New Boston Dynamics Robot is Terrifying Science Fiction Brought to Life

More video of that new two-wheeled robot:

https://futurism.com/boston-dynamics-new-robot-is-terrifying-science-fiction-brought-to-life/

The 5 Jobs Robots Will Take First

Before truck driver?

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-jobs-robots-take-first-shelly-palmer

There's a New Prediction for the Singularity: 2047

Not that predictions can be relied upon, but when multiple people zero in on a similar date (as long as they're not just copying one another), that's a good sign:

https://www.inverse.com/article/28386-singularity-2047

Billionaire Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son plans to invest in singularity

Nice to see someone putting money specifically towards this:

http://www.kurzweilai.net/billionaire-softbank-ceo-masayoshi-son-plans-to-invest-in-the-singularity

Universal Basic Income Takes Root

Pilot programs to test the feasibility of a universal basic income:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PArYs-fdJeM

Taxing robots comes with difficulties:

https://futurism.com/taxing-robots-and-free-money-in-a-future-of-job-automation/

This Neural Probe Is So Thin, The Brain Doesn’t Know It’s There

Cyberpunk, here we come:

https://singularityhub.com/2017/02/27/this-neural-probe-is-so-thin-the-brain-doesnt-know-its-there/

An ultra-low-power artificial synapse for neural-network computing

Still uses 10,000 times more energy than a biological synapse uses, but we're getting there:

http://www.kurzweilai.net/a-breakthrough-low-power-artificial-synapse-for-neural-network-computing

Calorie Intake and Health: Major Study Reveals a New Relationship

In primates, a calorie-restricted diet may yield few benefits if you already eat healthily:

http://bigthink.com/philip-perry/want-to-live-a-long-and-healthy-life-restrict-the-number-of-calories-you-eat

How Silicon Valley Is Trying to Hack Its Way Into a Longer Life

Most not demonstrated to be effective:

http://time.com/4672962/silicon-valley-longer-life/?xid=newsletter-brief

Lab-Grown Meat Is Almost Here

When this is perfected, it could be a game-changer for vegetarians, animal rights, climate change and more:

http://bigthink.com/21st-century-spirituality/lab-grown-meat-is-almost-here

NASA Just Found A Solar System With 7 Earth-Like Planets

Three Earth sized planets in the Goldilocks zone around a star only 40 light years away. Pretty freaking exciting:

https://futurism.com/nasa-just-found-a-solar-system-with-7-earth-like-planets/

Manipulating silicon atoms to create future ultra-fast, ultra-low-power chip technology

"Imagine a hybrid silicon-molecular computer that uses one thousand times less energy or a cell phone battery that lasts weeks at a time."

http://www.kurzweilai.net/manipulating-silicon-atoms-to-create-future-ultra-fast-ultra-low-power-chip-technology

Graphene oxide supercapacitor commercial prototype targeted within 2 years

Will THIS be the promising breakthrough that actually breaks through?

http://www.nextbigfuture.com/2017/02/graphene-oxide-supercapacitor.html

You’re a completely different person at 14 and 77, the longest-running personality study ever has found

This isn't exactly an advancing technologies topic, but it relates to what may be in store for us if and when we achieve radically extended lifespans:

https://qz.com/914002/youre-a-completely-different-person-at-14-and-77-the-longest-running-personality-study-ever-has-found/

I've known this to be true for a long time, since I've kept a journal every single day of my life since I turned 13. When I go back and view my old journals, I'm struck by how different my concerns and interests were, as well as the fact that I don't remember most of what happened then even with the written reminder (and I have a pretty sharp memory).

Renewables Accounted for 90% of Europe’s New Power Last Year

Yay Europe. Now if we can get our own government and industry to stop it with the science deniers:

https://futurism.com/renewables-accounted-for-90-of-europes-new-power-last-year/

China’s Artificial-Intelligence Boom

I would REALLY rather not have China take the lead on this. At all:

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/02/china-artificial-intelligence/516615/

This One-Cent Lab-on-a-Chip Can Diagnose Cancer and Infections

https://singularityhub.com/2017/02/19/one-cent-lab-on-a-chip-can-detect-cancer-and-infections/

"Immune cell counts are often used to diagnose infectious diseases like tuberculosis and malaria, and traditionally done with a technique called flow cytometry that can cost $100,000 for the equipment alone. The penny chip performed just as well."

By sparring with AlphaGo, researchers are learning how an algorithm thinks

The advantages of inhuman confidence:

https://qz.com/897498/by-sparring-with-alphago-researchers-are-learning-how-an-algorithm-thinks/

Industrial Revolution Comparisons Aren't Comforting

Things to consider about the job losses due to technological advancements:

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-02-16/industrial-revolution-comparisons-aren-t-comforting

The Cute Robot That Follows You Around and Schleps All Your Stuff

I can see this being extremely useful for many applications:

https://www.wired.com/2017/02/piaggio-gita-drone/?ncid=newsltushpmgnews

We Are Closer Than Ever to Unlimited Clean Energy

A simple summary of the progress on fusion power:

https://futurism.com/fusion-energy-provides-a-clean-unlimited-source-of-power/

(But we're STILL 30 years away from having fusion power reactors...as always.)

Vivek Wadhwa: Get Ready for The Next Wave of Tech Disruptions

A great explanation of the technological upheavals that will occur over the next couple decades:

http://bigthink.com/videos/vivek-wadhwa-every-industry-will-be-disrupted

A Lander is Going to Europa to try and Find Alien Life

https://futurism.com/a-lander-is-going-to-europa-to-find-alien-life/

Elon Musk Just Made 4 Predictions About The Future Of Humanity

Just because Musk has influence on tech trends:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/elon-musk-just-made-4-223017497.html

Renewables are no longer ‘alternative.’ Fossil fuels are ‘legacy.’

But the Trumplethinskin administration has disheartened investors:

https://medium.com/@davidmbank/renewables-are-no-longer-alternative-fossil-fuels-are-legacy-cb396db8bd15#.iaa0twt0q

Up, Up And Away: Passenger-Carrying Drone To Fly In Dubai

If Amazon can deliver packages by drone...why not deliver humans to their desired destinations by drone?

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_DUBAI_PASSENGER_DRONE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-02-13-10-45-23

Elon Musk: Humans must merge with machines or become irrelevant in AI age

Since you can't beat 'em, join 'em:

http://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/13/elon-musk-humans-merge-machines-cyborg-artificial-intelligence-robots.html

Harvard’s Remarkable New Battery Can Run For More Than a Decade

Which one of the many promising battery options will be the tipping point? This one?

https://futurism.com/4-a-new-battery-can-run-for-a-decade/

Agility Robotics Introduces Cassie, a Dynamic and Talented Robot Delivery Ostrich

A bipedal robot with excellent balance:

http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/industrial-robots/agility-robotics-introduces-cassie-a-dynamic-and-talented-robot-delivery-ostrich

The AI Threat Isn’t Skynet. It’s the End of the Middle Class

I guess it's good to be old:

https://www.wired.com/2017/02/ai-threat-isnt-skynet-end-middle-class/

Summary of changes we can expect to see over the next decade or so

This is an answer to a question about what America will look like after four years of Trump, but it's mainly a good summary of technological advances (and their consequences) we can expect to see over the next decade or so:

https://www.quora.com/What-will-America-look-like-after-4-years-under-Donald-Trump/answer/Stan-Hayward-1?srid=uBhZO&share=0b262dd9

Discovery of Time Crystals Could Radically Change Our Understanding of the Space-Time Continuum

More than a little mind-boggling:

http://bigthink.com/philip-perry/discovery-of-time-crystals-could-radically-change-our-understanding-of-the-space-time-continuum

Robot Cars Can Teach Themselves How to Drive in Virtual Worlds

I love that GTA V is a training environment for actual robot cars:

https://singularityhub.com/2017/02/08/robot-cars-can-teach-themselves-how-to-drive-in-virtual-worlds/

The Real Threat Is Machine Incompetence, Not Intelligence

https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/the-real-threat-is-machine-incompetence-not-intelligence

Artificial Intelligence May Be Better Than a Guide Dog

This sounds like a life-changing A.I. app for blind people:

https://futurism.com/videos/artificial-intelligence-may-be-better-than-a-guide-dog

First stable semisynthetic organism created

A whole new species of life created with something OTHER than the four nucleotides found in natural DNA:

http://www.kurzweilai.net/first-stable-semisynthetic-organism-created

The 2,578 Problems With Self-Driving Cars

Just because self-driving cars get into so few accidents, it doesn't mean there aren't still a lot of problems to iron out before the cars can be considered fully autonomous:

http://spectrum.ieee.org/cars-that-think/transportation/self-driving/the-2578-problems-with-self-driving-cars

How to Choose a Personality for Your Sex Robot

I'm convinced most humans will end up preferring sexbots to humans, and the current manufacturers are adding more features to work toward that end:

https://melmagazine.com/how-to-choose-a-personality-for-your-sex-robot-39671c8a0c71#.biadjif8a

Is AI a Threat to Christianity?

Interesting:

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/02/artificial-intelligence-christianity/515463/

It reminds me of a video I once did about science and technology's impact on religion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBKYVwQl3RQ

Scientists simulate a new material that could be even weirder than graphene

"Get ready for one-dimensional boron chains":

http://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-simulate-a-new-1d-material-that-could-be-even-weirder-than-graphene

Vanishing point: the rise of the invisible computer

How computing will improve as the end (maybe) of Moore's Law rapidly approaches:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jan/26/vanishing-point-rise-invisible-computer

Scientists Reveal Blueprint for How to Construct a Large Scale Quantum Computer

http://scitechdaily.com/scientists-reveal-blueprint-for-how-to-construct-a-large-scale-quantum-computer/

"This huge leap forward towards creating a universal quantum computer..."

The Surprisingly Simple Invention That Allows Robots to Make Clothes

The advantage of thinking outside the box (well, except perhaps the porn industry):

https://singularityhub.com/2017/02/03/the-surprisingly-simple-invention-that-allows-robots-to-make-clothes/

Alphabet’s Boston Dynamics is working on a robot that its founder calls “nightmare inducing”

Yeah, this is sufficiently creepy :-) :

https://qz.com/900285/alphabets-goog-boston-dynamics-handle-robot-is-nightmare-inducing-according-to-founder-marc-raibert/

Carnegie Mellon AI beats top poker pros — a first

Yet another human expertise bested by A.I.:

http://www.kurzweilai.net/carnegie-mellon-ai-beats-top-poker-pros-a-first

The big change here is the ability to deal with uncertainty. The ability to bluff.

"This is the last frontier, at least in the foreseeable horizon, in game-solving in AI."

New Research Shows the Universe May Have Once Been a Hologram...

...But Isn't Now.

A different take from the previous article:

https://futurism.com/new-research-shows-the-universe-may-have-once-been-a-hologram/