Futurism

That Time Google Tried To Design A Space Elevator

It may be a while before space elevators become a reality, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to start trying. Recently, the head of Google X’s Rapid Evaluation team confirmed that its secretive R&D lab actually tried to design one — but fell short on account of one major technological hurdle. It actually shouldn’t…

io9 George Dvorsky

In The Netherlands, There Are Now Glow-in-the-Dark Roads

There’s a quarter mile stretch of highway in the Netherlands that now features light-absorbing glow-in-the-dark road markings. It’s a pilot project that, if proven effective, could dramatically reduce our need for streetlights. The project is a collaboration between interactive artist Daan Roosegaarde and Dutch civil engineering firm Heijmans. The paint contains a “photo-luminising” powder that…

io9 George Dvorsky

Soon We May Be Mass Producing Human Blood

Researchers in the UK have developed a technique to culture universal type-O blood from stem cells. It’s the first time scientists have manufactured blood to the appropriate quality and safety standards for transfusion into a human being. It’s a breakthrough that could eventually end blood shortages in emergencies. Marc Turner is the principal researcher in…

io9 George Dvorsky

An Interactive Map Showing Global Cyberattacks In Real Time

Security firm Kaspersky Lab has launched an interactive cyberthreat map that visualizes cyber security incidents occurring worldwide in real time. A quick glance shows that the world is a pretty scary place. The interactive map is a promotional tool created by Kaspersky Lab, but it’s fascinating nonetheless. Threats displayed include malicious objects detected during on-access…

io9 George Dvorsky

Should The Government Pay For Your Fertility Treatments?

The government of Ontario recently announced that it’s going to start providing limited coverage for in vitro fertilization, making it the third Canadian province to do so. But is assisted reproduction something states should be paying for? The ruling Ontario Liberal party wants to start paying for one IVC cycle, a procedure that typically costs…

io9 George Dvorsky

14 Intriguing Ways We Could Detect Signs Of An Alien Civilization

For the past 50 years, our efforts to detect extraterrestrial civilizations have largely focused on the search for radio emissions. But this is hardly the only strategy at our disposal. Here are 14 intriguing ways we could prove that aliens really exist. Top image: Christian Lorenz Scheurer. If we’re going to find an extraterrestrial intelligence…

io9 George Dvorsky

This Is How Wearable Computing Will Revolutionize Healthcare

Clinical settings and emergency rooms will never look the same once augmented reality and other collaborative devices finally make their much vaunted appearance. And as this new video from Wearable Intelligence shows, it could even save our lives. The video shows how Google Glass, once integrated with other tools, could be used to assist in…

io9 George Dvorsky

Oscar Niemeyer Was One of the Most Futuristic Architects of All Time

A legendary figure of modern architecture, Oscar Niemeyer (1907-2012) lived through the 20th century, designed more than hundred buildings, and planned and designed the federal capital of Brasília, Brazil with Lúcio Costa. His legacy lives on in these gamechanging buildings. The Brazilian Pavilion at the New York World’s Fair of 1939, designed with Lúcio Costa…

io9 Vincze Miklós

What Will Bioengineered Plants Be Like In The Future?

As we head deeper into the GMO era, it’s fair to wonder just how far we can manipulate the biology of plants. Here are a few possibilities — from spore-spewing super-plants to delicious hamburgatoes. An exponential change perspective, well-known among futures enthusiasts, was applied to time itself by Freeman Dyson in 1997. He taxonomized the…

io9 Daniel Berleant — KurzweilAI

The One Scientific Field Most Likely to Get Humanity Into Space

If humans are actually going to live on other planets or space stations one day, we’re going to need more than rocket fuel and futuristic propulsion systems. We’re going to need environmental science. Here are some fundamental reasons why. I’m cheating a little bit by using the phrase “environmental science” because that can mean a…

io9 Annalee Newitz

Japanese Robots In Danger Of Being Replaced By Human Workers

At a time when virtually everyone’s afraid of losing their jobs to robots, one prominent Japanese company is charting a counter-intuitive and radically different course to the future — one in which skilled human workers are poised to make a comeback. Back in the day, master craftsmen in Japan were called “Kami-sama,” which translated literally…

io9 George Dvorsky

Watch the U.S. Navy Blow Shit Up With Its Futuristic Railgun

Gamers and scifi enthusiasts are familiar with the much-vaunted railgun — an electrically powered projectile launcher capable of propelling objects at speeds reaching Mach 7. We’ve seen the Navy’s railgun in action before — but we’ve never actually seen it destroy stuff. Until now. Navy officials have been busy at work testing the railguns to…

io9 George Dvorsky

Athlete Struck By Potentially Hacked Aerial Drone

An athlete competing at an Australian triathlon was sent to hospital after an aerial camera drone suddenly swooped down and smashed into her. The operator of the UAV claims someone nearby “channel hopped” the device — wresting control away from him. The camera drone was hovering above athletes competing in Geraldton’s Endure Batavia Triathlon when…

io9 George Dvorsky

This Robot Is A Crash Test Dummy For HAZMAT Suits

Introducing Porton Man, the UK Ministry of Defence’s answer to the Pentagon’s Petman. And like the U.S. version, this robot will be subjected to a series of unpleasant scenarios, including chemical and biological contamination. So you don’t have to. Indeed, the point of the £1.1 million (USD $1.8 million) robotic mannequin is to test light-weight…

io9 George Dvorsky

This Sponge-Filled Syringe Is Ready for the Battlefield

This syringe is capable of stanching a gunshot-wound within 20 seconds — practically on contact. And it was just approved by the FDA to be used out on the battlefield. (Note: Medical images ahead.) So far, the syringe, known as the XSTAT, has only been approved for use by the military, but it could make…

io9 Ria Misra

Hong Kong’s PleXus Tower Looks Like Something Right Out Of Tron

Check out these conceptual designs for Hong Kong’s proposed PleXus Tower — a segmented structure that will integrate directly with the city’s transportation infrastructure. Given its undeniable Tron-like aesthetic, we’ll be sure to bring our lightcycles. The tower is designed to fit into the banks of West Hong Kong Harbor where its distributed pods will…

io9 George Dvorsky

The First-Ever Cyborg Games Are Set For 2016

The Paralympic Games are great, but what the technology-assisted athletes of the future really need is an event to call their own. Introducing Cybathlon 2016 — a championship for robot-assisted parathletes. The competition, which is being organized on behalf of the Swiss National Competence Center of Research in Robotics (NCCR Robotics), will be held at…

io9 George Dvorsky

Gorgeous Art Shows What Life Would Be Like in Cities Beneath the Sea

We often imagine humanity’s future in space, but what about in the unexplored depths of our own planet’s oceans? These incredible concept designs offer visions of what our future water world might actually look like. An undersea city from Out of Time: Designs for the Twentieth-Century Future, 1954 (via Paleo-future) City under the sea, by…

io9 Vincze Miklós

NASA Is Working On An Implantable Surgical Robot For Space Missions

A nightmare scenario for astronauts on a future mission to Mars involves the sudden need to perform emergency surgery. In anticipation of this, researchers are currently developing a tiny robot that will accompany such missions — one that will perform delicate procedures inside the body. The robot, which is about the size of a fist,…

io9 George Dvorsky

DARPA’s New Biotech Division Wants To Create A Transhuman Future

The Pentagon’s advanced research wing has announced its latest budget — and whoa, does DARPA ever have some ambitious plans for the future. Their new Biotech unit will be harnessing biology for national security, and dealing with everything from stopping plagues to building synthetic soldiers. DARPA’s commitment to cutting-edge innovation is unquestioned. The very essence…

io9 George Dvorsky

That Time Google Tried To Design A Space Elevator

In The Netherlands, There Are Now Glow-in-the-Dark Roads

Soon We May Be Mass Producing Human Blood

An Interactive Map Showing Global Cyberattacks In Real Time

Should The Government Pay For Your Fertility Treatments?

14 Intriguing Ways We Could Detect Signs Of An Alien Civilization

This Is How Wearable Computing Will Revolutionize Healthcare

Oscar Niemeyer Was One of the Most Futuristic Architects of All Time

What Will Bioengineered Plants Be Like In The Future?

The One Scientific Field Most Likely to Get Humanity Into Space

Japanese Robots In Danger Of Being Replaced By Human Workers

Watch the U.S. Navy Blow Shit Up With Its Futuristic Railgun

Athlete Struck By Potentially Hacked Aerial Drone

This Robot Is A Crash Test Dummy For HAZMAT Suits

This Sponge-Filled Syringe Is Ready for the Battlefield

Hong Kong’s PleXus Tower Looks Like Something Right Out Of Tron

The First-Ever Cyborg Games Are Set For 2016

Gorgeous Art Shows What Life Would Be Like in Cities Beneath the Sea

NASA Is Working On An Implantable Surgical Robot For Space Missions

DARPA’s New Biotech Division Wants To Create A Transhuman Future

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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