Category: Future

Speech-Writing Robots Can Parrot Pandering Candidates

Post author By lmacret
Post date March 26, 2016

Rise of the robotic politicians? Shadow Robot Company

-OpEd- WASHINGTON, D.C. — Spend enough time watching politicians talk, and pretty soon you’ll have a good idea of how to address the public like a seasoned elected official. No matter the topic, our nation’s leaders invariably find a way to tie things back to members of the hard-working middle-class who just want a fair shot at the American dream, perhaps with a side of help for small business. Lawmakers today might be able to give this kind of political speech in their sleep. But with the way technology is going, they might as well have a robot write it […]

Tags american dream, artificial intelligence, business, economy, politics, robot-speech, technology, united states

Economy Future

Can Artificial Intelligence Solve Japan’s Demographic Decline?

Post author By
Post date March 24, 2016

A humanoid robot in Tokyo Stringer/Xinhua/ZUMA

With a low birth rate and grappling with how to maintain a work force and economic development, Japanese officials believe they have a solution in AI.

Tags alphago, artificial intelligence, economy, japan, robots, shinzo abe, toyota

Future Green Or Gone

Off Of Tiny Island, Hydraulics Harness Ocean Energy

Post author By
Post date March 22, 2016

Ushant coastline Dyonis

Using hydraulics to churn energy from its most obvious natural resource, Ushant is on its way toward an environmental overhaul, and other countries are taking note.

Tags environment, france, hydraulic, power, renewable energy, sustainable, turbine

Future Ideas

Should We Preemptively Ban Killer Robots Of The Future?

Post author By
Post date March 21, 2016

U.S. Army soldiers and a TALON robot, a military robot that is not (yet) autonomous The U.S. Army

PARIS — We’ve hardly made peace with the idea of driverless cars, and now we’re being told that artificial intelligence could also control rifles, missiles and bombs of the future. The warning was issued last summer by leading figures such as Tesla chief Elon Musk, physicist Stephen Hawking and MIT Professor Noam Chomsky. During July’s […]

Tags autonomous, ban, elon musk, france, systems, weapons

Future Geopolitics

The Next Ecological Plague: Sand Trafficking

Post author By
Post date March 16, 2016

The Center Core of the Palm Jumeirah, Mar. 2008 Alexander Heilner

As a result of the boom construction, worldwide demand for sand has led to an explosion of illicit trafficking in what would have seemed like a limitless resource.

Tags construction, ecology, environment, france, le matelier, resource, sand

Future Impact: Education Innovation

How Big Data Helps Reveal Ghostwriters And Bust Plagiarists

Post author By
Post date March 14, 2016

Ghostwriter SlimVirgin

Can we determine whether a certain writer actually penned a certain work? Using technological analysis, the answer is a reliable ‘yes.’

Tags Bern, big data, Data profile, Falsification, Ghostwriter, Language analysis, linguistics, plagiarism, St. Gallen, switzerland

Future Society

“Menstrual Leave” For Working Women Divides Feminists

Post author By
Post date March 11, 2016

Working woman Marius Boatca

Though a number of Asian countries have special menstrual leave policies for working women, the West hasn’t embraced the notion, in part because feminists have rejected the idea. But now a UK company has adopted time off for women facing monthly p

Tags feminism, germany, human resources, menstrual leave, menstruation, womens health

Future

Marine Life Flourishes In Underwater Fukushima Debris

Post author By
Post date March 11, 2016

Life out of the debris JAMSTEC/Daniel Pierce

Five years since the devastating Japan earthquake prompted a tsunami that washed tons of refuse into the Pacific Ocean, ocean creatures in and around that underwater wreckage is burgeoning.

Tags debris, disaster, earthquake, JAMSTEC, japan, marine life, Tohoku

Future Geopolitics

Fukushima And Chernobyl, Two Anniversaries For Measuring Damage

Post author By
Post date March 9, 2016

Decimated pine forest near Chernobyl site Timm Seuss

Thirty years after the Chernobyl catastrophe and five years after Fukushima, scientists have had a chance to quantify their impact.

Tags cancer, chernobyl, fukushima, japan, nuclear disaster, public health

Future Geopolitics

Reunion, One Island’s Quest For Energy Self-Sufficiency

Post author By
Post date March 5, 2016

Sugar cane farming is key to the island's economy. Valerie Koch/ZUMA

The French island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean is a place of green experimentation, but economic and climate realities make sustainability a huge challenge.

Tags environment, france, pollution, renewable energy, transition

Future Ideas

Why The Left Is Blinded By The Sharing Economy

Post author By
Post date March 4, 2016

Sharing? Greg Dunlap

The rapid growth of the sharing economy is both inevitable and generally good. But only a fool can believe it will truly disrupt the natural capitalist forces of our market economy.

Tags blablacar, capitalism, economy, france, growth, sharing

Economy Future Society

Arianespace, A Clever European Challenger To SpaceX

Post author By
Post date March 3, 2016

Arianespace launch in May 2015 Official Instagram account/ESA-CNES-ARIANESPACE

European rocket company Arianespace doesn’t get the attention of Elon Musk’s U.S.-based upstart SpaceX, but its approach may be better equipped for the long haul.

Tags aerospace technology, aircraft engineering, Ariane rocket, Arianespace, france, silicon valley, space race, spacex

Future Society

Biopiracy, When Indigenous Practices Are Stolen And Patented

Post author By
Post date February 29, 2016

Quassia Amara Mokkie

PARIS — One of France’s state institutions is under fire for what critics call a textbook example of “biopiracy,” an issue that is also at the heart of a new bill the French Senate approved just last month. Last year, the country’s Research Development Institute (IRD) earned a patent on a molecule extracted from the […]

Tags biopiracy, Fondation France LibertÃ©, france, patent, Quassia Amara, research, Simalikalactone, traditional knowledge

Future

Can I Protect My Car From Hacking? Start By Updating The Software

Post author By lmacret
Post date February 29, 2016

Inside a Tesla in Geneva ZUMA

— You hate them on your phone and dread them on your computer — now, those pesky software updates are coming to your car. Carmakers led by Tesla are pushing over-the-air Wi-Fi and 3G or 4G wireless downloads to add functions such as self-parking and to upgrade performances of their vehicles. It’s prompting suppliers like NXP Semiconductors, Ericsson and Gemalto to celebrate as car builders fight to keep hackers out. “As soon as you connect anything to the Internet, there’s a hacking risk,” said Jonathan Olsson, a security expert at Ericsson, which sells wireless networks to clients from mobile carriers […]

Tags bmw, Corp, cybercrime, ericsson, hacking, mercedes, microsoft, Mobileye, Software Car Updates, tesla, united states

Eyes on the U.S. Future

Germany Asks: Is Zuckerberg Criminally Liable For Facebook Hate Speech?

Post author By
Post date February 29, 2016

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, between like and hate Alberto Pepe

Two German lawyers say the Facebook founder and CEO doesn’t do enough to stop hate speech.

Tags facebook, germany, mark zuckerberg, privacy, sedition, social media

Economy Future

NREL, The Mega Colorado Lab Leading Renewable Energy Revolution

Post author By
Post date February 25, 2016

A wind turbine more than 260 feet above the ground at NREL US Dept of Energy

On the dusty, deserted plains of Colorado, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) works with researchers and the world’s top companies to create the consumer economy of the future, which will be much more environmentally conscious.

Tags COP-21, efficiency, environment, new technologies, renewable energies, united states

Economy Future

China Gets Its Wires Crossed With Electric Car Boom

Post author By
Post date February 24, 2016

An electric fueling station in Beijing Luo Xiaoguang/Xinhua via ZUMA

A rash of state subsidies in China has helped multiply electric car sales, but it has also warped industrial policy and undercut the market.

Tags Auto Mobile Industry, car, china, electric, Energy Vehicle, hybrid

Future Society

Cyber Attacks On Hospitals, A New Kind Of Deadly Virus

Post author By
Post date February 23, 2016

Ivan David Gomez Arce/Worldcrunch montage

The consequences can be catastrophic when cyber criminals blackmail hospitals. Experts are warning hospitals that they’re not doing enough to protect their patients’ data.

Tags computers, germany, hacker, hacking, health, internet, malware, trojan

Future Society

Who Owns The Sky? Anti-Drone Tech To Keep Airplanes Safe

Post author By lmacret
Post date February 20, 2016

Battelle drone defender Battelle

PASADENA — The drone intruder was roaming around the Rose Bowl Stadium as 94,000 fans cheered, oblivious to the threat. But scientists testing a new security device at the game knew: they detected its radio signals and seized control of the gatecrasher. This was only a simulation, but if the unmanned drone had been a security risk they could have forced it down — even though the airwaves were choked by thousands of smartphones and Wi-Fi hotspots. “It’s like being at a rock concert and trying to listen to someone at the other end of the stadium,” said Randy Villahermosa, […]

Tags anti, chasers, drone, security, united states

Future Society

Talking Tinder In The French Countryside

Post author By
Post date February 19, 2016

A couple on a wooden jetty by a lake Tim Robbins

MONTCHEVREL — Hidden in the hills of the Orne department, in Normandy, is the village of Montchevrel, population 230, with its church, garage and, surprisingly enough, nightclub. On this Saturday night, the parking lot of the Tempo Club is full and the bouncer is welcoming: even the the people in T-shirts and sneakers, and the […]

Tags countryside, france, grindr, network, tinder

Future Society

In Switzerland, Melting Glaciers Reveal Buried Treasures

Post author By
Post date February 18, 2016

Glaciers receding in the Bernese Alps Tallin

Retreating glaciers are liberating bodies and objects lost thousands of years ago and revealing much about the people who once lived in these mountains.

Tags bodies, Discoveries, glacier, melting, switzerland

Economy Future

Electric Future, Taking On Tesla In The South African Bush

Post author By
Post date February 17, 2016

Touring on the Letamo Game Farm Letamo Game Farm gallery

LETAMO GAME FARM — After the depressing outskirts of Johannesburg, with its paved-over shopping centers, garages and the smell of greasy chicken, the countryside isn’t all that much better. At the local gas station, there are men in bush hats and shorts, all khaki and autumn-colored, looking like they’re either going for a friendly day […]

Tags batterie, letamo, liberty won, lite, south africa

Future Ideas

India To Zuckerberg: We Don’t Believe Facebook’s Big PR Lie

Post author By
Post date February 15, 2016

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in New Delhi in 2014 Xinhua/ZUMA

Anti-colonialism’s echo: India balks at Mark Zuckerberg’s plans of offering free but limited Internet access, which is ultimately aimed at boosting Facebooks’ numbers. Will the rest of the world follow?

Tags facebook, india, internet.org, mark zuckerberg, narendra modi, user data

Economy Future

20,000 Cables Under The Sea The Internet Needs To Survive

Post author By
Post date February 11, 2016

Aboard a submarine cable ship Alcatel Lucent screenshot

Our connected lives don’t happen as if by magic. Nearly 99% of intercontinental traffic, such as Internet and telephone, is made possible by giant underwater cables buried deep on the ocean floor.

Tags Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks, cable ship, Fiber optic cable, france, Ile de Sein, internet, submarine, Telecommunication

Future Society

Google, Facebook And Beyond: Why Algorithms Discriminate

Post author By
Post date February 10, 2016

Google Images search for CEO Worldcrunch montage

Yes, technology can be biased, racist and sexist. That’s because the creators of algorithms are overwhelmingly white men, and the online results are becoming a huge problem in an increasingly digitized world.

Tags algorithms, digitized world, germany, google, racism, sexism, technology, UN Women organization, World White Web

Future

Joining Whiz Kids On A Make-Believe Mission To Mars

Post author By
Post date February 8, 2016

Swiss kids programming a Thymio robot Tibor Udvari via Instagram/NASA/Worldcrunch

GENEVA — Unbeknownst to the general public, an international group of children and teengers, together with a swarm of Swiss-made robots, pulled off a stunning mission to save the future of Mars exploration. Their heroics took place on the “Campus des Nations,” part of the International School of Geneva in the Le Grand-Saconnex area, where […]

Tags education, mars, programming, robot, robotics,epfl, simulation, space, switzerland, thymio

Future

Calorie-Burning “Switch” In Our Genes Determines Obesity

Post author By
Post date February 4, 2016

In Montreal, destined since the womb. Sandra Cohen-Rose

Researchers have discovered that a trigger in certain genes is responsible for some people burning calories better than others. In the long run, the finding may help in the fight against obesity.

Tags diet, epigenetic phenomenon, genetics, germany, health, imprinted genes, Max-Planck-Institut, obesity, sciences

Future Society

Murano, Where Ancient Venetian Glasswork Wonders Take Shape

Post author By
Post date February 1, 2016

Fragile masterpieces Seguso

The Seguso family’s passion for glasswork burns brightly, even after 23 generations dedicated to the same painstaking but breathtaking craft.

Tags art, glass, italy, murano, venice

Economy Future

Venom To Cure Disease, On The Frontier Of Modern Snake Medicine

Post author By
Post date January 31, 2016

A biologist shows a drop of venom that comes from the fangs of a ''Yarara'' snake in Buenos Aires, Argentina. [E]Martin Zabala/Xinhua/ZUMA

A European program has been researching how the pharmaceutical industry could use the peptides found in venomous creatures for new therapeutic medicines.

Tags france, medecine, mini proteins, peptide, pharmaceuticals, venom, Venomics

Future

An Aging Japan Turns To Exoskeletons For Elder Care

Post author By
Post date January 29, 2016

Testing an ActiveLink exoskeleton ALActiveLinkCoLtd screenshot

Japan has become a leader in developing technology to aid not just elderly or otherwise limited people conduct everyday chores but also for the medical, defense and aviation industries in a country with a shrinking work force.

Tags cyberdyne, iron man, japan, medicine, military, robot

Future Ideas

Registered Humans And The Risks Of Forced Digitalization

Post author By
Post date January 28, 2016

Who's watching? hendrikwieduwilt

The state, as well as companies, want to know as much as possible about citizens. The battle against the unstoppable digitalization of our world seems hopeless. Germany is particularly sensitive to the downsides.

Tags analog, big data, digital, digitalization, germany, internet, smart meter, virtual

Economy Future Society

Why Top Software Developers Choose To Go Freelance

Post author By lmacret
Post date January 27, 2016

Coder James Knight, a former Google employee, shown on a rooftop in Brooklyn, 2015 Chris Goodney

NEW YORK — James Knight recently made an unorthodox career move for a 27-year-old coder: quitting a well-paid job writing software for Google to go freelance. No more catered lunches, gold-plated benefits or million-dollar views from the search giant’s Manhattan office. Knight is willing to sacrifice those perks because, he says, as an independent he’s pulling down about twice as much as he did at Google — and with more freedom. In March, Knight and his wife plan to hopscotch across Europe while writing code for a dating app and a self-portrait app, among others. “I’d rather control my own […]

Tags coding, computer industry, freelance, google, software, Toptal, united states

Economy Future

Uber And Taxis Have A Common Enemy: Say Hello To Heetch

Post author By
Post date January 26, 2016

Heetch team (top left), ride (top right) and users (bottom) Heetch's official Facebook and Instagram

Car-sharing in France has gotten complicated. Though Uber was forced to shut down its amateur driver service UberPop, another app is antagonizing competitors by continuing to operate, and working with “suggested” prices.

Tags driving, france, ridesharing, sharing economy, uberization, vtc

Economy Future

The Ethiopian AI Geeks Building Cutting-Edge Robots

Post author By
Post date January 25, 2016

Man and machine in the heart of Africa. Emeline Wuilbercq

ADDIS ABABA — The black-and-white robot stopped and its eyes, two small red lights, suddenly lit up. Rotating about 90 degrees, it recognized the blue plastic ball a few centimeters away, came forward and kicked it. “The robot is Chinese, but the processor is made in Ethiopia,” Getnet Aseffa explains. “A student developed it, and […]

Tags artificial intelligence, ethiopia, high-tech, ICog Labs, programming, robots, technological leap

Future

Notocolossus: Is This The Biggest Dinosaur Find Ever?

Post author By
Post date January 25, 2016

Enters the mighty Notocolossus gonzalesparejasi Scientific Report/Worldcrunch

BUENOS AIRES — It’s a dinosaur battle of titanosaurian proportions. Argentine paleontologists announced last week the discovery of remains of what they termed the Notocolossus gonzalesparejasi — a dinosaur likely to dwarf another sauropod found in Patagonia in May 2014, whose cast skeleton has just made its debut at New York’s American Museum of Natural […]

Tags archeology, argentina, dinosaur, Notocolossus, paleontology, Rex

Future Society

Decoding Marie Antoinette’s Mystery Love Letters To A Swedish Baron

Post author By
Post date January 24, 2016

Marie Antoinette With A Rose Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun

French scientists have developed a new technology to read the long hidden portions of the French queen’s correspondence with Swedish royal Axel von Fersen, long rumored to be her lover.

Tags Axel von Fersen, france, french revolution, invisible ink, love letters, Marie Antoinette

Future

20 Years After Dolly, The Temptation To Clone Humans

Post author By
Post date January 23, 2016

Exhibition in Tokyo, Japan Stringer/Xinhua/ZUMA

Though the technology now exists to clone humans, and mercenaries are at the ready if allowed, most of the mainstream geneticist community points to other ways to get life-saving stem cells.

Tags biology, business, cloning, ethics, france, genetics, stem cells, surrogacy

Economy Future Ideas

Turkey’s Frantic, Failing Quest To Be A Technology Leader

Post author By
Post date January 21, 2016

Taking a closer look in Istanbul. Akk-rus

-Op-Ed- ISTANBUL — Anyone who has ever visited a toy store with a child who doesn’t really know what he wants can understand Turkey“s technological predicament. There is the mad run from shelf to shelf, listening to the child explain why he desperately needs toy after toy. And then, in the end, there is the […]

Tags ASELSAN, electronics, google, intel, R&D, samsung, turkey, volkswagen

Future Society

Is Plastic Surgery Now Just A Matter Of Common Decency?

Post author By
Post date January 17, 2016

Would be rude otherwise... Tampa Bay Times/ZUMA

Social media and advances in cosmetic medicine are pushing beauty standards to new limits and putting anyone who dares ignore their looks at risk of being rude.

Tags cosmetic, makeup, plastic, surgery, switzerland

Future Smarter Cities Society

Smart Cities International: Bogota Blooms, E-Deliveries, LGBT Signs

Post author By
Post date January 15, 2016

In Santander, Spain Iron Pedreira Alves

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Tags innovation, spain, technology, traffic, urban planning, water