Cyber, Nano, and AGI Risks: Computer Security and Effective Altruism

Foresight Institute Co-Founder and Projects Director Christine Peterson (full biography) was interviewed recently by 80000 Hours, “an independent nonprofit funded by individual donors” and founded “because we couldn’t find any sources of advice on how to do good with our own working lives. Since 2011, we’ve been on a mission to figure out how best… Continue reading Cyber, Nano, and AGI Risks: Computer Security and Effective Altruism

Surprisingly real value from virtual reality

Speaking of big computation, cyberspace isn’t yet as potent as Neal Stephenson portrayed in Snow Crash and subsequent books, but it’s getting there. A new article in the Wall Street Journal online titled Can World of Warcraft Game Skills Help Land a Job? states that some job seekers are adding gaming skills to their resumes… Continue reading Surprisingly real value from virtual reality

Smartphone projects foster discussion of ubiquitous surveillance

Proposed projects to use smartphone networks to gather data and inform authorities are opening discussion of how such data should be used.

Nanotechnology-enabled quantum computing may fuel a security race

Senior Associate Alvin Steinberg suggests that we portray the nanotech race as in part a security race involving quantum computing.

Nanotechnology device harvests wasted energy

An energy cell containing a lead zirconate titanate cantilever coated with a carbon nanotube film uses nanotechnology to produce electricity from scavenged light and thermal energy.

Why terrorists are often engineers: implications for nanotechnology

An IEEE Spectrum podcast asks the question, Why Are Terrorists Often Engineers? The blurb: With terrorism back in the news, so, too, is a curious footnote: Of the hundreds of individuals involved in political violence, nearly half of those with degrees have been engineers. This finding, first published in 2008, has been substantiated by two… Continue reading Why terrorists are often engineers: implications for nanotechnology

Bill Joy on steering the future to lower-risk

Many of you will recall Bill Joy’s famous article in Wired called Why the future doesn’t need us, where he expressed concern about various technologies including advanced nanotech. Apparently he gave an update of his views on this in his talk for TED, viewable here. An excerpt: So if we can address, use technology, help… Continue reading Bill Joy on steering the future to lower-risk

Open Science Summit to be streamed live

Not able to attend the Open Science Summit on July 29-31 in Berkeley, California? We’ll miss you, but you can watch the conference live at: http://fora.tv/live/open_science/open_science_summit_2010 Put it on your calendar now!  Or we’ll hope to see you in person, especially for the session where I’m speaking: “Safety and Security Concerns, Open Source Biodefense” at… Continue reading Open Science Summit to be streamed live

'Anarchists' try to bomb Swiss IBM nano facility (but fail)

Brian Wang brings to our attention a Daily Mail article: A routine traffic-stop in Switzerland has allegedly thwarted eco-terrorists from blowing up the site of the £55million nano-technology HQ of IBM in Europe… The group describes itself as anarchist and is opposed to all forms of micro-technology as well as nuclear power and weapons… The… Continue reading 'Anarchists' try to bomb Swiss IBM nano facility (but fail)

Merkle wins Hamming Medal with Diffie, Hellman

Foresight Institute Feynman Prize winner Dr. Ralph Merkle, perhaps better known to Nanodot readers for his nanotech work, has just won the IEEE’s Hamming Medal along with Martin Hellman and Whitfield Diffie: Thirty-five years ago, Martin Hellman, Whitfield Diffie and Ralph Merkle developed an easy method for sending secure messages over insecure channels. With the… Continue reading Merkle wins Hamming Medal with Diffie, Hellman

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyReturn to Shop