innovation

Congressman Tells NASA Rocket Science Is Simple

Some people in congress don’t seem to understand that rocket science is…well…rocket science. It’s not easy. It can be made to look that way, but it really, really isn’t.

What Could Have Been Entering the Public Domain on January 1, 2012?

“That means that all these examples from 1955 are only the tip of the iceberg. If the pre-1978 law were still in …

Amy Purdy: Living Beyond Limits (TEDx)

When she was 19, Amy Purdy lost both her legs below the knee. And now … she’s a pro snowboarder. She asked…

The Case For Mars: The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must (io9)

I still say we need to get good at traveling to the Moon first, but Mars needs to be the next stop …

Master Planner: Fred Brooks Shows How to Design Anything (Wired)

Thirty-five years ago, Fred Brooks wrote a small technical book, The Mythical Man-Month, which he named after the flawed assumption that more …

George Whitesides: A Lab the Size of a Postage Stamp

This is one of those times when you have to applaud innovative thinking. You define the problem. You define the restraints. You …

Great NASA Tech Spinoffs Come Down to Earth

NASA has always relied upon extreme engineering to tackle the extreme challenges of space exploration. Much of that engineering has now come …

Time For a New Paradigm For Women’s Sports?

I’ve been a women’s sports fan since the 70s. I’ve also been annoyed by the misogyny of media, politicians, and even religions toward these sports. If the playing field is never going to be level, then maybe the ladies should change the rules of the game.

Believe – Part 3, Having Vision

Any intelligence is effectively useless without an ability to perceive that which is external to the intelligence. The key to vision isn’t the how of image gathering, but the processing and interpretation of the images gathered.

Believe – Part 2, The Necessity of Chaos

Construction of our AAI will require many elements to work together for sentience to be achieved. The glue we will use comes from chaos theory.

Believe – The General Purpose AAI Robot Project – Part 1, Overview

Who doesn’t want to build a really smart robot? The trouble is, many people don’t think outside the box enough. Me? I don’t think it needs to be a box. I say we start designing for the possibilities soon to come instead of holding ourselves back.

Killer Tech – 4 Technologies That Will Hit Big

As small computers have become increasingly homogenized, the idea of the killer app is more of a fading dream. There are still technologies to be exploited. One is about to burst forth, one might come soon, and research is going on with two more. Each of these pieces of tech has the potential of making its creator not only rich, but legendary.

In Praise of the Innocent Ignorance of Youth

Sometimes when I’m in a lively discussion with older people like myself, they seem surprised that I stand out in support of today’s youth. They complain about how they are directionless and irresponsible. They label them as lazy or as hooligans who will bring about the end of civilization. It makes me chuckle.

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