Futurology

Discussion in 'Education & Personal Growth' started by Gauri03, Aug 20, 2016.

  1. Gauri03

    Gauri03 Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Great question! Current robotics advances are limited by hardware. Software has advanced far ahead of hardware in this field. We can teach the robot to learn and think, but making them act like us is a tough problem to solve. I think the solution lies in not trying to make them like us. We can come up with far more efficient designs if we don't try to mimic human actions. Have you seen bipedal robots like Boston dynamics' atlas? It is not practical design. I would prefer robots like TARS and CASE in Interstellar. Designed to outperform us!

    I'll post some links and more info in another post.
     
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  2. kaniths

    kaniths IL Hall of Fame

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    So I can assume a house helper bot is long way to go and still a distant dream? Until then I do laundry and cleaning myself? Sigh! :yum:

    I ll come back to TARS and CASE later, tell me someone, what are the best recommended SciFi novels / retro fictions and most favorite dystopias all time? Give me a list maybe, am on vacation, will check out some. :)
     
  3. Cimorene

    Cimorene Platinum IL'ite

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    Links and info much wanted. I read about Boston Dynamics' Atlas sometime back and the comparisons with other rotary robots , why bipedal?
     
  4. Cimorene

    Cimorene Platinum IL'ite

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    @Gauri03 , when do you intend to bring in Marvin Minsky into our thread?
    Are we still evaluating Siri and Alexa for the trophy

    Looks like AI Winter is coming in our thread.
     
  5. Cimorene

    Cimorene Platinum IL'ite

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    This thread again needs rap on the bum to awaken and bring to the fore. I know few folks here love nanotechnology. So here is something on that topic. When we think of n-technology we visualise a futuristic overpowering technology. But n-technology is more dated and ubiquitous than we know.

    Lycurgus goblet, a 1600-year-old Roman chalice is one the earliest known artifacts to employ n-technology to induce the variance in shimmer.

    Incident light - appears green
    Direct light - appears red

    You can read about it here

    That is not the reason for celebration. Nanotechnology is used in pregnancy kits. Yes, that pink strip reason for celebration!

    How the test works is explained here
    In crash summary, hCG (hormone found in urine during pregnancy) contains two components. One (1) component from the hormone is immobilised in the strip in the form of a line. This line is surrounded by gold nano particles (2) + antibody of other component (3) [this binding is mobile in the strip]. During the test, if the woman is pregnant, the missing component (4) [in the hCG hormone] binds with the antibody and gold mixture in the strip (2,3). This (2,3,4) binding through capillary action reacts with the immobilised component (1) to form gold-hCG molecule (1,2,3,4) that gives the red appearance on the strip followed by shrieks and smiles and hysteria in the family.

    You don't have to look for the marvels of nano-technology beyond your bathroom cabinet.
     
    Last edited: Sep 28, 2016
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  6. Gauri03

    Gauri03 Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    I've been giving this thread the step-motherly treatment. Will spend some quality time with it today. :D
     
  7. Gauri03

    Gauri03 Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    I went in search of more information on the feasibility of this idea and found that attempts are being made to grow human organs inside pigs. This graphic from the BBC article shows the process of growing a human pancreas in a pig.

    _89891412_pig_gene_editing_624-2.png
    I suppose my primary concerns would be the possibility of creating hybrid versions of diseases that are so far restricted to pigs, with the risk of transferring them to humans via the hybrid organs. Perhaps, this is how the zombie apocalypse begins! :fearscream: The other is inadvertently creating a human-pig creature. A porcine 'Island of Doctor Moreau' anyone? So far the researchers have prevented the embryos from developing past 28 days, but we've all heard Murphy's law -- Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. :D

    This subject reminds me of a fairly decent movie starring Scarlett Johansson and Ewan McGregor called 'The Island'. Won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it, but if you are curious a plot summary can be found here.
     
    Last edited: Oct 1, 2016
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  8. Gauri03

    Gauri03 Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    You totally led it on! You tease! :p
     
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  9. Gauri03

    Gauri03 Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    As Musk struggles to acquire land rights to pilot test his hyperloop, our dear Transportation Minister Mr Gadkari has offered a highway bypass near Pune for experimentation -- India offers land to Elon Musk to test Hyperloop

    If it works, Bombay to Pune in 15 minutes? That's no bueno! We don't need more Mumbaikars fleeing to our beloved city and ruining it! :BangHead:
     
    Last edited: Oct 1, 2016
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  10. Gauri03

    Gauri03 Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    That would be an incredibly long list! : ) Here is a list of top 100 sci fi/fantasy books voted by NPR listeners. It's a pretty comprehensive list. You can find descriptions and links to these books here.

    1. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien

    2. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams

    3. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card

    4. The Dune Chronicles, by Frank Herbert

    5. A Song Of Ice And Fire Series, by George R. R. Martin

    6. 1984, by George Orwell

    7. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury

    8. The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov

    9. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley

    10. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman

    11. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman

    12. The Wheel Of Time Series, by Robert Jordan

    13. Animal Farm, by George Orwell

    14. Neuromancer, by William Gibson

    15. Watchmen, by Alan Moore

    16. I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov

    17. Stranger In A Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein

    18. The Kingkiller Chronicles, by Patrick Rothfuss

    19. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut

    20. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley

    21. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick

    22. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood

    23. The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King

    24. 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke

    25. The Stand, by Stephen King

    26. Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson

    27. The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury

    28. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut

    29. The Sandman Series, by Neil Gaiman

    30. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess

    31. Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein

    32. Watership Down, by Richard Adams

    33. Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey

    34. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein

    35. A Canticle For Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller

    36. The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells

    37. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, by Jules Verne

    38. Flowers For Algernon, by Daniel Keys

    39. The War Of The Worlds, by H.G. Wells

    40. The Chronicles Of Amber, by Roger Zelazny

    41. The Belgariad, by David Eddings

    42. The Mists Of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley

    43. The Mistborn Series, by Brandon Sanderson

    44. Ringworld, by Larry Niven

    45. The Left Hand Of Darkness, by Ursula K. LeGuin

    46. The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien

    47. The Once And Future King, by T.H. White

    48. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman

    49. Childhood's End, by Arthur C. Clarke

    50. Contact, by Carl Sagan

    51. The Hyperion Cantos, by Dan Simmons

    52. Stardust, by Neil Gaiman

    53. Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson

    54. World War Z, by Max Brooks

    55. The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle

    56. The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman

    57. Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett

    58. The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever, by Stephen R. Donaldson

    59. The Vorkosigan Saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold

    60. Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett

    61. The Mote In God's Eye, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle

    62. The Sword Of Truth, by Terry Goodkind

    63. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy

    64. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke

    65. I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson

    66. The Riftwar Saga, by Raymond E. Feist

    67. The Shannara Trilogy, by Terry Brooks

    68. The Conan The Barbarian Series, by R.E. Howard

    69. The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb

    70. The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger

    71. The Way Of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson

    72. A Journey To The Center Of The Earth, by Jules Verne

    73. The Legend Of Drizzt Series, by R.A. Salvatore

    74. Old Man's War, by John Scalzi

    75. The Diamond Age, by Neil Stephenson

    76. Rendezvous With Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke

    77. The Kushiel's Legacy Series, by Jacqueline Carey

    78. The Dispossessed, by Ursula K. LeGuin

    79. Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury

    80. Wicked, by Gregory Maguire

    81. The Malazan Book Of The Fallen Series, by Steven Erikson

    82. The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde

    83. The Culture Series, by Iain M. Banks

    84. The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart

    85. Anathem, by Neal Stephenson

    86. The Codex Alera Series, by Jim Butcher

    87. The Book Of The New Sun, by Gene Wolfe

    88. The Thrawn Trilogy, by Timothy Zahn

    89. The Outlander Series, by Diana Gabaldan

    90. The Elric Saga, by Michael Moorcock

    91. The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury

    92. Sunshine, by Robin McKinley

    93. A Fire Upon The Deep, by Vernor Vinge

    94. The Caves Of Steel, by Isaac Asimov

    95. The Mars Trilogy, by Kim Stanley Robinson

    96. Lucifer's Hammer, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle

    97. Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis

    98. Perdido Street Station, by China Mieville

    99. The Xanth Series, by Piers Anthony

    100. The Space Trilogy, by C.S. Lewis

    If you want books related to robotics and AI, you should start with Asimov, specifically, 'I, Robot'. Most of our contemporary conceptions of robots started with Asimov. My most favorite book on Robots is of course, 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?' by Philip K. Dick (Also my favorite sci-fi author). You should also watch the movie based on the book, 'Bladerunner'. It's simply brilliant!

    If you want to get into sci-fi, I'd recommend starting with the short stories of Philip K. Dick. If you want something to read tonight, here's a beautiful short story by Arthur C, Clarke -- Arthur C. Clarke - The Nine Billion Names of God Gave me goosebumps the first time I read it! : )
     
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