“The real problem is not whether machines think, but whether men do.”–B.F. Skinner http://www.andertoons.com Researchers at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada have unveiled an ambitious project. They are attempting to develop a 3D printer that can make copies of itself. A replicating machine. Why would anyone do something like that? In a wor ...…

“All cities are mad, but the madness is gallant. All cities are beautiful, but the beauty is grim.”–Christopher Morley A Jetsons future? Where will you live in 2050? What will the cities of the future look like? Tomorrowland? The Jetsons? Waterworld? Maybe they will look pretty much the same, but feel very much different. To sort out some of th ...…

“Your intellect may be confused, but your emotions will never lie to you.”–Roger Ebert In episode #11, futurist Ian Pearson spoke to his assertion that artificial intelligence will create jobs. One of the main reasons for this, he believes, will be the need to provide an emotional human interface between A.I. and its intended beneficiaries, be ...…

“By far, the greatest danger of Artificial Intelligence is that people conclude too early that they understand it.”–Eliezer Yudkowsky One of the hottest topics in foresight today is artificial intelligence. And while many of the most visible forward thinkers have been stressing over potential existential threats to all of humanity, there is a m ...…

“Movies are a fad. Audiences really want to see live actors on a stage.”–Charlie Chaplin http://www.savagechickens.com How wrong could Charlie Chaplin have been, over 100 years ago, when he made that statement? He was in the nascent stages of a film career that would make him one of the most iconic figures in the history of cinematic arts. Yet, ...…

All attempts to adapt our ethical code to our situation in the technological age have failed.–Max Born When thinking about the future of technology, many envision one extreme or the other. Apocalyptic collapse, or Utopian delight. There is a broad in between, however, filled with ethical as well as existential conundrums. In this episode of See ...…

“The best way to predict your future is to create it.”–Abraham Lincoln “Think globally, act locally.”–Variously attributed If you’ve never heard the phrase, “think globally, act locally,” you’ve probably been living under a rock. It’s origin is murky, but the concept is best attributed to Scottish town planner Patrick Geddes, and his 1915 book, ...…

“Whatever good things we build end up building us.”– Jim Rohn I can’t say for sure if the quote above was intended literally, but it is now becoming literally true. The applications of additive manufacturing–better known as 3D printing–are expanding to include food, body parts, cars, and even entire buildings. In this episode of the Seeking Del ...…

“We’ve arranged a civilization in which most crucial elements profoundly depend on science and technology.”–Carl Sagan Here Be Dragons, Science Technology and The Future of Humanity by Olle Häggström Technology. We certainly do depend on it. It does great things for us, but it also can annoy us and, indeed, has the potential to do us outright h ...…

“Tell me and I will forget, teach me and I will remember, involve me and I will learn.”–Benjamin Franklin “Those who can’t do, teach. Those who can’t teach, teach gym.”–Woody Allen My apologies to all you educators out there. I just had to get that Woody Allen line in. It makes sense, though, that teaching something as fluid, changing and uncer ...…