The Spy in Your Car – He’s Always There

What Does He See? Who Does He Tell? There’s a spy in your car. You already knew that Facebook knows far too much about you. And you already knew that retail stores track your every move. In addition, hackers have stolen … Continue reading

Artificial Intelligence Limits, Robot Failures

A Summary of the Durable Roadblocks to Super-Intelligent AI… Artificial intelligence limits are most visible when coupled with failures of robotics. Consider: Instances of serious or fatal vehicle crashes in which a driver relied too much on his self-driving car. … Continue reading

Future Diseases, Incredible Yet Possible

New Illnesses & Disorders Worry Medical Researchers – a Guest Post by Jessica Kane: Future diseases will likely create the media headlines of tomorrow. Dystopian novels, films, and television shows often feature a viral mutation that wiped out much of … Continue reading

Declaration of Independence from Political Rants

Note Added May 2018: Political rants inspired this post in June 2015. This seems a good time to re-publish it. The midterm election season is warming up, and emotional, insulting speech is already circulating. Once again, it’s time for each … Continue reading

Immortality, Doggerel & Bill Gould

Immortality – this Part 2 blog addresses practical ways for individuals to achieve immortality without technology, or at least a substantial life-after-death. Many people who search for the meaning of life settle on immortality as one of their personal goals. The immortality … Continue reading

The Meaning of Life and Immortality Through Technology

The Meaning of Life and Immortality are Big Questions. But Big Questions can have simple answers, and one of those answers turns out to be – Doggerel! This blog tells personal stories that for me illuminate these Big Questions and … Continue reading

VW Cheat: “Dieselgate” Roils Auto World

How could a respected and successful company like VW cheat eleven million of its loyal customers? “Dieselgate” is one name for the scandal that is shaming Volkswagen, the world’s highest-revenue vehicle manufacturer. This blog summarizes the facts, then poses and … Continue reading

Invisible Body or Out Of Body – You Choose

Science Fact: Who has not wanted to be invisible, at least some time in their life? To be the fly on the wall observing some private moment. Gracefully avoiding an embarrassing situation. To experience the power of seeing without being … Continue reading

GMO Humans – Science Collides with Ethics

Science Fact: GMO humans – that’s people, genetically modified: the latest collision of science with ethics. If you’re uneasy about eating foods that are GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms), how do you feel about people designing their next child from an online … Continue reading

Head Transplant – The Ultimate Makeover

Science Fact: Head transplant, otherwise known as full body replacement, is the ultimate makeover. Swap out your entire body! In a single treatment, you instantly cure heart disease, abdominal cancer, back pain, constipation and ingrown toenails. All you need is … Continue reading

Dark Matter and the Practical Value of Astronomy

Science Fact: Dark matter. Dark energy. An invisible force filling and dominating the universe. Sound familiar? It should. Dark matter pervades popular culture: – The Force of Star Wars – Dark matter nebulas in Star Trek – Dark matter as … Continue reading

An Amazing Fifty Year Future

Science Fact: A fifty year future forecast! Our future starts in the past with this poster of Fritz Lang’s 1927 film Metropolis as restored in 2010 and available for purchase on DVD. Metropolis, the first film to show a robot, … Continue reading

Brain Sync & the Guitar Mind-Meld

Science Fact: Brain sync. Brainwave synchronization. A story of New Age stoners, hackers, hucksters and the frontiers of medicine. The Brain Sync Headline Brain sync popped up stage center with an article titled New Study Shows How Guitar Players’ Brains … Continue reading

Prediction: Wealth, War & the World Series

Science Fact:  Prediction promises us the big answers: Will the stock market hit 35,000?  Who will win the World Series?  Will the Russians invade Crimea?  (Oh, wait, that already happened.) Prediction also offers us practical advice: You can’t tune into … Continue reading

Suicide, Personal Freedom & Values

Science Fact: Suicide is forbidden by law, forbidden by religious precepts, and is often a forbidden subject for conversation. In the previous post we considered the understandable human desire to prolong and preserve life. This post looks at the opposite: the … Continue reading