It’s not about politics. It’s about what we know and what we don’t know…yet. Speaking on the subject of genetics, geneticist and synthetic biologist Craig Venter recently stated: “We know 1% of what we’ll ultimately know.” This week,Phil and Stephen consider that 99% (or more) that we haven’t learned yet — not just genetics, but …
Category Archive: Transition
May
08
Catastrophic Success WT015
I’m reading K. Eric Drexler’s new book Radical Abundance, which explores the impact of atomically precise manufacturing (APM). Drexler predicts that APM will be with us soon and that it will transform the global economy in ways that can be compared to the industrial revolution of the 18th century or the advent of agriculture some …
Apr
25
Will We Ever Upload? WT014
Special guests Ben Goertzel and David Pearce join Phil and Stephen to examine the question of mind uploading. Is the human mind ultimately a sophisticated piece of software that will one day be translated to run on another platform — namely, a computer? Will human beings be able to upload their memories, their personalities, and …
Apr
10
Reality Plus
What’s better than reality? How about augmented reality — applications that interact with the world around us to provide startling new insights and capabilities. Special guests Jospeh Rampolla and Collin O’Malley join hosts Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon to discuss the opportunities (and risks) represented by this amazing new technology. What happens when the whole …
Apr
03
Mar
27
The Great World Transformed Debate
The future is on its way. What will it be like? Phil and Stephen debate some pivotal questions about what may unfold in the years to come: Resolved: The discovery of extraterrestrial life is inevitable, as is the discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence. Resolved: Newly discovered oil reserves will go largely untapped; the future belongs …
Mar
20
Our Thinking Transformed — Best of WT
Your hosts are observing spring break this week, so enjoy this great discussion from 2011: David Brin, P.J. Manney, and Thomas McCabe talk about how our thinking must change if we are to survive and thrive in a world transformed. The World Transformed 2, Part 1 Some of it is evolutionary, some of it is …
Mar
13
Next Week in Science
Babies cured of HIV! Sharks with chainsaw jaws! Earth-Like planets closer then we thought! Ancient languages reconstructed! Rats with their brains wired together! Phil and Stephen review select items from popular web features dedicated to tracking weekly developments in science. Amazing breakthroughs are occurring all the time. What’s coming next? Our hosts provide some headlines they …
Mar
04
Humanity and Transcendence
Futurists Samantha Atkins and PJ Manney join Phil and Stephen to discuss whether there is anything truly new in the movement known as “transhumanism.” Was there ever a time when humanity wasn’t striving to transcend its current state? Perhaps we’ll find that we have always lived in the future. If so — how is the …
Feb
19
Super Beings
What would you like to do…leap tall buildings in a single bound? Change the course of mighty rivers? Bend steel with your bare hands? Well hang on: the age of superpowers is here and it has only begun. Phil and Stephen discuss our superhuman future, including: The amazing powers we already possess The astounding abilities that will …