Futurism

Watch the Synthetic Leaf Creator Explain How We Could Colonize Space

Royal College of Art graduate Julian Melchiorri has developed a “man-made biological leaf,” made from chloroplasts and a silk product, that produces oxygen the same way a real plant does. As Melchiorri explains in the video, that could be a boon for space exploration. There are a number of things that we can do get…

io9 Katharine Trendacosta

This Hair Growing Laser Helmet Was Just Approved By The FDA [UPDATED]

Apira Science’s iGrow Hair Growth system is now available over-the-counter. The funky looking device uses lasers and LEDs to illuminate the scalp with red light, which according to the manufacturer is supposed to work. Update: The manufacturer sent me a links to a couple of their scientific studies: “The growth of human scalp hair mediated…

io9 George Dvorsky

China’s Next Tank Could Be This Weaponzied Robotic Spider

Weapons designers in China have sketched out a tank-like robotic spider — and they’re pitching the idea to the military. A quick scan of the specs shows they’re actually quite serious about building this thing. Looking at this so-called “crab walker,” one can’t help but think these weapons designers took inspiration from scifi. It’s like…

io9 George Dvorsky

Stop Turning Me Into Bad Data

It just happened again. Some dumbass with an algorithm has decided that I belong in a demographic and is feeding me “relevant” information. But none of it is relevant. And now I’m really pissed off, for reasons that you will never guess because they don’t fit your goddamn predictive models. Image from Ghosts with Shit…

io9 Annalee Newitz

This Virtual Nurse Is (Almost) Ready To See You Now

Meet Molly, a virtual nurse that could someday provide follow-up care to patients, assess their condition, and provide caregivers with the information they need. The company behind the technology, Sense.ly, just raised $1.25 million to take the product to the next level. “Please state the nature of the medical emergency.” Okay, sure, she’s not quite…

io9 George Dvorsky

Where Will the Climate Refugees Go in 50 Years?

As sea levels and temperatures rise over the next fifty years, coastal cities in the U.S. may become a lot less inviting to their millions of inhabitants. But where will all those sopping wet, overheated urbanites go? Some scientists say the answer is simple and predictable. They’ll go to the Pacific Northwest. Jennifer Kingston writes…

io9 Annalee Newitz

Cellular Toggle Switch Could Herald An Anti-Aging Breakthrough

Researchers at the Salk Institute have discovered a toggle switch for aging cells. By controlling the growth of telomeres, it may eventually be possible to coax healthy cells to keep dividing and generating even in old age. The cells in our bodies are constantly dividing, replenishing our lungs, skin, liver, and other organs. Regrettably, most…

io9 George Dvorsky

What Makes You Feel Like You’re Living In The Future Right Now?

We may not notice it all the time, but we live in a pretty amazing world. And while there are plenty of things we still have left to do, there’s also a lot that suggests that we, right now, are living in the future already. Maybe the thing that makes you feel like you’re living…

io9 Ria Misra

Incredible New Nanothreads Could Help Us Build a Space Elevator

Engineers looking for a material strong enough to support the tremendous forces exerted by a space elevator will want to pay attention to this remarkable new breakthrough. Researchers have weaved microscopically small diamonds into ultra-thin nanothreads. Remarkably, the never-before-seen structure appears to be stronger and stiffer than today’s nanotubes. The breakthrough was made by John…

io9 George Dvorsky

When A Science Fiction Novel About The Nigerian Space Program Came True

When Deji Bryce Olukotun wrote Nigerians in Space, he thought he was creating a work of fiction about a U.S.-trained Nigerian scientist who works for NASA before returning to his own country to start a space program. And then he met the real-life counterpart of his main character. Not all of the events in Nigerians…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders

Are The Threats From Synthetic Bioweapons Being Exaggerated?

The advent of synthetic biology and DNA synthesis has raised concern that amateurs will use these technologies to turn pathogens into weapons of mass destruction. But as experts point out, this may be far easier said than done. As argued by Catherine Jefferson, Filippa Lentzos, and Claire Marris — all researchers in the Department of…

io9 George Dvorsky

A Baby in Brazil Now Has Three Legal Parents

A judge this week granted two women and a man the right to claim legal parent status of a baby born in late August. All three parents have their name on the baby’s birth certificate, thus laying claim to being the family in the world with three legally-recognized parents. But maybe they’re not the last.…

io9 Annalee Newitz

The Greatest Advocates of Trade Aren’t the Rich, But the Poor Countries

A Pew Research poll defies major economic models and social standards by finding that poorer countries were more likely to approve of trade than rich ones. Find out what the world is defying below. Top image: Containers by Jim Bahn/flickr/C.C. by 2.0 https://observationdeck.kinja.com/poor-countries-like-trade-rich-countries-hate-it-1635972032

io9 Katharine Trendacosta

The Real Reason Why Endless Sequels And Remakes Are Bad For Us

These days, it often seems like the entertainment industry just wants to keep monetizing the same handful of properties over and over, instead of taking more risks. That makes for a “warmed-over meatloaf” feeling — but in Slate, Hieroglyph co-editor Ed Finn argues it’s also bad for innovation. Top image: Thunderbirds Finn writes: It’s tremendously…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders

Mice With Genetically “Humanized” Brains Learn Faster

It’s not quite a Pinky and the Brain scenario, but researchers from MIT and several European universities have spliced a human gene responsible for speech and language into mice — a bit of biological uplift that made the mice smarter in certain ways. This is not the first time that the intelligence of an animal…

io9 George Dvorsky

40 Years Ago, A Kids’ Book Predicted The Reality Of Today’s Drones

We’re still coming to grips with the amazingly fast rise of personal drones, and it’s hard to find science fiction that deals with the implications of that tech. But there is one book that explores the implications. It was published 40 years ago, and it’s called Danny Dunn, Invisible Boy. As Clive Thompson explains over…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders

10 Horrifying Technologies That Should Never Be Allowed To Exist

As we head deeper into the 21st century, we’re starting to catch a glimpse of the fantastic technological possibilities that await. But we’re also starting to get a grim sense of the potential horrors. Here are 10 frightening technologies that should never, ever, come into existence. Illustration by Jim Cooke As I was putting this…

io9 George Dvorsky

Cool Experiment Puts Asimov’s First Law Of Robotics To The Test

Isaac Asimov’s First Law of Robotics states that “a robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.” That sounds simple enough — but a recent experiment shows how hard it’s going to be to get machines to do the right thing. Roboticist Alan Winfield of…

io9 George Dvorsky

Court Determines that Bloggers Are Journalists, Then Screws Them Over

A New Zealand court last week found that bloggers are journalists, a belief shared by many U.S. and Canadian courts as well. This means that bloggers can legally refuse to hand over the identities of anonymous sources. It also means that courts can rob them of that right. Top image: Gargolyle on New Zealand’s High…

io9 Annalee Newitz

Julian Assange Says “Apolitical Futurism of Star Trek” Fits Google

Julian Assange is currently answering questions in a live chat over at Gawker, promoting his new book, When Google Met Wikileaks. One of the most interesting exchanges for readers of Paleofuture actually comes from a question by Matthew Phelan who writes the Gawker subdomain Black Bag. Phelan asks about the culture of Google and whether…

Tech News Matt Novak

Watch the Synthetic Leaf Creator Explain How We Could Colonize Space

This Hair Growing Laser Helmet Was Just Approved By The FDA [UPDATED]

China’s Next Tank Could Be This Weaponzied Robotic Spider

Stop Turning Me Into Bad Data

This Virtual Nurse Is (Almost) Ready To See You Now

Where Will the Climate Refugees Go in 50 Years?

Cellular Toggle Switch Could Herald An Anti-Aging Breakthrough

What Makes You Feel Like You’re Living In The Future Right Now?

Incredible New Nanothreads Could Help Us Build a Space Elevator

When A Science Fiction Novel About The Nigerian Space Program Came True

Are The Threats From Synthetic Bioweapons Being Exaggerated?

A Baby in Brazil Now Has Three Legal Parents

The Greatest Advocates of Trade Aren’t the Rich, But the Poor Countries

The Real Reason Why Endless Sequels And Remakes Are Bad For Us

Mice With Genetically “Humanized” Brains Learn Faster

40 Years Ago, A Kids’ Book Predicted The Reality Of Today’s Drones

10 Horrifying Technologies That Should Never Be Allowed To Exist

Cool Experiment Puts Asimov’s First Law Of Robotics To The Test

Court Determines that Bloggers Are Journalists, Then Screws Them Over

Julian Assange Says “Apolitical Futurism of Star Trek” Fits Google

Trump Says He’ll Sign Order to Pay TSA

Deadpool Will Deface ‘Magic: The Gathering’ Classics for a New Secret Lair

Apple’s Siri Isn’t Just Going to Use One Chatbot. It’s Going to Use All of Them

Why ‘For All Mankind’ Season 5 Is the Key to the Rest of the Series

ASUS ZenScreen 15.6-Inch Portable Monitor Is Now Cheaper Than Black Friday in Amazon’s Big Spring Sale

Early Wildfires Are Surging Across the US—and Trump’s New Fire Agency Isn’t Ready

INIU Brings Another Power Bank to the Spring Sale as SnapGo Keychain Portable Charger Drops to Its Lowest Price

Attorney Hit With Historic Fine for Citing AI-Generated Cases

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

The Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp Fills a Donut Hole in My Life

Nothing Headphone A vs. Headphone 1: Which Pair of ANC Wireless Headphones Wins?

Asus ROG’s Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds Might Be Better Than Wearing a Headset

Nintendo’s Talking Flower Is Annoying as Hell. I Love It

Level Lock Pro Review: As Good as a Secret Smart Lock Gets

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