Mindsteading

Reading this essay by Peter Thiel, I was struck by an amusing (though almost certainly coincidental) parallel. Thiel mentions three areas in which people interested in freedom may manage to get out from under the thumb of excessive government: cyberspace, seasteading, and outer space. The parallel is to three fronts on which people [...]

Videos from Convergence08 Unconference available

Jeriaska has made available videos of presentations from Convergence08, held on November 15-16, 2008 in Mountain View, California, to examine the convergence of NBIC (Nano-Bio-Info-Cogno) technologies. Among those of special interest to Nanodot readers:

Mapping a Cone of Uncertainty, Paul Saffo
Convergence: Artificial Intelligence Panel, Peter Norvig, Steve Omohundro, Ben Goertzel, Barney Pell
Convergence: Synthetic Biology Panel, featuring [...]

Nano-Bio-Info-Cogno Revolutions to be Explored at Convergence08 Unconference

The Convergence08 conference (www.convergence08.org) on Nano-Bio-Info-Cogno (NBIC) technologies and their interactions will be held November 15-16, 2008 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif. The event will use an innovative “unconference” format to enable participants to customize the event in a highly interactive way.
Paul Saffo, a Silicon Valley forecaster with over two decades [...]

Act today to nominate undergraduate aging research project for $1.5 M award

Whether you are an American Express cardholder or not, you can vote for an innovative effort to inspire undergraduates to strive for fundamental advances in our ability to control the aging process.

Must-see anti-aging event in LA this Friday

To live long enough to experience some of the more dramatic applications of nanotechnology, you may need anti-aging treatments. For all of us with an interest in longevity, the place to be starting at 4 PM this Friday, June 27, is UCLA for Aging 2008:
At Aging 2008 you will engage with top scientists and [...]

Forever young with nanotechnology

To round out our week in nanotech on an upbeat note, we have Caltech professor Michael Roukes‘ podcast over at Earth & Sky: Forever Young. In addition to the podcast, and there’s more at the Power of Small television show on medical applications of nanotechnology, which also appears to use the title Forever Young. [...]

Japan takes lead in medical nanorobots

It’s very early days as yet, but Japan is moving forward toward the goal of molecular-level machinery to control nanotechnology-based robotic devices for medicine. In the U.S. and Europe, the poorly-informed sometimes ridicule the prospect of such nanotech robots, but visionary goals are apparently okay in Japan. See the report and video at [...]

Human enhancement with or without nanotechnology

The first issue of the journal Studies in Ethics, Law, and Technology (free reg req’d) is devoted to the topic of Human Enhancement and includes essays by familiar names (de Grey, Freitas, Wolbring, Cameron) and a number of newer ones.
In “Medical Nanorobotics: Breaking the Trance of Futility in Life Extension Research (A Reply to de [...]

Nanotechnology "Unconference" now open to general public

Registration for Foresight’s Nov. 3-4 Vision Weekend focused on nanotechnology and other advanced technologies — traditionally restricted to Foresight Senior Associates — is being opened to the general public this year as an experiment. Space is limited and participants are advised to register very soon.
To warm up for our Sat/Sun afternoon unconference, in the [...]

Vision Weekend Unconference now open to Nanodot readers

This year as an experiment we are opening up a subset of seats at the Nov. 3-4 Foresight Vision Weekend to members of special groups such as Nanodot readers. The event is usually open only to Foresight Senior Associate members:
http://www.foresight.org/SrAssoc/2007
I encourage you to check out this event. Since it is an Unconference, you [...]

Foresight Unconference on nanotechnology, advanced software, future technologies

Registration is now open to new and renewing Senior Associate members; cost for Senior Associate members to attend the meeting is $65. Space is limited. Join us! —Christine
1st Foresight Unconference to Be Held November 3-4 in Silicon Valley
Event will explore nanotechnology, advanced software, life extension, future technologies
Palo Alto, CA — Foresight Nanotech [...]

Nanotechnology & more at Foresight Vision Weekend, Nov. 3-4

We are very pleased to announce the dates and location of the 2007 Foresight Vision Weekend, to be held November 3-4 in at Yahoo! headquarters here in Silicon Valley.
We’ve learned that you demand a highly interactive meeting, so this year we’ll be experimenting with a new format including big chunks of time for the Unconference [...]

Nanotechnology for life extension goes mainstream

Foresight president Pearl Chin brings our attention to an interview of Sanjay Gupta in Life Extension magazine. It sounds as though his new book Chasing Life includes coverage of nanotechnology. Excerpts from the interview:
Turn on any television in the world—Beijing, Chicago, Tel Aviv, Rome, Los Angeles, or Tokyo—and you will find Dr. Sanjay [...]

Nanotechnology, life extension podcasts

Rounding out our nanotechnology week on a leisurely note, we have a new source of nanotech podcasts, over at AzoNano. They’ve just posted their first weekly podcast and also have a couple of nano topic overviews for your commuting or exercising pleasure:
Nanotechnology News – Week Commencing 29th July 2007 – NEW
Total running time 23.45 [...]