DARPA is basing an approach to AI on devices called memristors that use a nanoscale property to mimic neurons.
Humanity+ @ Caltech: Redefining Humanity in the Era of Radical Technological Change is being streamed live.
Redefining Humanity in the Era of Radical Technological Change, December 4-5, 2010, Pasadena, CA
An article in New Scientist with the optimistic title “Artificial life forms evolve basic intelligence” gives an update on how two specific examples of computational artificial life is doing in terms of evolving to have more interesting behavior. An excerpt: Brains that have been evolved with HyperNEAT have millions of connections, yet still perform a… Continue reading Can "artificial life" evolve intelligence? An update
Nanowerk describes a recent advance toward the “e-nose” by an international team of researchers. Team member Andrei Kolmakov explains: Our approach demonstrates the potential of combining bottom-up nanowire fabrication protocols with state-of-the art microfabrication methods to design prospective simple sensing arrays which, in principle, might be scaled down to the size of few micrometers and… Continue reading Nanotech-based electronic noses getting smaller
Finishing off the week on a fun note, we see that robotic firm Willow Garage — of special interest to Foresight due to their emphasis on open source — has achieved an important milestone in robotics: namely, the ability for a robot to fetch a beer from the fridge and deliver it. It’s worth seeing… Continue reading Willow Garage reaches robotic milestone involving beer (video)
Small investors who want to invest in nanotech startups have for years turned to publicly-held venture group Harris & Harris Group, which has focused on private companies in nanotech and microsystems. With the economy down, and initial public offerings (IPOs) more rare, this strategy is changing. Brian Gormley of the Wall Street Journal’s Venture Capital… Continue reading Investing in pre-IPO nanotech firms gets harder
Tihamer Toth-Fejel let us know that the public can comment online today, right now, our views on nanotech: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp/pcast President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) President’s Innovation and Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC) Golden Triangle1 Workshop 1 Golden Triangle: Research Encompassing Information Technology — Biotechnology — Nanotechnology. June 22, 2010 Webcast at: http://www.tvworldwide.com/events/pcast/100622/ Goal… Continue reading Webcast and comment online to President's Council on nanotech
Many Foresight leaders and members will be gathering at this year’s Singularity Summit in San Francisco, expected to draw up to 1100 participants. It’s a bit pricey, but it’s for a good cause and there are student and referral discounts plus discounts on the hotel rooms. I can testify that this is a fun and… Continue reading Join us at Singularity Summit, Aug. 14-15 on intelligence augmentation
Our friends over at Singularity University are described in some detail in a long article in the New York Times. An excerpt, with names familiar to Nanodot readers as speakers at Foresight conferences: Some of Silicon Valley’s smartest and wealthiest people have embraced the Singularity. They believe that technology may be the only way to… Continue reading Singularity University in the New York Times
