers some breathing room." Hmmm. Via Grumpy Old Bookman.Viridian Redux
"Sterling figured design movements like futurism and dadaism had been effective in [...] driving new ways of thinking about the world and its problems, so he started the Viridian Design movement.Implant Rejection
"Until we reach a stage where nano-magical systems can rewire our brains at will, I don't see non-therapeutic brain implants ever becoming popular." Jamais Cascio shines a light on a classicHas science fiction gone future-blind?
"The predictions and ideas Doctorow is discussing are no news [...] I can’t imagine that they are too unfamiliar to anyone working in the publishing industry - especially that of sf, which has alHow Far a Frontier?
"When is a space mission too expensive to fly?" Seems there's no shortage of money, just other things to spend it on - no change there, then, but maybe we'll see a shift in the future.Taxis without drivers
"This project plans to eliminate city drivers and three trial sites have already been selected. For example, in 2008, Terminal 5 in London's Heathrow airport will be connected to the car park byCan Rwanda's Vision 2020 National Leapfrogging Plan Succeed?
Worldchanging reports on Rwanda's brave new vision.Why hasn't the UK built superfast trains?
"If the Conservative party wins the next general election, would it be willing to build an ultra-fast rail link that could connect London and Manchester in just 45 minutes?" Unlikely, but itBurt Rutan on Civilian Spaceflight, Breakthroughs, and Inside SpaceShipTwo
Interview at Space.com; does what it says on the tin, well worth a read.Artificial Heart Cleared for Market
"The first self-contained implanted artificial heart received U.S. government approval for patients who are all out of options and would otherwise die." The transhumanist lobby must be stokeOpen Taxonomy
Jamais Cascio muses on the potential of 'open source scenario planning' - this first installment asks what exactly it means to be 'open'.Build Your Own (Virtual) Village, One Business at a Time
"What do you get when you mix SimCity with social entrepreneurship? Village, a multiplayer strategy game that puts the BOP hypothesis to work." Worldchanging reports.
