Technological Singularity: An Impending “Intelligence Explosion”
In 1983, Vernor Vinge popularized the theory in an op-ed piece for Omni magazine where he contended that rapidly self-improving AI would eventually reach a "kind of singularity," beyond which reality would be difficult to predict. It was also here that the first comparison to a black hole was made:
"We will soon create intelligences greater than our own. When this happens, human history will have reached a kind of singularity, an intellectual transition as impenetrable as the knotted space-time at the center of a black hole, and the world will pass far beyond our understanding. This singularity, I believe, already haunts a number of science-fiction writers. ...
But perhaps the most famous proponent of the concept is noted inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil. His 2005 book, The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology, is perhaps his best-known work and expands on ideas presented in earlier books, most notably his "Law of Accelerating Returns."
This law is essentially a generalization of Moore's Law and states that the rate of growth in technological systems increases exponentially over time. He further cited how an exponential increase in technologies like computing, genetics, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence would culminate and lead to a new era of superintelligence. ...
But of course, computing, information production, and the way advancements always appear to be coming faster are just a few of the pathways that could be leading us to the so-called Singularity. In part II, we will examine how advances in nanotechnology and medical technology are also leading us towards a point in time beyond which the future will be difficult to predict. ...
See the full story here: https://interestingengineering.com/technological-singularity-an-impending-intelligence-explosion
How Starlink’s Satellite Internet Stacks Up Against HughesNet and Viasat around the Globe
...Given that satellite internet is often the only solution for folks with little to no fixed broadband access, the Speedtest® results we saw coming from HughesNet, Starlink and Viasat during Q2 2021 were encouraging. However, Starlink was the only satellite internet provider in the United States with fixed-broadband-like latency figures, and median download speeds fast enough to handle most of the needs of modern online life at 97.23 Mbps during Q2 2021 (up from 65.72 Mbps in Q1 2021). ...
This data is changing rapidly as satellite internet providers launch new service locations and improve their technology. We’ll be excited to see if Starlink is still the satellite provider to beat next quarter and in what other countries satellite internet provides a viable alternative to fixed broadband.
See the full story with many charts here: https://www.speedtest.net/insights/blog/starlink-hughesnet-viasat-performance-q2-2021/
Watch this cool special effects sequence wrap up the 2020 Games
The light show was designed by Moment Factory, a Montreal-based entertainment agency that through its work aims to “inspire a sense of collective wonder and connection.” We think it achieved just that with its remarkable digital light show that helped to close the Games.
But what will have looked to many like an astonishing sequence powered by LED-laden drones was in fact the result of made-for-TV special effects that no one in the stadium will have seen.
How Advances In Technology And Science Could Impact The Dating And Matchmaking Industry
PhilNote: The author of this article is the Co-Founder at Ambiance Matchmaking, an exclusive matchmaking service for conscious leaders, creatives, and entrepreneurs.
Block Chain: The biggest issue ... a lack of trust and transparency. ...Companies such as Hicky and Viola have both implemented blockchain to increase transparency by requiring users to validate their identity via face and voice recognition, which is then fully encrypted and stored into the blockchain.
Artificial Intelligence: ...Coffee Meets Bagel, Hinge, Tinder and Badoo all now use AI and machine learning in their apps to find relevant matches for users.
Taking it one step further, AI could also act as a digital matchmaker, arranging meetings in real life and providing feedback and coaching. ...
Augmented Reality: ...Flirtar’s vision is allowing people to connect in real life almost instantly by literally putting matches right in front of them using geolocation.
DNA Matchmaking: ...DNA Romance is a dating app that matches partners based on the information hidden in their DNA to forecast romantic chemistry. ... Based on the “sweaty T-shirt experiment” conducted by Claus Wedekind in 1995, Dr. Tim Sexton built the app on the basis that partners with opposite immune system genes (MHC genes) have much higher romantic chemistry than those with similar genes. ...
See the full story here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2021/08/04/how-advances-in-technology-and-science-could-impact-the-dating-and-matchmaking-industry/?sh=2fe538bd66ac
Why is ‘metaverse’ the hottest tech buzzword? Apple has something to do with it
“Metaverse” may sound like some hackneyed term from a William Gibson novel, but Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg sounded serious last week about its potential to transform the company he co-founded — and the internet itself.
“I wanted to discuss this now so that you can see the future that we’re working toward and how our major initiatives across the company are going to map to that,” Zuckerberg said on a conference call with analysts following Facebook’s FB, 1.98% second-quarter earnings report. “What is the metaverse? It’s a virtual environment where you can be present with people in digital spaces. You can kind of think of this as an embodied internet that you’re inside of rather than just looking at.”
See the full story here: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-is-metaverse-the-hottest-tech-buzzword-apple-has-something-to-do-with-it-11627998184
Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Automation Transforming the Film Industry
PhilNote: nothing new here, but a nice one-paragraph summary of a number of entertainment tech trends.
Recently the Manufacturing Media Consortium and its founder, TR Cutler (TRC) set up a new division examining the role of manufacturing and technology in the entertainment industry. .... What follows is an interview of Jacob Kyle Young (JKY) actor and founder of Post Modern Entertainment.
See the full story here: https://www.automation.com/en-us/articles/august-2021/artificial-intelligence-machine-learning-film
ganit goldstein creates an interactive embroidery piece with VR applications
...what if textiles could respond to body movements? this is the question that led ganit goldstein to create an interactive embroidery piece as part of her MA at the royal college of art in london. titled ‘rhythm of matter’, the project explores the role of physical materials in a digital space through a flower-patterned fabric with embedded electronics and virtual reality applications.
...goldstein worked closely with the R&D team of saurer to produce the large piece of fabric. they worked together with special yarns that can change the fabric properties with a light system integrated into the design. the result consists of a flower pattern that reacts to hand movements using a virtual reality application designed on top of the physical fabric.
...the VR application reads the movement of the physical hands when the hands approaching the physical fabric, where the change appears with an interactive movement of the virtual fabrics. this system, a cycle of day and night, communicates movement, color and sound through physical hand gestures and a light system....
See the full story here: https://www.designboom.com/design/ganit-goldstein-interactive-embroidery-piece-with-vr-applications-08-01-2021/
