Topics: Sperm cells have been created from the skin cells of a mouse , and how this might someday allow a woman to provide sperm formed from her skin cells to make another woman pregnant, or even to make herself pregnant. Also: Traveling to Mars in only 30 minutes ; a solar cell so thin and light it can rest on a soap bubble ; why roboticists are raving about Google's new Atlas Robot ; the media's fear of robotic AI; why Mercedes is pulling robots from the factory floor ; Google's neural network...
Mar 02, 2016•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Topics: scientists succeed in printing living tissues using stem cells in a 3D printer ; a new cell phone attachment that can take thermal imaging photos in the infrared ; Mattel's new 3D printer for kids, the ThingMaker, lets them print their own toys ; my own commentary on how language changes over time; standing up against the sexual harassment of software--and perhaps other inanimate objects as well . Also, two listener emails: Extropia DaSilva on cyborging, and Robert on my concern about th...
Feb 24, 2016•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Topics: rabbit brain survives cryonic suspension without damage at the microscopic level ; media stories tell us we should "not freak out" about human gene editing ; detecting prostate cancer by "smelling" it with gas chromatography ; an artificial intelligence app can identify the breed of your dog ; search drones outperform humans at following a difficult to see forest path ; the US government is clearing the way for self driving cars ; and an earthquake detecting app for smart phones can blan...
Feb 17, 2016•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast Topics: Scientists boost life span of mice by 25% by deleting defective cells ; Playboy magazine will no longer contain photos of naked women ; Bacteria in men's beards found to be beneficial ; a book (Thing Explainer by Randal Munroe) which explains complicated things using only the 1,000 most common words ; McDonald's Kale Salad has more fat than their Double Big Mac ; Amazon's Echo Speaker is a voice activated artificially intelligent personal assistant--well, sort of ; and the "Swab and Send...
Feb 10, 2016•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Topics: the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots ; the search for Planet Nine (again) ; the ASPCA has police powers ; Pluto is covered with vast regions and mountain ranges of frozen water ; Sonic Tweezers can grab a living cell without damaging it and then move the cell in 3D to build structures composed of cells ; Google's project Skybender is testing providing 5G speed Internet with solar powered Titan drones ; JP Morgan Chase ATM's to give cash using your smartphone ; how to break into filmmaking ...
Feb 03, 2016•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Topics: DARPA announced a computer-brain interface project with the goal of creating a fully implantable device able to connect with one million neurons ; ( Another article about the computer-brain interface. ); a biomedical sensor that can be inserted into the brain then dissolve when its job Is done ; a device to motorize individual sperm to boost fertility ; how lowering human body temperature --even into the 60 degree zone where the heart stops -- is saving lives ; and a study which discover...
Jan 27, 2016•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Longevity Book from the actress Cameron Diaz ; Skype's new real time voice translation software is now live ; an example of artificial intelligence; the brightest supernova ever detected ; reasonably priced variable-focus eyeglasses ; and the impressive value of a sister project of Wikipedia entitled Wikisource . Hosted by Stephen Euin Cobb, this is the January 20, 2015 episode of The Future And You . [Running time: 23 minutes] Stephen Euin Cobb has interviewed over 350 people for his work a...
Jan 20, 2016•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Topics from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that ended a few days ago--and some not. Such as: a real time language translating device you can wear on a necklace ; self driving cars are shown to be less likely to crash that human driven cars ; NASA has created a department for planetary defense against asteroids ; L'Orial has created a wearable sticker that measures your UV exposure that sends its readings to you smart phone : a wearable sheet of material that makes electricity which c...
Jan 13, 2016•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Topics: a deceptive, albeit important, YouTube video about Space Junk ; how and why the field of genetics is suddenly dominated by CRISPR Cas9 gene editing experiments; the remarkable Scio, a tiny handheld spectrometer for only $250 ; a new underwater sonar glove that lets you feel things without even touching them ; how you can see part of the new "Star Wars Visual Dictionary" for free on Amazon; a little drone that flies in autonomous mode ; and more news about the Oculus Rift . As promised: h...
Jan 06, 2016•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Year in Science: several dozen of the countless scientific discoveries and achievements that occurred in 2015 which have joined together to forever alter the path of our future from what it otherwise would have been. Hosted by Stephen Euin Cobb, this is the December 30, 2015 episode of The Future And You . [Running time: 24 minutes] Stephen Euin Cobb has interviewed over 350 people for his work as an author, futurist, magazine writer, ghostwriter , and award-winning podcaster. A contributing...
Dec 30, 2015•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Topics: Flaws in how Google News decides which headline to show you; yet again a dog has smelled that its owner had cancer before any symptoms could reveal the tumor ; a nasal spray of glucagon has proven effective against hypoglycemia emergencies ; Google's project Loon is working hard to bring wireless Internet to billions in the third world who have zero Internet access ; Google's amazing project Fi ; smelling peanut butter is being used as an early indicator of Alzheimer's disease ; Californ...
Dec 23, 2015•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Micro-spaceships of only a single gram could be propelled at a third the speed of light toward nearby stars. They would be shoved, as tiny lightsails, by powerful external lasers. Accelerating for only ten minutes each would allow tens of thousands to be launched every year. A great cloud of micro-spaceships could then expand in every direction from our solar system to explore all the nearby stars and their potential exoplanets. Arriving for their thousands of flybys after 13 to 20 years--what a...
Dec 16, 2015•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Six different topics: (1)The growing number of cheap low-end eyeglass-style computer displays, and why they are good for privacy, but not resolution. (2) A poorly written article about an important topic : Life Extension. (3) NASA has released the clearest photos of Pluto ever , and they are impressive. (4) A groundbreaking new professional video camera that can take beautiful full-color, HD movies with nothing more than starlight for illumination. (5) Mozilla has announced that the FireFox brow...
Dec 07, 2015•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast The biggest and most impossible to ignore of all the topics we discuss is the faction war raging within SF&F writing and publishing which is centered on the Hugo Awards . You can learn more about it on its Wikipedia page entitled " Sad Puppies ." Each of my two guests were nominated for a Hugo award, and each agonized over what exactly they should do about it. Should they accept? should they decline? In this episode, they describe their thoughts and their decisions. Edmund R. Schubert is editor-...
Dec 02, 2015•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Topics: how public libraries are transitioning from quiet rooms filled with books to embrace all forms of media and information, including the vastness of the Internet. Also: similarities between the current rise of ebooks and the rise of paperbacks in the 1960's and 1970's; the trend toward shrinking book lengths; the worlds-largest shared universe; and a back door method for breaking into becoming a writer for Baen Books, a back door which is still open and available to the entire online world...
Nov 25, 2015•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Topics: the rebirth of short fiction as a way for authors to make serious money; the growth of episodic fiction, as opposed to serialized; the sales ratios of physical books verses digital books; the rapidly growing ocean of ebooks, many of which are, unfortunately, amateurish in quality; and the upcoming independent film from Jaysen Buterin of Mad Ones Films which will be based on one of John G. Hartness' short stories. John G. Hartness is today's guest. John G Hartness is the best-selling auth...
Nov 18, 2015•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Topics: ethical problems in the Wizard of OZ; our copyright laws are out of whack and may not be working in the public's best interest; why the latest Kindle reading devices may be working against their best interest; and how the constant need for stimulus is altering our lives, our behaviour, and perhaps our future. James Maxey is our guest. James Maxey is the author of the superhero novels Nobody Gets the Girl and Burn Baby Burn ; as well as the Dragon Age trilogy : Bitterwood, Dragonforge , a...
Nov 11, 2015•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast Topic: Your Life is an Open Book [Part 2]: How the Internet and social media make our lives open to scrutiny by anyone with a computer. Speakers: James Maxey (author), Stephen Euin Cobb (author and magazine writer), and Kelly Lockhart (AKA: radio personality, Gary Poole) as the moderator. Kelly Lockhart started his DJ career in Key Largo Florida, when fresh out of the military and has worked at radio stations in Atlanta, Tallahassee and Chattanooga. He is a feature writer for The Chattanooga Pul...
Nov 04, 2015•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Topic: Your Life is an Open Book [Part 1]: How the Internet and social media make our lives open to scrutiny by anyone with a computer. Speakers: James Maxey (author), Stephen Euin Cobb (author and magazine writer), and Kelly Lockhart (AKA: radio personality, Gary Poole) as the moderator. Kelly Lockhart started his DJ career in Key Largo Florida, when fresh out of the military and has worked at radio stations in Atlanta, Tallahassee and Chattanooga. He is a feature writer for The Chattanooga Pul...
Oct 28, 2015•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Part Two: Consciousness: Exactly what is it? And can it be uploaded into a computer? Speakers: Dr. Robert E. Hampson, Dr. Robert "Sam" Lightfoot, Julie Cochrane, Philip Wohlrab. Dr. Robert E. Hampson is a researcher in the field of neuroscience-–the structure and function of the brain. He is also part of a multi-university team working to develop a "neural prosthetic" capable of restoring memory by connecting between different regions within the brain. Robert "Sam" Lightfoot, Ph.D. is an active ...
Oct 21, 2015•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast Consciousness [Part One]: Exactly what is it? And can it be uploaded into a computer? Speakers: Dr. Robert E. Hampson, Dr. Robert "Sam" Lightfoot, Julie Cochrane, Philip Wohlrab. Dr. Robert E. Hampson is a researcher in the field of neuroscience-–the structure and function of the brain. He is also part of a multi-university team working to develop a "neural prosthetic" capable of restoring memory by connecting between different regions within the brain. Robert "Sam" Lightfoot, Ph.D. is an active...
Oct 14, 2015•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Topic: Will We Ever Go to Mars? (Part 2) Mars is currently on many people's minds because of the Matt Damon movie coming out this week: The Martian . Speakers: James Maxey (author), Thomas A. Mays (author and naval officer), Rebecca Ledford (publisher at Phase 5), Manga Matt, Stephen Euin Cobb (author and magazine writer), and Jim Craig (planetarium director) as the moderator. [Bonus] A recording of a fake computer technician who called my cell phone and tried to pull a scam. Normally, I'm a ver...
Oct 07, 2015•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Topic: Will We Ever Go to Mars? (Part 1) Mars is currently on many people's minds because of the Matt Damon movie coming out this week: The Martian . Speakers: James Maxey (author), Thomas A. Mays (author and naval officer), Rebecca Ledford (publisher at Phase 5), Manga Matt, Stephen Euin Cobb (author and magazine writer), and Jim Craig (planetarium director) as the moderator. Hosted by Stephen Euin Cobb, this is the September 30, 2015 episode of The Future And You . [Running time: 34 minutes] T...
Sep 30, 2015•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Topic: Trends in Book Publishing. Speakers: David B. Coe and A. J. Hartley. David B. Coe is the author of more than fifteen novels and a dozen short stories. His first series, the LonTobyn Chronicle won the William L. Crawford Fantasy Award. A. J. Hartley writes mystery/thrillers and fantasy adventures. His thrillers have been USA Today and New York Times bestsellers and his 5th novel, Will Power , was listed by Kirkus Reviews as one of the 15 best fantasy/scifi books of 2010. Hosted by Stephen ...
Sep 23, 2015•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Topic: The Next Carrington Event: How Catastrophic Might It Be? The Carrington Event was a solar coronal mass ejection that hit the Earth in 1859. If a similar one hit today, Lloyd's of London estimates the damage might cost between $0.6 and $2.6 trillion in the USA alone. Speakers: Stephanie Osborn and Tim Bolgeo. Stephanie Osborn is a former NASA payload flight controller, with over twenty years experience in civilian and military space programs. She has worked on numerous Space Shuttle flight...
Sep 16, 2015•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast Topic: Fifty Years of SETI --Where is Everyone? Our speaker is Robert Buetner , the award-winning author of more than ten novels, a former intelligence officer, paleontologist, and lawyer. [News Item] Lifespan.io is a new crowdfunding platform dedicated specifically to research aimed at extending healthy human lifespan. Through centralizing such crowdfunding efforts , it can help create a powerful grassroots movement to overcome age-related disease—both by building a community of passionate dono...
Sep 09, 2015•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Topic: The Ethics of Human Augmentation — the pros, cons and conundrums. Speakers: Kenneth I. Roy , Carol Johnson , Bill Thomasson , and Robert G. Kennedy . Kenneth I. Roy is an engineer who has published technology speculation pieces in the Journal for the British Planetary Society, and the United States Naval Institute Proceedings. His current interests include terraforming and geoengineering. Carol Johnson studied international terrorism, filled delegate positions for travel-seminars with Par...
Sep 02, 2015•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Topic: Terraforming. Making planets that are not habitable into earth-like planets, where people can live, work, and play--even outside, in comfort, without a space suit. Speakers: Kenneth I. Roy (author and engineer), Stephanie Osborn (author and space scientist), and Robert G. Kennedy (author and engineer). Hosted by Stephen Euin Cobb, this is the August 26, 2015 episode of The Future And You . [Running time: 55 minutes] This presentation was recorded in front of an audience at the science fic...
Aug 26, 2015•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Eventual Artificial Intelligence Uprising. Speakers: James Maxey (author), Chris Kennedy (author), Thomas A. Mays (author and naval officer), Edward McKeown (author), Rebecca Ledford (publisher Phase 5), and Jake Bible (author). Also: an email from David Wilding, mentioning an article he wrote in which he makes the case that the worlds first science fiction convention was held in Leeds, England in 1937 . Guests included a young Arthur C. Clarke. Philadelphia, in USA, also lays claim to the t...
Aug 19, 2015•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast Topic: Emerging Pathogens and Antibiotic Resistance . What we are doing right, and what we are doing wrong. Speakers: John Harp (scientist) and Phil Wohlrab (scientist). John Harp is a graduate student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville studying bacterial membrane physiology. Phil Wohlrab is pursuing a master's degree in public health with a focus on epidemiology; he is also a medic serving in the Virginia Army National Guard, currently as an instructor in combat medicine, basic lifesavin...
Aug 12, 2015•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast