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Recalibrating the Possible

Phil, Stephen, and Michael D. discuss new technologies (and ideas for new technologies) that push the limits of the possible. A good example of something that’s possible: Sequencing the Woolly Mammoth genome. Examples of technologies […]

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“Live” from Convergence 08 Part 2, Best of TWT

Phil and Stephen interview participants at Convergence 08, an “unconference” gathering of people interested in cognitive tech, nanotech, biotech, and artificial intelligence. The event was held in 2008 (obviously) at the History of Computing museum […]

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“Live” from Convergence 08 Part 1, Best of TWT

Phil, Stephen, and Michael D. interview participants at Convergence 08, an “unconference” gathering of people interested in cognitive tech, nanotech, biotech, and artificial intelligence. The event was held in 2008 (obviously) at the History of […]

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Hot Topics! Best of TWT

Phil, Stephen, and Michael D. discuss fast trains, future pets, global warming, cosmic mysteries, and solar energy. The future of dogs as pets. Will they be the only acceptable pets in the future? Remembering Michael […]

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Convergence 08, Best of TWT

Phil, Stephen, and Michael D. welcome PJ Manney and Christine Peterson to discuss Convergence ’08 an unconference that evolved from the Foresight Nanotech Institute’s Topics for the unconference: nanotech, biotech, cogtech, and infotech. The gang […]

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Alternative Energy and the Future, Best of TWT

Phil and Stephen discuss the role that alternative energy sources will play in shaping the future. Topics: Unlocking the secret of how green plants efficiently split water to make hydrogen and oxygen Development of a […]

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The Social Singularity, Best of TWT

Phil and Stephen discuss the role that Internet technologies have played in changing society and speculate about what is coming next. Are we in for a Social Singularity? Future currency for everyone will be credibility and […]

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What Will $700 Billion Buy You? Best of TWT

Phil, Stephen, and Michael D. discuss better options for spending the $700 billion bailout money that went to “solving” the 2008 financial crisis.   Seven Apollo programs?  70 Large Hadron Colliders?  Nuclear fusion? Cure for […]

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A World Gone Right

Phil, Stephen, and Michael D. review more “better all the time” news stories. Breaking News! About an hour-and-a-half prior to the show SpaceX put the Falcon 1 into orbit. The Chinese got into orbit and performed a space walk. […]

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Better All the Time! Best of TWT

Phil, Stephen, and Michael D. discuss future-facing news stories that are (almost) too good to be true: Who would have thought that study of a potato virus would lead to a treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease? […]

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Weathering Storms, Best of TWT

Weathering Storms; The Power of Inclusiveness; The Future of Work Phil, Stephen, and Michael S. discuss the future of civil rights, the future of technology in government, and the future of work. This best-of show […]

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Longshot Futures (Part 2), Best of TWT

Phil, Stephen, and Michael S. discuss MORE unlikely scenarios that will pay off big if they pan out. Topics discussed: Compressed air cars. Cognitive Enhancement — all time smartest human within the next 20 years? […]

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The Power of Openness, Best of TWT

Phil, Stephen, and Michael D discuss how openness improves any system that tries it. Governments, workplaces, educational institutions — any organization or loose affiliation of individuals benefits from transparency and free sharing of information.

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Isolating the Electron, Best of TWT

Phil, Stephen, and Michael D discuss controlling quantum states of electrons for computing and other breakthroughs. Researchers have controlled the position of a single electron in a silicon circuit. An international team of researchers has […]

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Electricity — the Ultimate Flex Fuel, Best of TWT

Special guests Tobias Buckell and Suraya Yahaya Bowermaster join Phil and Stephen to discuss a variety of technology and future-related topics. Suraya Yahaya on how to avoid being ripped off when buying consumer electronics, and […]

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The Future of Fit, Best of TWT

Panelists Brian Wang, PJ Manney, and Shawn Phillips discuss the future of fitness The future of nutrition: vertical farming, genetically modified foods, vat meat, and a computerized nutritionists that resides “onboard” “Nutraceuticals” – food as medicine. Smoking: getting […]

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The Future of Fun, Best of TWT

Phil, Stephen, and Michael D. talk about the future of fun. Will our fun future be jeopardized by peak oil? Will we allow ourselves to enjoy the great future once it gets here? Or will we obsess more […]

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Speculist Essentials, Best of TWT

Phil, Stephen, and Michael D. discuss “Speculist Essentials.” What have been the key influences towards developing our unusual outlook on the future? Each host plus audience members named one item in each of the following […]

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Is Time Travel Possible? Best of TWT

Phil and Stephen discuss whether time travel is possible, including serious (?) efforts to achieve it. Memorial Day Weekend Will the LHC Enable Time Travel? Or end the world?* Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of […]

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Ivan Kirigin and the Future of Money, Best of TWT

A discussion on the future of Money from 2008. Missing from the discussion back then? Bitcoin! Blockchain! Topics: Micropayments Payments via Social Networks The post-scarcity currency Whuffie in Cory Doctorow’s “Down and Out in the […]

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The Speculist Manifesto, Best of TWT

The Speculist Manifesto (The Short Version): The Human Imperative is improvement of the human condition. Throughout human (and pre-human) history, we have worked to increase human intelligence and capability. The Human Imperative is working. We […]