Flyboard hoverboard

The first REAL hoverboard?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEDrMriKsFM&sns=em

When Is the Singularity? Probably Not in Your Lifetime

A contrarian view, but its arguments are pretty simplistic:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/07/science/artificial-intelligence-when-is-the-singularity.html?_r=1

Will medical 3D printing advance nanotechnology?

http://www.foresight.org/nanodot/?p=7016

A stem-cell repair system that can regenerate any kind of human tissue

This could be rather incredible:

http://www.kurzweilai.net/a-stem-cell-repair-system-that-can-regenerate-any-kind-of-human-tissue

World’s smallest electronic diode made from single DNA molecule

http://www.kurzweilai.net/worlds-smallest-electronic-diode-made-from-single-dna-molecule

Singapore Is Getting Driverless Taxi Cabs

Once one country adopts them, others will follow quickly:

http://time.com/4283313/singapore-driverless-taxi-cabs/

Singularity University: The Harvard of Silicon Valley Is Planning for a Robot Apocalypse

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/04/05/singularity-university-the-harvard-of-silicon-valley-is-planning-for-a-robot-apocalypse.html

BREAKING: Army scientists successfully 'teleport' Soldiers

A little late, but...

http://www.army.mil/article/164802?utm_source=cpatwitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=af16

KILLERDRONE! Flying chainsaw

The Terminator has to be just around the corner. We are all doomed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Viwwetf0gU

...unless we can develop more party balloon technology.

Largest network of cortical neurons mapped is a major step in an IARPA project to create a roadmap for reverse-engineering the brain

http://www.kurzweilai.net/largest-network-of-cortical-neurons-mapped-from-100-terabytes-data-set

A biosensor that’s 1 million times more sensitive

http://www.kurzweilai.net/a-biosensor-thats-1-million-times-more-sensitive

Eric Drexler talks about Cambrian Explosion in AI and Safe Access to Super Intelligence tools

http://nextbigfuture.com/2016/03/eric-drexler-talks-about-cambrian.html?m=1

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and IBM build brain-inspired supercomputer

http://www.kurzweilai.net/lawrence-livermore-national-laboratory-and-ibm-build-brain-inspired-supercomputer

Craig Venter’s team designs, builds first minimal synthetic bacterial cell

http://www.kurzweilai.net/craig-venters-team-designs-builds-first-minimal-synthetic-bacterial-cell

Automated lip-reading invented

http://www.kurzweilai.net/automated-lip-reading-invented?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=82b15a2677-UA-946742-1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6de721fb33-82b15a2677-281903081

New type of molecular tag makes MRI 10,000 times more sensitive

http://www.kurzweilai.net/new-type-of-molecular-tag-makes-mri-10000-times-more-sensitive?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=4090fe3689-UA-946742-1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6de721fb33-4090fe3689-281903081

New 2D material could upstage graphene

http://www.kurzweilai.net/new-2d-material-could-upstage-graphene?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=4090fe3689-UA-946742-1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6de721fb33-4090fe3689-281903081

One Of The World's Top Aging Researchers Has A Pill To Keep You Feeling Young

http://www.fastcoexist.com/3041800/one-of-the-worlds-top-aging-researchers-has-a-pill-to-keep-you-feeling-young

Why Your Electricity Will Be Greener in 2016

http://time.com/4242371/renewable-electricity-2016/?xid=newsletter-brief

Google’s Big Bet: Old People Will Love Self-Driving Cars

http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/03/self-driving-cars-seniors-old-people?ncid=newsltushpmg00000003#2

Solar energy is poised for an unforgettable year

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/03/02/solar-energy-is-poised-for-an-unforgettable-year/

A new nontoxic way to generate portable power

Yet another promising battery technology:

http://www.kurzweilai.net/a-new-nontoxic-way-to-generate-portable-power?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=eb945e2c20-UA-946742-1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6de721fb33-eb945e2c20-281903081

When the World Is Wired: The Magic of the Internet of Everything

http://singularityhub.com/2016/02/09/when-the-world-is-wired-the-magic-of-the-internet-of-everything/

Physicists Unleash AI to Devise Unthinkable Experiments

http://www.livescience.com/54138-artificial-intelligence-devises-unthinkable-experiments.html?cmpid=NL_LS_weekly_2016-3-23

Transdermal implant releases antibodies to trigger immune system to clear Alzheimer’s plaques

http://www.kurzweilai.net/transdermal-implant-releases-antibodies-to-trigger-immune-system-to-clear-alzheimers-plaques?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=7021910322-UA-946742-1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6de721fb33-7021910322-281903081

In Just 72 Hours, a Computer Learned How to Beat Nearly Anyone at Chess

http://futurism.com/just-72-hours-computer-learned-beat-nearly-anyone-chess/

Google pressures government to fast-track its self-driving cars

http://www.slashgear.com/google-pressures-government-to-fast-track-its-self-driving-cars-18432370/

AlphaGo's competition with Lee Sedol improved both artificial intelligence and the human player

http://www.wired.com/2016/03/two-moves-alphago-lee-sedol-redefined-future/

Blockchain-based microgrid gives power to consumers in New York

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2079334-blockchain-based-microgrid-gives-power-to-consumers-in-new-york/

Meron Gribetz: A glimpse of the future through an augmented reality headset

http://www.ted.com/talks/meron_gribetz_a_glimpse_of_the_future_through_an_augmented_reality_headset

As Coal’s Future Grows Murkier, Banks Pull Financing

I hope this is a death knell for the coal industry:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/21/business/dealbook/as-coals-future-grows-murkier-banks-pull-financing.html?_r=0

New Alzheimer’s treatment fully restores memory function

For surviving with viable minds until immortality is achievable:

http://www.sciencealert.com/new-alzheimer-s-treatment-fully-restores-memory-function

Could you fall in love with this robot?

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/03/16/could-you-fall-in-love-with-this-robot.html

Everything You Know About Artificial Intelligence is Wrong

Addressing a few of the myths:

http://gizmodo.com/everything-you-know-about-artificial-intelligence-is-wr-1764020220?ncid=newsltushpmg00000003

Experiments show magnetic chips could dramatically increase computing’s energy efficiency

http://www.kurzweilai.net/experiments-show-magnetic-chips-could-dramatically-increase-computings-energy-efficiency?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=e872f3a020-UA-946742-1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6de721fb33-e872f3a020-281903081

"That means dramatic reductions in power consumption are possible — down to as little as one-millionth the amount of energy per operation used by transistors in modern computers."

How to turn carbon dioxide into sustainable concrete

Something has to be done with CO2 produced as waste:

http://www.kurzweilai.net/how-to-turn-carbon-dioxide-into-sustainable-concrete?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=4863b5627f-UA-946742-1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6de721fb33-4863b5627f-281903081

Watch this video of six tiny robots working together to pull a 2-ton car

http://www.techspot.com/news/64092-watch-video-six-tiny-robots-working-together-pull.html

Solarcity gigafactory for solar cells could make solar plus batteries cheaper than fossil fuels

http://nextbigfuture.com/2016/03/solarcity-gigafactory-for-solar-cells.html

We Just Discovered Bacteria That Can Eat Our Plastic

http://www.fastcoexist.com/3057700/we-just-discovered-bacteria-that-can-eat-our-plastic

This Brilliant Bionic Fingertip Just Changed An Amputee's Life

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/scientists-amputee-bionic-finger-video_us_56defe79e4b0000de406093f

IoT Won’t Work Without Artificial Intelligence

http://www.wired.com/insights/2014/11/iot-wont-work-without-artificial-intelligence/

Jeff Bezos Lifts Veil on His Rocket Company, Blue Origin

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/03/09/science/space/jeff-bezos-lifts-veil-on-his-rocket-company-blue-origin.html?_r=1&ncid=newsltushpmg00000003&referer=

How Will Autonomous Cars Transform Our Lives? Brad Templeton Counts the Ways.

http://bigthink.com/videos/autonomous-cars-101-with-brad-templeton-2?utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#link_time=1457544982

Google's DeepMind defeats legendary Go player Lee Se-dol in historic victory

http://www.theverge.com/2016/3/9/11184362/google-alphago-go-deepmind-result

Spanish company Graphenano claims Graphene Polymer batteries with triple the energy density of lithium ion and commercialization by end of 2016

http://nextbigfuture.com/2016/03/spanish-company-graphenano-claims.html

3 Big Records in Solar Energy This Week

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/02/27/3-big-records-in-solar-energy-this-week.aspx?source=yahoo-2&utm_campaign=article&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=yahoo-2

Achieving Clean Power Plan targets well ahead of schedule

http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/energy-environment/270544-achieving-clean-power-plan-targets-well-ahead-of

Achieving Clean Power Plan targets well ahead of schedule

http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/energy-environment/270544-achieving-clean-power-plan-targets-well-ahead-of

Google's next generation of Atlas robot

http://time.com/4235147/robot-boston-dynamics-atlas-balance-walk/

6 Reasons Al Gore Believes ‘We Will Prevail’ in Climate Fight

https://ecowatch.com/2016/02/18/al-gore-prevail-climate-fight/

There are a lot of idiot climate change denier comments below, unfortunately.

New Alzheimer’s treatment fully restores memory function

It's only in mice so far, but it sounds extremely promising:

http://www.sciencealert.com/new-alzheimer-s-treatment-fully-restores-memory-function

Apple Wants To Raise $1.5 Billion To Finance Clean Energy

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/apple-green-bonds_us_56c4d2c0e4b0c3c550537c62

‘Eternal 5D’ data storage could reliably record the history of humankind

http://www.kurzweilai.net/eternal-5d-data-storage-could-reliably-record-the-history-of-humankind?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=a79a308b99-UA-946742-1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6de721fb33-a79a308b99-281903081

Roofs of Big Box Stores Key to Shifting America to a 100% Renewable Energy Future

http://ecowatch.com/2016/02/16/solar-big-box-store-roofs/

New cancer treatment provokes big excitement in scientific community, early data 'unprecedented'

Definitely interesting:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/02/16/1486016/-New-cancer-treatment-provokes-big-excitement-in-scientific-community-early-data-unprecedented?detail=email

Driving Cars Powered by Organic Solar Cells Might Be Closer Than You Think

http://ecowatch.com/2016/02/13/organic-solar-cell-car/

Coal and LNG Markets Shrinking Due to Competition From Renewables

http://ecowatch.com/2016/02/15/warning-fossil-fuel-investors/

Could humans ever regenerate limbs?

http://www.kurzweilai.net/could-humans-ever-regenerate-limbs?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=9624ff34c6-UA-946742-1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6de721fb33-9624ff34c6-281903081

Will Robots Make Humans Unnecessary?

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2498688,00.asp

First preservation of the connectome demonstrated in a whole brain

This sounds pretty damn significant:

http://www.kurzweilai.net/new-cryopreservation-procedure-wins-brain-preservation-prize

Why Organic Food Might Be Worth the High Price

Forward to the past...

http://time.com/4206738/organic-food-worth-the-price-study/?xid=newsletter-brief

The Hyperloop: How Elon Musk’s Dream Is Becoming a Reality

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/the-hyperloop-how-elon-musks-dream-is-becoming-a-225746160.html?soc_src=mail&soc_trk=ma

Electric Vehicles Will Beat Gas Cars Because They Are Better, Not Because They Are Cheaper

Electric Vehicles Will Beat Gas Cars Because They Are Better, Not Because They Are Cheaper

If your phone company offered you a shiny new rotary-dial telephone, hard-wired to the wall, but with a lower monthly bill, would you trade in your iPhone or Android? Probably not.

People did not move to smart phones because they were cheaper. Consumers migrate to a new technology because it offers them benefits they appreciate, at a price they can afford and consider reasonable—not necessarily because it is cheaper.

Five dollar gasoline certainly gets folks’ attention and does help to sell electric vehicles, but it is not an essential ingredient. As I write this, the average national price of gasoline is $1.78, according to AAA, and many economists predict that it will be low for some time to come.

Oil is a classic boom/bust commodity, because it is hard to scale back production and there is relatively little storage capacity, compared to the huge volumes we produce and consume every day. When the price rises, the oil industry starts drilling and discovers all kinds of ways to unlock new sources or squeeze more oil from existing wells.

Eventually, supply outstrips demand and the world is so awash in oil that there is no place to put it. Prices crash. Higher cost producers shut down and a few years later the cycle repeats.

Because of electric vehicles and the increasing efficiency of gasoline cars, demand for oil may soon peak and start coming down. This could keep the price of oil low for many years to come. Fortunately, the case for EVs is a compelling one, even in a world of cheap oil.

EVs are a pleasure to drive. They are convenient (i.e. good-bye fill-ups and most maintenance). They clean up local air and prevent climate change. They build our national security by reducing dependence on foreign oil. They strengthen the local economy because you can gather your fuel on your roof, with the help of the neighborhood solar installer. And they open the door to all kinds of innovative technologies under development.

Don’t get me wrong, EVs need to be well-priced so that people can afford them and feel like they are getting value for their money. But with so many advantages, EVs will succeed, even with $1.78 gasoline.

Joel Levin
Executive Director
Plug In America

The Reddest State Goes Green (Just Don't Mention Climate Change)

How to simply do an end run around climate change denialists:

http://www.takepart.com/feature/2015/11/30/texas-climate-change-denial

How Solar Energy Is Turning Into a Losing Proposition in Nevada

More on the fallout from Nevada's weakening of net metering:

http://www.takepart.com/article/2016/01/26/nevada-power

Chinese market electrifying for 'green' cars

At least everyone should benefit from this push:

http://news.yahoo.com/chinese-market-electrifying-green-cars-062654094.html

France’s Road of the Future Is Paved With Solar Panels

France is literally paving roads with solar cells you can drive over:

http://news.yahoo.com/france-road-future-paved-solar-panels-142522225.html

The truth about net metering

http://www.concordmonitor.com/home/20902930-95/our-turn-the-truth-about-net-metering

China Close To Creating ‘Artificial Sun’ That Could End Reliance On Fossil Fuels

Ugh, did it have to be China? My least favorite country!

http://news.yahoo.com/china-close-to-creating-artificial-sun-that-104504777.html?soc_src=mail&soc_trk=ma

U.S. Installed More Renewable Than Fossil Energy Again Last Year

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/tech/u-s-installed-more-renewable-than-fossil-energy-again-last-year/

By fighting rooftop solar, utilities are setting themselves up for worse to come

It seems we win sooner or later, no matter what:

http://www.vox.com/2016/2/3/10905624/utilities-rooftop-solar-storage

One statistic shows just how dramatically our energy system is changing

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/02/04/one-statistic-shows-just-how-dramatically-our-electricity-system-is-changing/

New Energy-Friendly Chip Can Perform Powerful AI Tasks

10x as efficient:

http://scitechdaily.com/new-energy-friendly-chip-can-perform-powerful-ai-tasks/

Biologists Extend Lifespan in Mice by 35 Percent

http://scitechdaily.com/biologists-extend-lifespan-in-mice-by-35-percent/

and

https://www.yahoo.com/autos/scientists-now-radically-expand-lifespan-202537929.html

What is it about political correctness that pisses off the right?

Don't be a dick:

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/1/31/1476011/-What-is-it-about-political-correctness-that-pisses-off-the-right?detail=email

How Congress And The Supreme Court Blew Up The Natural Gas ‘Bridge’ To Renewables

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/01/29/3743517/congress-natural-gas-renewables/

Why The Renewables Revolution Is Now Unstoppable

Very encouraging:

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/02/01/3743082/renewables-revolution/

U.K. Approves First Studies of New Gene Editing on Human Embryos

http://time.com/4200695/crispr-new-gene-editing-on-human-embryos-approved/?xid=newsletter-brief

I'm not sure I share the concern about a loss of genetic diversity. When people get to choose things for themselves, they usually go for diversity to express themselves--just look at the food, fashion or vehicle industries.

Integrated CPU graphics are catching up with discrete graphics cards, says Intel

http://www.pcworld.com/article/3021496/hardware/intel-integrated-chip-graphics-catching-up-with-graphics-cards.html

Nevada Solar-Law Author Concerned as Solar Companies Flee

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-11/author-of-nevada-solar-law-concerned-as-solar-companies-flee?cmpid=yhoo.headline

Not good news...but "literally" a gun to the head? I somehow doubt that.

Google machine-learning system is first to defeat professional Go player

http://www.kurzweilai.net/google-machine-learning-system-is-first-to-defeat-professional-go-player?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=a58327ccde-UA-946742-1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6de721fb33-a58327ccde-281903081

Yale Engineers Devise Quantum Technology On A Chip

http://scitechdaily.com/yale-engineers-devise-quantum-technology-on-a-chip/

Memory capacity of brain is 10 times more than previously thought

This could push back the development of true AI by a couple years or so:

http://www.kurzweilai.net/memory-capacity-of-brain-is-10-times-more-than-previously-thought?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=6186799282-UA-946742-1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6de721fb33-6186799282-281903081

The Real Reason Renewables Are Beating Fossil Fuels

http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelkanellos/2016/01/20/the-real-reason-renewables-are-beating-fossil-fuels/#2715e4857a0b2547fef4253f

Neil deGrasse Tyson and futurist Ray Kurzweil on what will happen to our brains and everything else

These are two of the thinkers I most respect in the world, and they're having a conversation on the concept of the singularity. How cool is that?

http://www.businessinsider.com/neil-degrasse-tyson-interview-ray-kurzweil-innovators-2016-1

I knew Tyson was a skeptic about the topic...and the end was a surprise to me.

Kurzweil is kind of the Bernie Sanders of futurists.

Putting an Environmental Price Tag on Coal

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/16/opinion/putting-an-environmental-price-tag-on-coal.html?_r=0

‘Bubble pen’ can precisely write patterns with nanoparticles as small as 1 nanometer

No complex clean room required!

http://www.kurzweilai.net/bubble-pen-can-precisely-write-patterns-with-nanoparticles-as-small-as-1-nanometer?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=61ba5e6ee5-UA-946742-1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6de721fb33-61ba5e6ee5-281903081

Why This Might Be the Beginning of the End for the Toyota Prius

Low gas prices are making the push for hybrid and electric vehicles harder, but it's not all bad due to the cachet of electric vehicles:

http://time.com/money/3654905/toyota-prius-hybrids-sales-decline/

LG announces plans to triple solar panel production by 2020

One can't help but think that the tipping point has been reached....

https://www.yahoo.com/news/lg-announces-plans-triple-solar-213432024.html?soc_src=mail&soc_trk=ma

Sales of gas-turbines drop due to renewable surge

http://www.bloomberg.com/gadfly/articles/2016-01-14/ge-hit-by-gas-turbine-slump-in-europe

New Material Can Store Solar Energy During the Day and Release it Later as Heat

http://scitechdaily.com/new-material-can-store-solar-energy-during-the-day-and-release-it-later-as-heat/

Do we have free will?

We may not have free will...but we may have a limited "free won't":

http://www.kurzweilai.net/do-we-have-free-will?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=ec4dab04c4-UA-946742-1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6de721fb33-ec4dab04c4-281903081

I Finally Tried Virtual Reality and It Brought Me to Tears

http://time.com/4172998/virtual-reality-oculus-rift-htc-vive-ces/

5 Solar Energy Trends for 2016 in the Residential Market

http://www.triplepundit.com/2016/01/5-solar-energy-trends-2016-residential-market/

An 18-inch video display you can roll up like a newspaper

http://www.kurzweilai.net/an-18-inch-video-display-you-can-roll-up-like-a-newspaper?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=267dde573f-UA-946742-1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6de721fb33-267dde573f-281903081

You can't flatten it? That seems an odd limitation....

How Soon Before Your Job Is Done By A Robot? This Handy Chart Will Tell You

Not really a very clear graphic, but...

http://www.fastcoexist.com/3054842/visualizing/how-soon-before-your-job-is-done-by-a-robot-this-graphic-will-tell-you?utm_content=bufferb0f9c&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Whether it's Faraday, Tesla, or Volvo, our electric self-driving car future is closer than ever

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/1/6/1466657/-Whether-it-s-Faraday-Tesla-or-Volvo-our-electric-self-driving-car-future-is-closer-than-ever?detail=email

Graphene filter can clean nuclear wastewater

http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2016/01/05/Graphene-filter-can-clean-nuclear-wastewater/6721452009215/

Link is a tiny cube that streams media to 7 devices at once — no Wi-Fi or data required

http://venturebeat.com/2016/01/04/link-is-a-tiny-cube-that-streams-media-to-7-devices-at-once-no-wi-fi-or-data-required/

Nvidia outs Pascal GPU in new “supercomputer” for self-driving cars

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/01/nvidia-outs-pascal-gpu-in-new-supercomputer-for-self-driving-cars/